This Is Us’ Tuesday, December 6, fall finale produced yet another shocking twist, and one of the show’s saddest yet, as Toby (Chris Sullivan) flatlined after collapsing on Christmas Eve. To make his questionable fate even more upsetting, he had just surprised ex-girlfriend Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz) at her family’s holiday celebration, where the two got back together after he professed his love for her.
Us Weekly caught up with Metz at Vulture’s Awards Season Party on Thursday, December 8, to find out where things go from here for the popular NBC drama series.
“I told everybody they weren’t ready!” Metz tells Us. “People are like beside themselves. They’re all #PrayForToby!”
Metz, who has admitted to Us previously she finds herself bawling at table reads, says she was “super emotional” despite obviously knowing what was coming.
“Nobody wants him to be dead! Especially Kate. So we’re praying for Toby, that’s for sure,” she says. “She’s not ready to handle that. I think she’s going to pray, pray, pray. They just finally made an agreement to really, truly love each other. I think she’s just like, ‘Wow, we just decided that we’re going to be together.’ It just goes to show how quickly life can change and things can turn and you really have to be grateful for every moment; you really do.”
While of course Kate is not ready to let go of Toby, Metz is also not ready to get rid of Sullivan as her costar.
“Chris Sullivan is one of the most special human beings and working with him is like heaven, it’s so awesome. He’s the best,” she gushed. “I don’t want it to be the end of us working together.”
As for what’s to come when the show returns in January, the 37-year-old is staying pretty mum, joking that she sees fans on social media counting down until the return.
“You’re going to see the family come together and really have some sympathy for Kate,” she says. “As like I said before, life is uncertain and you never know, and sometimes it’s a really amazing thing and sometimes it’s not what you hope for.”
The other cliffhanger Kate left Us on was whether or not she’ll follow through with gastric bypass, and Metz hinted that Toby’s fate could change her character’s plans.
“I think seeing [what’s going on with Toby] head-on is like, ‘Oh, my God, do I want to do this?’ So I think that’s definitely a question in her mind for sure.”
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
