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‘This Is Us’ Finally Reveals How Jack Died in Heartbreaking Post Super Bowl Episode

The post-Super Bowl This Is Us did not hold back. The long-awaited episode started off with Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) waking up and realizing the house was on fire. He ran across the hall to get Randall, then Kate, bringing them one by one into his room, since the window wasn’t as high up. He then helped them both and Rebecca (Mandy Moore), out the window.

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Once outside, Kate kept screaming for her dog, who was inside barking. Although Rebecca screamed for Jack not to go back in, he insisted that he could get the dog. Rebecca even tried to run in after him, but Randall pulled her back.

This Is Us Super Bowl episode fire
Hannah Zeile as teenage Kate in ‘This Is Us.’ NBC

After what felt like an eternity, Jack did eventually walk out the front door, holding the dog. He somehow also had time to gather “the important stuff” like a family photo album, Rebecca’s moon necklace and the tape of Kate singing. While in the ambulance, the doctor told him he needed to get checked out because he had taken in so much smoke, but he was OK. The kids went to Miguel’s while Rebecca brought him to the ER to get him checked out.

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Later at the hospital, Jack turned down pain killers, since he was a recovering addict. He seemed OK and Rebecca went in the hallway to call the kids and get she and Jack snacks. While there, right in the hallway, Jack suffered from cardiac arrest – something Rebecca couldn’t grasp when the doctor told her. At one point, Jack’s voice was heard saying, “Bec.”

20 Years Later

In present day, the Big Three always honored their dad on Super Bowl Sunday in different ways: Kate would watch the video of her singing, Randall would celebrate his father’s favorite day of the year with a party and Kevin would get drunk and hook up. Rebecca would find a way to stay busy, Miguel would give her space, and somehow on the anniversary, Jack would always find a way to send her a message that would make her laugh.

This year, 20 years after Jack’s death, it was a bit different. Kate watched the video but the tape started unraveling. Luckily, she had Toby by her side, rushing to get it fixed and give her anything she wanted. They spent the day watching the Super Bowl and dancing around the living room.

For the first time since the funeral, Kevin went back to talk to his dad at his “Dad’s tree” to apologize to his dad and for the first time, not avoid him. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’m gonna make you proud of me. I promise you that,” he said. He then just talked to his dad about his life, telling him he “did a movie with Rocky.” After his talk, Kevin called his mom and said he had a great talk with his dad, but that he wasn’t sure he was at the right tree – that was the joke for Rebecca.

For Randall, his daughter admitted she felt like her dad wanted a new life – he went to find his dad, find a new job, find Deja. This just prompted Randall to give an amazing Dad speech, just like his dad did, reminding his daughter that she’d always be their number one. Deja ended up returning at the end of the episode!

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We also got our first ever flash forward scene to an older Randall with his adult daughter. She becomes a social worker and he comes to visit her at work while she finds a young African American boy foster parents of his own.

This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

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