It seems like every week This Is Us finds a new way to make us ugly-cry on the couch. Tuesday's season 2 premiere, "A Father's Advice," did so by revealing a new piece of information about Jack Pearson's death, which may have occurred during a house fire. Now, actor Milo Ventimiglia wants fans to pay close attention to another big part of that This Is Us final moment: Since when does the Pearson family have a dog?!
In the final moments of Tuesday's episode, we see a young Kate and Randall sitting on the couch along with an unnamed redhead and dog we have yet to recognize. According to Ventimiglia's interview with Entertainment Weekly, there's a reason that dog was included in the scene: It was a hint at how much time Jack may have left.
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"I know [creator Dan Fogelman] has said it, but if you look at that last segment with the teen Big Three and Miguel — there’s a dog. Whose dog is it? You never heard about a dog," Ventimiglia teased to EW.
For the record, the dog is pretty darn cute. The adorable black and white terrier mix sits in teen Kate's lap as she cries, likely over just being told of her father's demise. However, as with everything good and pure on This Is Us, the Pearson's new pup might actually have a connection to tragedy.
According to Redditor RBlaske, it's possible that Jack died in that house fire while attempting to save their new furry friend.
"My theory is this: Kate told Toby it was her fault her father died. What if they were all watching the Steelers game (sans Kevin), and somehow a fire started in the house. Maybe the family all gets out at first, except the dog. Since Kate seems to have an attachment to the dog, she freaks out about it, and Jack runs back in to find the pup. Dog gets out, Jack doesn’t. Or, if he does, he’s not in good shape and ends up dying in the hospital."
If this theory isn't proof that This Is Us fans can't have nice things, I don't know what is.