‘This Is Us’ Star Michael Angarano Says Fans Will Need A Case Of Tissues To Prepare For Nicky’s Fate

This Is Us fans are bracing for another heartbreaking death, this time for a character that they know very little about. As viewers wait to find out the fate of Jack’s brother Nicky Pearson (played by Michael Angarano) as he struggles in Vietnam, the actor who plays him warns that the sad sibling storyline is like “This Is Us on steroids.”

After serving in the Vietnam War in the early 1970s, Angarano’s Nicky Pearson is no longer the caring boy who would carry a spider outside instead of killing it. Nicky Pearson lost all trust and compassion after his commanding officer died when a seemingly friendly local woman tipped off her Viet Cong brother to their unit’s campsite. By the time Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) reunites with his brother in Vietnam, a broken Nicky is facing his own demons.

“You’ll begin to understand the breadth of what he’s been through and what he’s seen, which I think is what, for most people who aren’t in the service or haven’t served or seen something quite on that level, it’s pretty incomprehensible what he’s been through,” Angarano told E! News of his character.

It is no secret that Nicky Pearson does not make it out of Vietnam alive and that the circumstances of his death greatly affect his brother Jack for the rest of his life. Angarano told People TV viewers may want to prepare for the gut-wrenching storyline in a big way.

“You might want to go to Costco” to get a case of tissues, the actor said.

This Is Us star Jon Huertas, who plays Jack’s best friend Miguel on the NBC drama, recently told Hollywood Life the story of Nicky’s death and its aftermath for Jack will surprise viewers.

“I think they’re gonna be super surprised, as the season goes on, by what comes out of that story. I think that it’s told very truthfully and very real and grounded. Hopefully, it’s going to almost awaken a sense of curiosity in people about how people came back from Vietnam, and how they dealt with transitioning from military life to civilian life after that conflict.”

Milo Ventimiglia has also warned fans to prepare for a very dark turn in the Vietnam storyline.

“I think people know something ominous is coming,” the This Is Us star told Entertainment Weekly. “And of course, we all know the result: Jack lost his brother. I think people should be prepared for the casualty that happens in war, the emotional innocence that’s lost, the physical family that’s lost, all of that.”

With only one more new episode left until the fall finale, This Is Us viewers may want to prepare for a cliffhanger to take them through the holidays. The upcoming episode’s title is “The Beginning is the End is the Beginning,” and it is reported to be “the episode where everything changes.”

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