Did you really think that the tears were over? This Is Us may have finally spilled the tea on how Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) actually died, but that doesn't mean that his is the only funeral we will see. In fact, there's evidence to suggest that one of the most beloved characters on This Is Us could not live to see her grandchildren, just as the Pearson patriarch didn't. There's evidence to suggest that Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) dies on This Is Us, and if it happens, NBC is getting a very strongly worded letter from yours truly.
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If you're wondering where I'm pulling this from, consider how the episode "Super Bowl Sunday" (yes, the one where we learn how Jack dies) ended. There's a flashforward where we see Randall (Sterling K. Brown) meeting up with the now 20-something Tess (Iantha Richardson) at her office. It's a sweet moment — but it's a little odd that Beth is missing, no?
It's also a little odd that we never see Randall's hands, which would indicate if he was wearing a wedding ring or not. While it's possible Randall would wear a wedding ring after Beth's death, it's also possible that he would take it off if enough time has passed, and if he wants to pursue dating. In a photo Brown posted to Instagram, Randall's hands are also suspiciously MIA.
PopSugar posits a theory that states that Randall and Beth have actually gotten divorced in the years after the present-day timeline, which is certainly possible, if not completely and utterly devastating. However, I'm not so sure that this is the way Randall and Beth's journey would go: They've been through a lot together, between Randall's mental breakdown, Beth's father's death from cancer, and more recently everything with William (Ron Cephas Jones), Deja (Lyric Ross), and Kevin (Justin Hartley). This Is Us seems to suggest that Randall and Beth are strong even through the toughest conflict, so why break them up?
Let's go back to Beth's father for a second. When William comes to live with the Pearsons, Beth brings up her father's death quite often. (Talk of Beth's dad even leads to a cute, marijuana-related bonding moment between Beth and William.) We never see Beth's father in flashbacks, but what if this is actually an Easter egg for what's to come? Perhaps Beth is genetically predisposed to the type of cancer which killed her father — it could ultimately be what takes her own life.
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The final kicker for this theory is actually a blind item — but tell me it wouldn't fit perfectly with This Is Us? Per TVLine's Ask Ausiello column, "an extremely popular broadcast drama that’s been on the air for less than three seasons" is considering a plot line that would have a "pivotal character" diagnosed with terminal cancer. Fans in the TVLine comment section are already calling out Beth, even suggesting that her false pregnancy storyline from season 1 episode "The Game Plan" could be indication of a greater health issue.
Of course, the real reason Beth could die is because This Is Us won't let us have nice things for very long. Anyone want to add their signature to my strongly-worded letter to NBC?