‘This Is Us’ Spoilers: Episode 17, ‘What’s Next?,’ Brings Celebrating, Tension

Next up for fans of NBC’s This Is Us is the Season 1, Episode 17 show and there is no doubt that this will be a tear-jerker. William passed away while on a trip to New Orleans with Randall during the last new show, and after another schedule interruption, it’s time for “What’s Next?” coming up on Tuesday, March 7. What spoilers are available for this episode?

As TV Guide shares, the Pearson family will gather at Randall and Beth’s house for an unusual party of sorts, and this will be a celebration of William’s life for the Pearson family. Previews show that Randall and Beth’s young girls point out how William wanted a celebration and This Is Us spoilers reveal that everybody will don hats just like what William wore as they gather to do exactly what Randall’s biological father had wanted. There will be heartbreaking moments and tears for certain, but it looks like this will be a very sweet gathering.

Kevin has been working hard on his play, and he left the premiere behind when he knew that Randall needed his support. This Is Us spoilers via the previews show that Kevin will talk with Sophie about what to do next regarding the play, as he needs to try to explain his sudden departure and he’s not sure how to smooth things over. Teasers indicate that Kevin and Sophie will grow closer to one another as she lends her support through all of this, but there will be some talk about how the rest of the Pearson family will react when they all learn about this tentative reunion.

There is some action with Kate and Toby in Episode 17 as well. As fans saw previously, Toby tried to get Kate to open up about her father Jack’s death, but she admitted that she wasn’t able to talk about it yet. This Is Us spoilers note that she will continue to struggle on this front during Tuesday’s show. Will Kate and Toby eventually walk down the aisle or was this engagement too rushed and will they realize that they simply aren’t on the same page with too many issues?

As for Jack and Rebecca, the flashback segments of the next show will have the Pearson matriarch saying goodbye to her family as she heads off on her tour. Her decision to do this, with an ex-flame no less, is causing waves in her marriage and previews hint that the Pearson patriarch might start making some bad decisions as a result. He already took a drink again, and some worry that he might stray in his marriage based on This Is Us spoilers via the latest previews.

Additional This Is Us spoilers from TV Guide note that viewers have yet to see Beth, Kevin, and the others learn of William’s death, but that takes place during the “What Now?” episode. Randall will be breaking the news to everybody as he heads back home from Memphis and while Beth was leery of William in the beginning, they grew quite close during their time together, and everybody will see her grieving over this loss as well. Also, Kevin really connected to Randall’s biological father as well, and this loss will have a significant impact on many in the Pearson clan.

What can everybody expect when it comes to the Season 1 finale set to air on Tuesday, March 14? Susan Kelechi Watson, who plays Randall’s wife Beth, teased via Huffington Post that people will get some answers to questions that have been lingering for a while, particularly regarding Jack and Rebecca. Does that mean that the Pearson family head will die in that episode and fans will finally know what led to his death? Unfortunately, This Is Us spoilers from Milo Ventimiglia and Us Weekly reveal that the answer to that is a resounding no.

Ventimiglia, who plays the Pearson family father, shared juicy This Is Us spoilers that reveal that he has not yet filmed the scenes where his character dies, and he said that those are a ways off yet. Given that, and the fact that show creator Dan Fogelman previously said that a lot of lingering questions would carry over into Season 2 next fall, it sounds as if viewers should brace themselves for some answers, more questions, and plenty of heartbreak. Actor Justin Hartley, who plays Kevin, previously teased that he knows what happens with this brutal Pearson family tragedy and he doesn’t think that fans have guessed the right scenario yet.

The Season 1 finale is titled “Moonshadow,” notes TV Guide, and everybody will see Jack head to Cleveland to try to smooth things over with Rebecca as she prepares for her first performance on the tour. Additional This Is Us spoilers note that Kevin, Kate, and Randall will all face challenging decisions about what comes next for them. Will there be a major cliffhanger coming with this one? How will fans manage without new episodes every week for the next few months?

Luckily, NBC has already renewed This Is Us for both Seasons 2 and 3, which means that there’s a lot more Pearson family drama on the way. Stay tuned for additional spoilers heading into the last moments of this debut set of episodes and hang on tight as the drama continues again in the fall.

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