This Is Us is saying happy birthday to the Big Three—four times! Fans of the beloved NBC drama series know that the end of the summer marks the birthdate of Jack and Rebecca Pearson’s (Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore) three kids, Kevin, Kate, and Randall. Now, in honor of the siblings and their big day, the official This Is Us Instagram posted a sweet montage of the Big Three at four different stages in their life.
In addition to the familiar pre-teen Big Three (played by Parker Bates, Mackenzie Hancsicsak Lonnie Chavis), the teen incarnation of the trio (Logan Shroyer, Hanna Zeile, Niles Fitch), and the adult version of the characters (Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown), the newly-pictured preschool version of the siblings is shown. The caption notes how “fast” the trio has grown up since the day of their birth on August 31, 1980. August 31 also happens to be patriarch Jack’s birthday.
This Is Us fans commented on the post to say that the photo montage was enough to make their hearts melt. Other fans said they can’t wait to see the Big Three preschoolers in action when the fourth season of the show picks up. Several other viewers marveled at the “perfect” casting of the mini Big Three.
The new photo comes just one day before a major surprise is set to be revealed in conjunction with the Big Three’s birthday. As The Inquisitr previously reported, the This is Us Instagram page has been filled with teasers about a surprise “gift” fans will get on August 31. This Is U s stars Mandy Moore and Sterling K. Brown have both hinted about the surprise. And then there was this:
You’ve been with us from the beginning, and we are about to thank you in a big way. pic.twitter.com/WhYwfl4UIq
— This Is Us (@NBCThisisUs) August 29, 2019
While many fans are hoping the surprise has something to do with Jack’s untimely death –as in, maybe he’s not actually dead—others poked fun at the surprise with some far-fetched theories. Other fans are convinced the surprise is the long-awaited This Is Us trailer.
@NBCThisisUs I think I know what the surprise is on August 31st. My DVR “to be recorded” list may have given me a clue. #ThisIsUs
— ??Laurie Kransky (@LaurieKransky) August 30, 2019
What if the This Is Us surprise is they never killed Derek Shepherd?
— Natalie Sayth #BLM ?????? (@NatalieSayth) August 30, 2019
The only thing that would make you RETHINK everything that This Is Us is would be if Baby K did not die and they lied to Rebecca/Jack about his death OR if Jack isn’t dead himself and had to go into witness protection or something.
Otherwise, IDK what big surprise they got.
— ? SHERS ? (@JustShers) August 29, 2019
This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman has promised a big announcement will be coming at the end of August, according to Deadline . During a recent Q&A session, the showrunner teased a lot of “secret cast members who are going to be a big deal.”
It certainly sounds like the Big Three’s birthday surprise will have something to do with new cast members that fans never saw coming–and maybe we’ll be introduced to them via a new trailer.
This Is Us returns for its fourth season on Tuesday, September 24 on NBC.
