‘This Is Us’ Episode 7: Everything We Know About The Year Jack Pearson Died

Just six episodes in, This Is Us has taken viewers on an emotional roller coaster, and the twists and turns aren’t done yet as we approach the seventh episode of the hit NBC drama. While fans were distraught to find out that Pearson patriarch Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) is dead in the present day, they still don’t know when he died or how. But in an interview with People, Milo Ventimiglia told This Is Us fans they won’t have to say goodbye to his character anytime soon because old school Jack will still be around for years to come.

“Jack’s journey is not over,” Ventimiglia told People.

“Jack is still going to be there, but you also know now how important these moments are with his wife, with his kids. He doesn’t know that he’s going to be passing at a certain age.”

The This Is Us star said that viewers have been fixated on the key scene in the episode “The Game Plan,” in which Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz) reveals that she started a ritual of watching the SuperBowl with her dad in 2006.

“It’s funny because there’s speculation, and everybody starts to dissect what happens in the episode,” Milo said. “They say: ‘Oh wow, Kate watched the Super Bowl with her dad in 2006. Does that mean he died in 2006 or 2007? What happened?'”

Milo told ET that This Is Us fans need to stop focusing on the year 2006.

“Oh yeah, look there’s going to be all kinds of theories about when it actually happened and I know everybody’s talking about 2006,” he said.

“You know what? Don’t worry about it! All you have to know is Jack is not around in the present day and wherever he is, he is on Kate’s mantle wearing a Steelers hat…I think when [This Is Us creator] Dan [Fogelman] wills it, when he decides that it’s right for the audience to know at what point Jack stopped being a teacher for his children or being a husband to his wife.”

Ventimiglia also told Entertainment Tonight that over time viewers will learn more about the circumstances surrounding his character’s death and how the timeline relates to his wife Rebecca’s (Mandy Moore) second marriage to his friend, Miguel (Jon Huertas).

“I think when we found out where Jack met his end, as well as where Jack was with Rebecca and where Jack was possibly potentially with Miguel, it’s all to be discovered,” Ventimiglia said.

While fans have so far seen Jack as a man in his mid-30s and early 40s, Ventimiglia’s character will do yet another time jump when his kids’ teen years are introduced. (The Big Three will reportedly be seen at age 15 in an upcoming This is Us episode, making Jack 51-years-old). And Milo has already teased that he will get to wear prosthetic makeup at some point on the NBC series.

“There is a level of makeup that Jack sees himself in between now and the urn,” the actor said.

As for any clues as to what year the Pearson patriarch passed away, on Episode 6 of This is Us, a present day Kevin Pearson (Justin Hartley) dropped the clue that his dad died “a long time ago.” In other words, while Jack made it to 51, he may have not made it to 61, and most definitely not to 71.

While it could be a while before viewers find out the details and date of Jack Pearson’s death, Ventimiglia told Entertainment Weekly that he gives the storyline about his character’s demise a thumbs up.

“There hasn’t been one thing that Dan has offered up to me that I haven’t seen a good truth in the character with,” he said of the This Is Us creator. “He’s very soulful with his choices and leading this family on the journey that they’re on, and I think he absolutely hit the mark with where Jack ultimately does meet his end.”

Take a look at the video below to see Milo Ventimiglia talking about the death of his This Is Us character.

[Featured Image by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images]