It’s been almost two years and they finally showed Jack’s death. After the last episode, we knew the big event, but didn’t know the details.
SPOILERS OF LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE AHEAD. READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Fans of This is Us across the country were trying to throw out their Crock Pots after it started the fire that claimed Jack’s life. It was a hand-me-down Crock Pot from a kind neighbor, that told Jack and Rebecca when he gave it to them (before the triplets were born) that it worked well, you just had to jiggle the knob a little to make sure it was off. Then, after the Super Bowl 1998, Jack cleans the kitchen and turns off the Crock Pot, then heads to bed. The Crock Pot knob sparks and catches the dish towel next to it on fire, and soon, it engulfs the whole house in flames.
In last night’s episode, we see Jack get Randall into their bedroom, and then go to save Kate across the hall. By the time they were trying to get back to their bedroom, the flames were high and hot, and Jack grabs Kate’s mattress to shield them from the fire. He manages to get her over to his and Rebecca’s room, sustaining some pretty gnarly second degree burns on his hands where he was holding the mattress. They get out the window and down to the ground when Kate hears the dog barking, and cries. Jack didn’t want to see Kate hurt in any way, runs back into the house for the dog, and moments later, we see their bedroom engulfed in flames. It looks like Jack isn’t going to make it out, but out the front door, he has the dog and a pillow case full of memories- photo albums and Kate’s audition video.
For all intents and purposes, they made it through one of the most horrible instances in their lives and all lived. Jack and Rebecca go to the hospital to check out Jack’s burns, while the kids go to Miguel’s (they knew Kevin wasn’t in the house but didn’t yet know where he was). The doctor is wrapping his hands and talking about how he needs to treat his burns. He also comments on the smoke that Jack inhaled (which in all my training as a doctor, and by that, I mean all the Grey’s Anatomy I’ve watched in my life, shouldn’t they have intubated him immediately because of his smoke inhalation? But I digress.), but doesn’t seem worried. Rebecca goes to get a candy bar from the vending machine and their exchange before she leaves his room is that she’s standing in front of the TV. She sticks her tongue out at him and leaves. She makes a couple phone calls and gets her candy bar, while we see action happening in the background, but Rebecca isn’t paying any attention to it. The doctor comes to inform her that Jack has died and she doesn’t believe him at all. She goes to tell Jack about the weird conversation she just had with the doctor and sees him there, on the bed, dead.
The creators of This is Us made this interview with Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore to talk about the emotions they felt while shooting the video. One thing is for sure, they LOVE the characters they play. How can you not? They’re perfect characters! Check this out!
