This Is Us, the NBC drama series that follows the lives of the Pearson family, is set to return for its fifth season later this fall. Series creator Dan Fogelman has already confirmed a few topics the new season will explore, including storylines about the coronavirus pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, Kate and Toby's decision to adopt a child and Kevin's upcoming fatherhood. However, the storyline the series really needs to finally break into is the love story between Pearson matriarch Rebecca and her second husband, Miguel, who was the best friend of her previous husband, Jack.
Season 5 is the perfect opportunity to explore the relationship between Rebecca and Miguel. Fogelman has already confirmed that Rebecca's deteriorating health will be a major storyline of the season. This deterioration impacts her memory and therefore has the potential to create significant issues with her relationship to Miguel. In the second episode of the first season, one of the major cliffhangers and reveals of the episode was the fact that Rebecca and Miguel were married in the present timeline, despite many fans feeling an immediate attachment to her relationship with Jack.
In Season 2, fans learned that Jack tragically died of a heart attack caused by smoke inhalation after a fire at the Pearson family home. But the fact that Jack had died and Rebecca was a widower when she married Miguel was not revealed until after the reveal that they were married. The order in which this information was revealed has a significant impact on how fans received Miguel as a character moving forward.
However, despite the initial setbacks, Miguel has grown into a fan-favorite, especially after the Season 2 episode where he bonds with Toby and Beth and adamantly defends Jack, making it clear how valued and important their friendship was. Miguel has made it known he has never tried to replace Jack, but always strives to honor him. He has proven himself to be a good man and a devoted husband. However, so much of his storyline with Rebecca comes from direct comparisons to Jack, or friction related to his new role in the Pearson family. It's about time that the show gives him a real opportunity to thrive as a lead, and delving into the romantic backstory of his relationship with Rebecca is the perfect opportunity for that.
Plus, Rebecca's storyline this season is destined to be tragic and sad. Seeing the character have the opportunity to smile and find joy again would make a nice compliment to her declining health and sometimes complicated relationships with her children. Sure, her romance with Miguel will come with its own complications, but it will also come with joy and happiness at a time when she needs it the most.
This Is Us has a great talent at balancing the tragic with the hopeful, the goofy and the difficult. Presenting a love story between Rebecca and Miguel has been neglected for so long, and in combination with the devastating nature of the Season 4 finale and the promised upcoming emotional beats, finding joy in this blossoming romance could be exactly what the show needs in its fifth season. It's time that fans of This Is Us get a chance to learn the truth behind one of the series' most complicated, and strangely beautiful, relationships.
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