Preparing to say goodbye to the Pearsons? This Is Us co-showrunner Isaac Aptaker teased the NBC drama’s plans to wrap up the time-bending family saga after season 6.
Aptaker told Deadline in a recent interview that the powers that be are planning to air the series finale “about three seasons” from now. The show is currently in its third season.
He elaborated on the ending too: “I would hope that it’s elegant. That’s what we’re going for. I would hope that when we reach our ending, people think it’s a really satisfying end place, that makes sense, and it feels like they’ve watched something that is a complete piece of work because that’s really how we’re trying to plan it. Almost like you would a book or a super-long movie. We’ve had this end in mind for a long time, so we’re able to plan for it and try to make it feel like it’s a whole, as opposed to a series that’s going to go endlessly.”
Creator and fellow co-showrunner Dan Fogelman also teased what’s ahead for the Pearsons. “We’ve got multiple seasons mapped out,” he told Deadline. “I think this season has been a lot about redemption, but also a lot of rebirth. Next season is a season of new beginnings and restarts.”
This Is Us stars Milo Ventimiglia (Jack Pearson), Mandy Moore (Rebecca Pearson), Justin Hartley (Kevin Pearson), Chrissy Metz (Kate Pearson), Sterling K. Brown (Randall Pearson) and Susan Kelechi Watson (Beth Pearson). The series, which premiered in September 2016, follows the family throughout multiple timelines as they navigate everyday issues.
Fogelman, 42, previously revealed that he has already filmed parts of the series finale. “We’re pretty far out,” he told reporters during a May 2018 For Your Consideration event. “We know where it ends and we know the path for each season. We’ve always had a plan, we didn’t want to get stuck. … The show won’t overstay its welcome, we have a story to tell, we want to do this the right way. I’ve actually already shot pieces of the final scene of the series.”
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
