By Parker, Just Parker
Anyone else hate these placeholder weeks? Yeah, me too. But as long as we have a week off from the show, I thought maybe we could discuss our theories about Jack.
First off, apologies to the readers who clearly do their homework way better than I do. Hey, it was my first recap, I’m learning! I worried last week in the recap and the comments that the show would lose a lot of steam if Jack died this season. Boy was I wrong. It’s pretty clear from reading the interviews with cast members and with series creator Dan Fogelman that we are not going to learn the circumstances of Jack’s death this season. Here’s what he told Entertainment Weekly.
“By the end of the season, you’re going to know a lot of the details of the how and the ramifications of it. In terms of the detail of how he died, was it illness? Was it something tragic? Was it something else? You’re not going to know that for a little bit because we want to show that in the show. So that’s going to take a minute.”
So we will have the place marker of his death, but I suspect that next season is going to be all about what happened from when Jack and Rebecca had their big fight on Valentine’s Day to how Jack died. I think we’ll get a lot of clues in the last episode of the season, which Fogelman has said is mostly about Jack and Rebecca. Can’t wait!
In the meantime, that isn’t going to stop us from guessing, right? There are a LOT of theories out on the internet about how Jack dies. What’s really amazing to me is that there do not seem to be ANY leaks from cast members. I mean, how is that possible? The entire plot for the next season of Game of Thrones is already on line and not a single cast member of This is Us has talked to anyone about how Jack dies? Crazy, but kind of nice to see a cast and a writing team so dedicated to taking us on their journey in their own way and at their own pace.
Justin Hartley, the actor who plays Kevin, told TMZ, “You’ll never guess it. It’s unexpected and it’s extremely heartbreaking and sad and deep and moving and, ugh, it’s painful. It’s painful. It’ll stay with you.”
Ha. Nothing new for this show, right?
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So here’s a roundup of some of the theories about Jack’s death. Let’s talk about them in the comments!
- He dies in a drunk driving accident. This one is pretty obvious. The theory goes that Kate was in the car with him since she seems the most torn up about his death. I don’t love this as a theory. I know that Jack has been portrayed as deeply human and flawed by Fogelman, but this show has been all about redemption to date and to have Jack go out in so ignominious a way seems off to me. I’d also point out that all three of the kids still drink, so I am wondering if the drinking is just a red herring. Another reason to rule it out is the statement from Justin Hartley that fans will never guess how Jack dies. Since this was pretty much everyone’s first guess….
- He dies on 9/11. I know, this initially sounds nuts, but it is fast becoming one of the most popular fan theories of how Jack died. The supporting facts? (1) Kate’s desperate fear of flying, although I didn’t really get that from her flight scene. She only seemed afraid when the plane went through severe turbulence. I’ve been through severe enough turbulence that I watched someone’s laptop bounce of the ceiling. Trust me, I was afraid! (2) Kevin destroys all of the model airplanes he made with his dad after Jack died. But to me, this suggests more anger at his dad than anything else. And I see one major problem with the 9/11 theory: 2001 seems too late to me. If the triplets just had their 36th birthday in 2016, they would have been 20 (almost 21) when 9/11 happened. They seemed younger in the one scene we’ve had so far from Jack’s funeral. More like high school than college age. (Note that there was some fan pushback because Kate said she watched the 2006 Super Bowl with her dad. That is obviously way too late for his death and someone pointed out that she meant she watched it with the urn of ashes, not actually with Jack.)
- A new theory that popped up after Memphis is the heartbreaking idea that Jack died alone. It comes from Randall saying to William that he needed a nurse with him so he wouldn’t “die when nobody’s looking.” Just thinking about Jack dying alone is bringing tears to my eyes so I guess this theory has to be in the running. I don’t love it because I am still banking on an arc for Jack that takes him to a very very low point and then gives him some kind of redemption. I feel like the show and the show’s fans like Jack too much for it to end with him broken and alone. But there is no denying that it would be very very painful to watch. Oh, and William fans. Good news….he’ll be in future episodes according to Fogelman! If they intertwine William’s life with Jack’s death somehow there is going to be a run on Kleenex….
- Last theory I’m going to put out there is that Miguel had something to do with Jack’s death. This idea comes from a reddit user. Although the user didn’t really flesh out the details, this is how it could go I think. Jack stays with Miguel after Rebecca kicks him out of the house. There is a house fire (for some reason everyone seems to think fire might have something to do with Jack’s death) and Jack dies trying to save Miguel’s family unsuccessfully. (The more sinister people out there think that Miguel may have had something to do with the fire, but this seems a bit off to me although it may explain some of the triplets’ resentment toward Miguel.) The main support for this theory is the fact that we know that Miguel had a wife and kids but they’ve never been mentioned or shown in present day scenes with Miguel and Rebecca. Eh, I don’t love this one, but it’s out there.
So what are you theories?
ugh those are all good theories…what kind of Doctor is Jack? I know there is kind of a taboo topic about a mass amount of ER Doctors that commit suicide….that maybe a theory but I really only started watching sine episode 13 so I need to rewatch to see if there are other clues! I LOVE THIS SHOW
Jack isn’t a doctor, honey. He’s a building foreman. Not sure if that’s the right term but it gets the job done ?
I think Kate is somehow involved with his death. Jack was on his way to get her, or save her from somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. It seems to me that Kate’s extreme weight issues came after he died, she feels guilty in some way.
I’m guessing suicide, too. For shocking reasons we would never expect and won’t understand for quite a while. Kate was really worried that Toby considered suicide.
Right. Also, remember Kevin leaving his show on opening night to run to Randall when he knew he was having a break down? They all have that fear. Hmmmmm ☹️
I’m gonna go with my favorite way for people to die. IN A FIRE!
Too soon?
Bahahaha! Spit take.
Nicely done ma’am!! ???
What’s really funny is that “in a fire” is a fan theory I’ve read.
I lol’d a little. Then I felt bad.
I think that somehow Miguel ends up driving home a drunk Jack, they get into an argument and there’s a terrible crash. It explains part of the resentment of the children but then I question the whole thing because he and Rebecca end up together…. maybe Kate is driving? Then, the resentment from the kids just comes from the fact that she and Miguel ended up together after dad died… or maybe because Miguel was supposed to pick him up and didn’t? I can second-guess myself for days here – overall I really just don’t want it to ever happen.
I am with you. It is almost to sad to speculate. He was just such a lovely man on this show. Full of love and compassion. A great Dad. It seems like every episode there is something that makes you pause or reflect. I am a little scared to watch the next one. May have to take a day off from work the next day. Haha
too sad to speculate. Sorry.
I read an interview with Milo recently and he seemed surprised that so many people think Jack is the perfect guy. He said that Jack had plenty of flaws. So I think it is something that Jack does that causes his death.
I’ve seen a theory floating around that it could have been the 1994 plane crash in Pittsburgh, touches on the plane clues, but puts the kids as being teenagers.
I hate all of these theories. And I hate y’all for making me picture them all. And I hate this show for being so heart felt and amazing.
As Rhett Butler once said “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!”
?
Y’all are terrible with coming up with theories. Seriously. I thought this was a great post by Parker. And y’all are all crying on our only CRY FREE TUESDAY!
I think a lot of people are forgetting that Rebecca is going to go on tour and Jack didn’t want her to go. Maybe he dies on a plane trying to surprise Rebecca at a concert? Randall breaking all of his model airplanes seems significant. Same with Kate’s fear of flying.
I think we need to look for more clues next week regarding flying. Why would Jack be on a plane? Who watched the kids?
I don’t think Kate was involved at all. Or there. She had some sort of genetic predisposition for weight gain and then ate her feelings after his death.
Thank god you see my point of view!!!??
Binge watched all sixteen episodes today. Jack dies in a drunk driving accident.
so impressed!
I think drunk driving is too obvious and really not all that sad except in a pathetic sort of way. Does the show really want its anti-hero to go out like that?
Ditto, suicide. The kids just aren’t fucked up enough for that to have happened. Plus do they really do that cute Thanksgiving thing every year if he killed himself? I don’t think so.
Kate ate him is a theory I hadn’t considered.
I sort of like the plane crash on the way to surprise Rebecca theory. Maybe Kate convinced him to do it so she blames herself.
Nothing really explains the Rebecca/Miguel backstory which sort of squicks me out. But maybe we never see his old family because they hate him. Plausible.
Maybe he just ate some shit and died. Also too soon? 🙂
I think that Rebecca and Miquel get together before Jack dies and he dies of a broken heart. Like perhaps he became an alcoholic like his father and Rebecca left him permanently. I just remember the episode where Jack was drinking and didn’t come home and the next day at work Miquel told him he had to wake up and appreciate his wife. I think they separated, she ended up going on a date with Miquel or maybe Jack thought they did and he kills himself? Over doses? Then Rebecca and him actually get together which causes a ton of resentment.
Watching Milo now on Live With Kelly. His right arm is in a sling. He had some surgery to fix some tendons or something.
There were THREE SEGMENTS. and ZERO Clues.
I dont think it has to do with Rebecca (flying to see her etc) because the kids dont seem to have much resentment towards her (other than Kate and those are always centered around her weight issues). I think Jack dying in a plane crash seems plausible, if so maybe he was going to see Kate? She could have been talking suicide and he flew to see her, talked to her and made her realize its not the answer and the plane crashed on his way home. They were so close so i can see her reaching out to him and making him promise not to tell the rest of the family why he was going to see her. Which could explain why she wouldn’t want to talk about it and why no one else in the family harbors resentment towards her. The anger towards Miguel could be because Jack & Rebecca had problems at some point and the kids felt she was having an affair (I dont think she would have been) so when they did get together after Jacks death they felt as if she was still disrespecting their father. She probably doesn’t know they thought that other wise they would have cleared it up before the wedding.
I’m on the bandwagon with the plane crash now.
This is the plane crash Blondie references from the Wikipedia. Is there a Chicago or West Palm Beach connection on this show?
“USAir Flight 427 was a scheduled flight from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to Pittsburgh International Airport, with a final destination of West Palm Beach, Florida. On Thursday, September 8, 1994, the Boeing 737 flying this route crashed while approaching runway 28R of Pittsburgh International Airport, located in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which at the time was the largest hub for the airline.
After the longest investigation in the history of the NTSB, it was determined that the aircraft’s rudder malfunctioned and went hard-over in the opposite direction the pilots commanded it to, causing the plane to enter an aerodynamic stall, from which the pilots were unable to recover. All 132 people on board the aircraft were killed including Jack Pearson.”
Again, to put Jack on a plane, we need a reason why he is flying alone. To me that reason would be he is going to say, Chicago to see Rebecca perform. Perhaps things go badly in Chicago and he returns home to Pittsburgh and dies in a fire. A plane fire,
Why the need to use a real plane crash? I dunno but it fits my theory. The marital problems with Jack and Rebecca over the band tour are the cause of his visit to her and ultimately the cause of his death. Perhaps she cheats with Ben or whatever his name is and Jack finds out about it. The cheating pattern will be repeated by Kevin later on… Kate gets her fear of flying and Randall develops his whole fear of dying alone thing.
You’re welcome.
As long as he dies in a fire, I’m happy. Maybe I should watch the show?
I shall alert you before the final episode as that is when I project the DIAF will occur.
I think for sure it has to do with his drinking, that is the ONLY non-perfect thing about him, so of course it will kill him in someway. Kate feels some culpability, even though it probably wasnt her fault. (she wouldnt give him a ride and he drove himself but he was mad)
I think Jack died in 1996/1997, when the triplets were 16. When Kevin and Olivia crashed the funeral, he became very emotional when the widow spoke of her 16-year-old son. I can’t remember what he said, but I immediately thought the triplets were the son’s age when Jack died.
I’ve been of the opinion that Miguel had something to do with Jack’s death if for no other reason than I think he wanted Rebecca. I don’t believe he had a hand in killing Jack, but likely let him die, meaning he had an opportunity to save him, but chose not to. How do you marry your husbands BF or your BF widow? That’s my $0.02.
It not like they were related. They were four very good friends with long histories. He was divorced, she was widowed. I don’t see the big deal. It’s not like the got married the day after the funeral. I always assumed they got older and decided to get married.
I don’t understand why people think Miguel is some sort of axe murderer. Not just you, Sleeping Beauty, but many people seem to not like him. Then again, I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt to my detriment so what do I know?
Beau Biden’s brother is about to marry his widow it looks like! And of course Henry VIII married his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon, but that’s a horse of a different color.
That said, I feel like there may be Miguel angle too but not one that the kids know or I don’t think they’d ever be able to forgive him. Maybe Rebecca knows, though. She’s been proven pretty good at keeping secrets.
I was just reading that about Beau marrying his brother’s widow. I think that is kinda creepy. Brothers should not date each other’s girlfriends. Especially ex wives. Or WIDOWS. Just NOE.
Obviously I haven’t been thinking about this nearly as much as most people. Probably because no matter what, I’m gonna cry more than I do nearly every episode. Jack and Rebecca have their spats, but I can’t picture a truly serious one as they seem to have a special kind of love, pardon the cliche. They always work is out. Resentment towards Miguel would be strong not matter what happened I think, because Jack was Superdad, who always saved the day or said just the right thing to his kids. I mean most of the time Jack is almost too good to be true, or else I’ve had REALLY lousy men in my life. Regardless, I’d marry Jack in a heartbeat. He likes a few drinks and/or beers on occasion but I can’t recall him being being totally shit-faced or even drinking on a regular basis. I was content to consider some kind of construction accident, nothing nearly as creative as all the theories I’ve read here. I give. Just going to wait and see. One of the few benefits of getting older. I can wait.