One could rename This Is Us a plethora of things.This Is Sad, and This Is Heavy, are but two examples I came up with just now. Today, however, I'd like to rename it something else: This Is Not Okay.
The NBC drama broke everyone's heart when it revealed that Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) would not live to see his kids enter adulthood. That sucked, considering Jack is pretty much the best television dad of all time. It's not just parenting that Jack is so damn good at: he's also a wonderful, dedicated husband to Rebecca (Mandy Moore). Or... is he? A new photo from upcoming penultimate episode "What Now?" — scheduled to air on March 7 — puts Jack in a position that should make everyone who ships Jack and Rebecca a tad suspicious. Does Jack hook up with someone who isn't his wife in an upcoming episode?
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When we last left Jack and Rebecca in Flashback Land, the couple had a huge fight over the reveal that Rebecca used to date her bandmate Ben (Sam Trammell), whom she is scheduled to go on tour with. Jack then goes to the place where he and Rebecca typically spend Valentine's Day and orders a drink, despite his problematic relationship with alcohol. While Jack's renewed taste for hard liquor upset fans, so might another image of Jack at the bar. In a new photo, Jack is seen at the bar with Heather (How To Get Away With Murder's Megan West), Miguel's (Jon Huertas) assistant.
Am I crazy, or are Jack and Heather making eyes at one another?!? THIS IS NOT OKAY, THIS IS US!
Before you think I'm completely paranoid here — after all, it's not like they're making out at the bar — I want to point out that the show has definitely dropped clues about Heather being involved in some sort of cheating situation. During her first appearance in "The Best Washing Machine In The Whole World," Heather seemingly flirts with Jack by adjusting his shirt, even telling him that his "wife should have caught that." Later, in "I Call Marriage," Jack accuses Miguel of cheating on his wife with the assistant, an accusation that Miguel vehemently denies. Well, what if Heather's appearances were actually a heavy dose of foreshadowing? Except, in this case, it wasn't Miguel that cheated, but Jack?
I'm already crying.
It's pretty damn devastating to think that "good guy" Jack could do that to Rebecca. Maybe Jack will be confronted with the opportunity to cheat, and choose to turn Heather down. The episode is called "What Now?," after all, which could imply that Jack needs to make a serious choice about his future relationship with his wife.
I'm hoping that This Is Us won't ruin our beloved Rebecca and Jack by throwing in a sad cheating storyline... but also well aware that This Is Us doesn't really care about keeping us happy. Stay strong, my friends: I fear the penultimate episode of This Is Us will be a doozy.