Better stock up on the tissues, because the latest This Is Us theory will have you bawling your eyes out. After finally finding out how Jack lost his life, it seems Beth may be the next one to die on This Is Us. That is, if you believe a recent blind item in TVLine's Ask Ausiello column.
Earlier this week, TVLine's Michael Ausiello wrote that "an extremely popular broadcast drama that’s been on the air for less than three seasons is eyeing a season-ending plot that would find a pivotal character being diagnosed with terminal cancer." Immediately, fans started guessing it was This Is Us, and it's hard to deny that those clues certainly sound a lot like the NBC hit that's currently on its second season.
But, fans took things one step further in the TVLine comment section, guessing that the This Is Us character that might be diagnosed with cancer is none other than Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson). And they even came up with some pretty convincing reasons as to why it's her. "She wasn’t in the flash forward," one fan going by the name of Tmal wrote.
It's true, that in the "Super Bowl" episode of This Is Us, Randall is seen in a flash forward visiting his now 20-something-year-old daughter Tess without Beth. Now, that might not be that weird, maybe she was just busy that day. But as Refinery29 also pointed out Randall's hands are nowhere to be seen in his shots. A tragic clue that he may no longer be wearing his wedding ring? It's possible.
If you needed another reason to get nervous about Beth's fate, earlier this month, Sterling K. Brown tweeted a photo of himself dressed as future Randall with the caption: "Ready to see what the future holds?" His hands just so happen to be behind his back, once again concealing that ring finger of his.
Knowing that This Is Us is always finding new ways to pull at our heartstrings, it's hard to believe that Randall's future is all unicorns and rainbows. It's probably why fans seemed a little stressed out by Brown's rather innocuous question. "We only see one daughter and no Beth! Oh no!!" a fan responded in reference to the most recent episode of This Is Us. Another wrote after seeing this photo, "Now I’m worried about Beth!"
Honestly, now you might be, too, because Brown's tweet teases some big things. What would be the biggest thing to happen to Randall? Losing his rock, the one who's gotten him through his breakdown, losing his father, and fostering a child. After giving Brown's picture another glance, it also looks a lot like he's standing in a hospital room. It's just another reason to feel concerned about Beth's future, since hers is still unclear.
Another reason to worry? Beth's pregnancy scare in the first season, which some fans are now concerned was actually a sign of something worse. Perhaps, a health scare. The show has made multiple mentions of Beth's father, who died from cancer, on the show. Could her references to her dad, who hasn't appeared in flashbacks of the show, a sign that she might also suffer his same fate?
It could be. Especially knowing that Watson hinted This Is Us Season 2 may explore Beth's past in an interview last year with The Huffington Post. "I’m not sure," she said back then about flashing back to Beth's past. "I imagine that’s an option that’s available to us. I know that we will learn about who she is, her family and her career."
While fans certainly won't complain about seeing more Beth, a flashback to her life might be just another sign that TVLine's latest report is in reference to her. This Is Us is full of heartbreaking moments, but this rumor that Beth will die might be the one that will leave hearts truly shattered.
