Eris Baker Teases The This Is Us Season 6 Twist That Shocked Her The Most
Don't worry, no spoilers here.
As This Is Us’ final season (appropriately called This Is Us: The Final Chapter) begins, fans are no longer just invested in the Big Three Pearson triplets. Their families have become significant fan favorites as well, including the three daughters of Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson): Tess (Eris Baker), Deja (Lyric Ross), and Annie (Faithe Herman). And the actor who plays one of those daughters, Eris Baker, has major feelings about how This Is Us Season 6 will play out.
“I’m very excited,” Baker tells Elite Daily. “I believe this is definitely one of my best seasons yet, and I can’t wait.”
This Is Us fans know spoilers are held tightly under wraps, especially for this season, when it’s all coming to an end. But Baker has a few hints she’s willing to share. “I’m looking forward to seeing [Tess’] relationships with people in her house,” she says. “Obviously, I can’t say what’s going on in these relationships, but we see a lot of sister scenes this season, which I’m very, very excited about. That’s something that Lyric [Ross] and Faithe [Herman] and I wanted.”
Baker’s role as Tess is a groundbreaking one. The character came out to her family as part of the Season 3 finale in 2019 and began a relationship with her non-binary partner, Alex, in Season 5. That storyline isn’t going anywhere in Season 6. As Baker puts it, “She has a beautiful relationship with [Alex] right now, so we’re continuing that and going into different things.”
But the big twist Baker can’t wait for fans to see this season isn’t actually about Tess. There’s another family romance she’s excited for, featuring Tess’ adopted sister, Deja, and Deja’s boyfriend, Malik. Season 4 introduced Malik (Asante Blackk) as Deja’s love interest, a teen father who has custody of his daughter. Despite their relationship being a bumpy ride, the Season 6 opener finds them in a better place, with Deja showing Tess Malik’s love letters from Boston, where he’s attending college. Baker hints that what unfolds between Deja and Malik in Season 6 is something she hadn’t been expecting. “When I was reading these scripts, and watching [Ross and Blackk], it really surprised me a lot. That’s one relationship I’m so excited for the fans to see,” she says. “They’re amazing, and the way that relationship like plays out, it’s just amazing.”
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Baker admits there are “so many things,” she cannot wait for fans to see this season. One of the most significant storylines, she thinks, comes from the older generation — specifically, Mandy Moore’s matriarch, Rebecca Pearson. “When it comes to Rebecca’s relationship, I’m so excited for you guys to see more about the original-original Pearson family.” Baker says. “Rebecca is one of my favorite characters. Her relationship with Miguel, you guys are going to see more about the history of that, which I’m so excited about.”
When asked to sum up the final season in one word, Baker ponders for a moment, before coming up with her answer. “Unexpected,” she says. “I also like the word ‘new’ [but] I guess I can’t really explain why.”
Fans will have to wait and see what’s new with the Pearsons as This Is Us Season 6 airs weekly on NBC at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesdays, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu.
