Sterling K. Brown Says ‘This Is Us’ Characters Will Have Slow Reconciliation

Sterling K. Brown is talking about what’s coming up for his This Is Us character, Randall Pearson, when the NBC drama returns for eight new episodes starting in January. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brown revealed that it will be a slow thaw for Randall and his mother, Rebecca, despite the fact that they were cordial to one another in the Christmas episode.

The original script for the show’s midseason finale, which was titled “Last Christmas,” actually had Randall quickly forgiving his mother, Rebecca (Mandy Moore), for keeping the identity of his biological father from him for 36 years. But fans never saw that scene. SterlingK. Brown says This is Us creator Dan Fogelman chose to cut the reconciliation scene because it felt “too easy.”

“Originally, in the Christmas episode, there is a moment of forgiveness that Dan chose to cut out,” Sterling told EW.

“He said it just felt too easy. There’s this moment when Randall is watching the whole family in the living room, enjoying life, enjoying Christmas. His mom comes up behind him, and he turns to her and says, ‘I forgive you.’ And she says, ‘Excuse me?’ He says, ‘You know, it’s Christmas Eve, and I just want you to know that I forgive you.’ And she hugs him, and they hug each other, and they continue with their Christmas Eve. But [Dan] was like, ‘After 36 years, I don’t know if I did that moment quite right.'”

Randall learns about Rebecca's huge secret on #ThisIsUs: https://t.co/lUEjYuHoq8 pic.twitter.com/cxdWyR5P16

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Now, Sterling K. Brown says it will “take a little time” for the characters to come together because a 36-year secret can’t just be brushed under the rug.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time,” Sterling said. “After having that conversation with [Fogelman], and recognizing that we have eight more episodes, it may not be until late into the season where you actually get a chance to see them fully reconnected once again.”

In other words, the mom-son estrangement could last a while.

As fans wait to see Sterling K. Brown’s character find resolution with his mother, he will also react to the recent revelation that his biological father, William (Rob Cephas Jones), is in a relationship with a man. In addition, Brown’s character may have to deal with a few bumps in the road in another area of his life: his career. According to Deadline, Hari Dhillon (Law & Order: SVU) has joined the This Is Us cast in a recurring role as Randall’s work rival, a guy who will undoubtedly make the beloved character’s already complicated life a bit more miserable.

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As Sterling K. Brown’s character tries to come to terms with his personal issues, fans will also get to learn a lot more about his wife, Beth, played by Susan Kelechi Watson. In an interview with Us Weekly, Kelechi Watson revealed that there will be “some really great stuff about Beth coming up that gets to unfold.” While Beth Pearson has been Randall’s rock throughout the first half of This Is Us‘ inaugural season, fans will get to know more about her own background, family, and career in upcoming episodes.

“I have heard a lot that people find her to be strong, and I’m really happy about that,” the actress told Us. “I think she’s just really trying to keep things OK. There is so much going on and she’s trying to roll with the punches and make sure everyone is OK at the same time.”

This is Us fans are counting the days until the breakout NBC hit returns on January 10. You can see Sterling K. Brown and the rest of the cast when This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. On NBC.

[Featured Image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images]