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‘This Is Us’ Stars, Fans React To Jack’s Shocking Family Secret [Spoilers]

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 00:07 PST, Oct 25, 2017

This Is Us fans were hit with another shocker this week, and this one could really change everything we know about the Pearson family’s game. At the end of the episode “Brothers,” it was revealed that Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) has a younger brother, Nicky. The new character was shown in a flashback scene to a childhood fishing trip and also in a photo from Jack’s service in Vietnam.

Based on what we’ve seen of Jack’s family thus far, many This Is Us fans assume that Nicky must have died in Vietnam. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, This Is Us executive producer John Requa would not confirm if Nicky has died or if Jack’s wife, Rebecca (Mandy Moore) even knew of his existence. But one thing is for certain—the Pearson patriarch had a lot of secrets.

“We can’t get into the details,” the This Is Us producer told EW.

“The big thing is that [Jack] keeps secrets, that he has compartmentalized and hidden away this part of his life, which obviously was his brother, and it was a big part. Obviously, a major thing happened, some trauma of some sort.”

This Is Us viewers saw Jack promise to take care of Nicky as their father left them parked in the car while he got drunk in a bar, telling him, “Don’t worry Nicky. I’m not going anywhere, I’m not going anywhere.”

In another scene, Rebecca Pearson told Jack’s dying dad, Stanley (Peter Onorati), that his son ended up being a wonderful father, no thanks to him.

“Jack has two sides to his personality, the secret keeper in his alcoholism and the fact that he has his brother in Vietnam, and the ebullient, generous, loving father side,” the This Is Us EP said.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BamxpM8Ahyo/?hl=en&taken-by=nbcthisisus

The reveal of Jack’s mysterious brother caught This Is Us fans off guard. Fans know that Jack previously lied about his military service, telling family friend Mrs. Peabody that he was “just a mechanic” during the war. But in another This Is Us episode earlier this season, viewers saw a flashback of Jack exiting a military helicopter with an assault rifle in his hand. Now, with the photo of Nicky wearing army gear as he stands next to Jack in Vietnam, it’s clear there is much more to learn about Jack’s military days, and also his obsession with making sure his own sons, Kevin and Randall, have a close relationship.

Following the shocking ending to the “Brothers” episode of This Is Us, the show’s fans—and stars—took to social media to react to the latest plot twist on the NBC drama, including Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and Chrissy Metz.

Take a look at a scene from the This Is Us episode “Brothers” below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiY6Lv-KhIY

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

[Featured Image by Ron Batzdorff/NBC]

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mandy moore Milo Ventimiglia This Is Us
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