‘This Is Us’ Creator Teases ‘Darker’ Season 2

This Is Us will be “a little darker” for Season 2, says the show’s creator Dan Fogelman. The This Is Us head honcho described the second season of his hit NBC drama during a Facebook Live session with Deadline, revealing that viewers will need just as many boxes of Kleenex as last season as they deal with Jack Pearson’s death and other unexpected events.

This Is Us Season 2 will kick off with the 37th birthday of the Big Three (Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, and Sterling K. Brown) as well as the aftermath of Jack and Rebecca’s (Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore) blowout fight and separation. Fogelman told Deadline that while “you don’t come back instantly” from a fight like that, it also “doesn’t end a longstanding relationship.”

Other This Is Us Season 2 storylines addressed early on in Season 2 will be Randall and Beth’s (Brown, Susan Kelechi Watson) possible plans for adoption, a subject they initially aren’t on the same page about. Fogelman revealed that the way Randall and Beth “choose to do it is a complicated route.” With Randall now unemployed, he will be home with the couple’s two daughters while Beth returns to work as an urban planner. Fogelman revealed that the Randall and Beth coupling will forever be solid, despite some ups and downs in their marriage.

“Randall and Beth will never separate in this show,” the This Is Us creator vowed. “They’ll experience trials and tribulations, and this [season] will have a big one in front of them.”

Another story that will play out during This Is Us’ second season is the backstory of how William (Ron Cephas Jones) and Jesse (Denis O’Hare) met, and a look at the early part of their relationship. This Is Us fans know that William died at the end of Season 1 but the show’s flashback format means the character lives on.

The first episode of This Is Us’ second season will also feature Kate Pearson (Metz) singing. Fans saw her initial foray into public performing last season when she sang Cyndi Lauper’s “Time after Time” at a retirement home. This season, Kate will follow in her mama’s footsteps and embark on a music career. Fogelman didn’t rule out a mom-daughter duet, either.

In addition, Kate and Toby’s (Chris Sullivan) wedding planning is still in the works, while Kevin’s (Hartley) Hollywood movie career will have him starring opposite Sylvester Stallone. Stallone recently posted photos from the This Is Us set which show him wearing military gear for his role in a war movie with Hartley’s Kevin Pearson.

This Is Us spoilers are few and far between—to avoid leaks, Fogelman doesn’t include pivotal scenes in the cast’s scripts—but Ventimiglia previously told Variety that the details regarding his character’s death will be addressed early on in Season 2.

“With Dan Fogelman’s style of writing and storytelling, with every answer there are 20 more questions. Very quickly, you’re going to know what happened. … But if you pay attention, really close attention, there are markers and symbols that will help you understand the greater mystery of Jack dying.”

Here’s a look back at the first season of This Is Us.

[Featured Image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images]