Part of the charm of This Is Us is the traveling storylines, but for those fans who are just getting into the show or those who don't pay that close attention to the episodes (hey, it's good to have TV on in the background sometimes), it can get a little confusing. The chronology of This Is Us is a lot! How old are the Big Three on This Is Us? Kevin, Kate, and Randall are hurtling toward middle age — and Jack's age when he died.
The answer to calculating Kate, Kevin, and Randall's age lies simply in the This Is Us pilot, which opens up on the Big Three's 36th birthday. Each are in the midst of their own struggles — Kate hates her weight; Kevin hates his job; and Randall is trying to find his biological father. Their 36th birthday is a kind of precipice for the rest of their lives. This is the birthday where everything changes. (Who hasn't had a birthday like this?) Now, the twins were born, according to the pilot, on August 31, 1980, which was also Jack's 36th birthday. This makes all three siblings Virgos in the astrological timeline (which makes the most sense for Randall, if you follow that sort of thing). Now, if this is three years after the pilot, the twins are just on the edge of 40.
A lot is changing right now for the Big Three. Kate just had a baby. Kevin is struggling with alcoholism. Randall's wife wants a new life, and he's having a hard time putting the pieces together. Just because they're adults doesn't mean they have it all together — they're still being mean to Miguel, which, you guys! We know that Miguel is not Jack, but damn, he makes Rebecca happy. Can't they just let him live? This Is Us creator Dan Fogelmen said that #JusticeForMiguel is coming soon... kind of. He told Deadline:
“[We're] seeing the beginning of a storyline where Miguel starts trying to help this family along, this character who has always been polarizing. I think last season, people actually started to love him, and then started to hate themselves for loving him. But then, they gradually figured out that this guy really has done nothing untoward and is a guy trying to do the right thing.”
OK, so we're going to maybe get some respect for Miguel... but what about Nicky? There was so much build up to revealing the fact that Jack's little brother is still alive that it can't be the last time we see Nicky. Griffin Dunne, who plays old Nicky, told Variety, "I read that there is talk of me coming back, but I don’t know in what capacity or timeframe or anything." It's not a matter of if at this point, but when.
Just about 40 years old, the Big Three need to figure out the back half of their lives. The thing that no one tells you about getting older is that it doesn't get easier. The choices are still hard — you're just technically considered a grownup when you make them, even if you don't feel like one. For Kevin, Randall, and Kate, entering their middle-age years will mean big changes and the decisions to match.
