Mandy Moore Just Shut Down That Major 'This Is Us' Theory About Rebecca
After a season of questioning what happens to Rebecca Pearson in the future timeline of This Is Us, fans are finally getting answers in the show's Season 3 finale on April 2. Aptly titled "Her," the season finale teased in promo footage that Rebecca will get injured in the '90s, but that heavy hint could easily be a parallel to what she experiences further down the line. Given the Pearsons' glum moods upon visiting the family matriarch in the future, does Rebecca have Alzheimer's on This Is Us? Stay calm, but Mandy Moore has confirmed that viewers have to look harder for what may ail the elderly version of her character.
While the future timeline of This Is Us has yet to show Rebecca in person, other family members have alluded to reuniting for her sake. Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and an adult Tess (Iantha Richardson) bonded over not being ready to see her, while a bedridden, bearded Toby (Chris Sullivan) told Randall that he doesn't think he'd be welcome at the gathering. With the status of her marriage to Randall unclear, Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) has also prepared to see Rebecca, tracking down a Pin the Tail on the Donkey set for the occasion.
The flash-forward scenes' ominous tones and ambiguity have led viewers to believe that Rebecca is on her deathbed. Given that these moments are at least 10 to 15 years in the future, Rebecca's health is definitely a believable area of concern. Because of the show's focus on time and memories, many viewers have suggested that she's experiencing Alzheimer's or dementia in the future. According to Moore, this isn't the case.
"I love how people are sleuths," she recently told Glamour. "I love that! [Rebecca having Alzheimer's is] a good theory. Not true, but I like it."
Welp, that's one tragedy we don't have to cry over!
A This Is Us cast member completely shutting down a possibility is rare, so maybe we can take this as a sign that Rebecca is just aging naturally and she senses her days winding down. Beth taking the Pin the Tail on the Donkey game to the mysterious reunion has nostalgic meaning for the Pearsons, as it appeared at the Big Three's birthday parties when they were kids. With that heavy emotional weight in mind, this meeting could just be Rebecca's attempt at one last old-school birthday celebration with her family.
While the episode title teases a clue about the family's future, the preview for the upcoming season finale mostly sticks to the present day and the past. While Randall and Kevin (Justin Hartley) both contemplate their relationships with Beth and Zoe (Melanie Liburd), Kate (Chrissy Metz) faces a complication with the newborn Jack's development. In the past, Rebecca appears to get into a car accident, and Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) even walks down what looks like a hospital hallway.
But in a blink-and-you-missed-it moment in the promo, older Randall is seen opening a door for Toby. It looks like he changes his mind about joining the Pearsons to see Rebecca, but will his appearance mean that the scene's focus is on Kate's status rather than Rebecca's? The show could always have another trick about the identity of "Her" up its sleeve.
We'll have to wait and see if the episode sheds any more light on Rebecca's life. The Season 3 finale of This Is Us airs on Tuesday, April 2, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
