Here's What Jack & Rebecca's Body Language On 'This Is Us' Reveals About Their Relationship
Listen, I get it. We’re all freaking the eff out about the crockpot. I am not going to sugarcoat it, folks. We all saw something that likely broke our hearts into a billion pieces and left us wondering who we even are. For now, though, what do you say we all just take a breath and focus on the positive: Jack and Rebecca's love story. In fact, let's take a closer look at Jack and Rebecca's body language on This Is Us.
Sure, they've had their ups and (way, way) downs, but the reason we root for Rebecca and Jack so much is because, through it all, we are in love with their, well, love. I reached out to body language expert Susan Constantine to get her take on our favorite TV duo. While it might seem strange to have a professional assess fictional characters and what amounts to their performances, Constantine was struck by the realism in the scenes she analyzed. "The fact that I was able to really connect with those emotions is because they were authentic," she says. Here's what she sees in Jack and Rebecca's relationship.
1. Rebecca Is An Incredible Support System For Jack
While the beauty of This is Us is that we get to see the full arc of Rebecca and Jack's relationship — both the good and bad times — one thing that truly stands out about their dynamic for Constantine is Rebecca's selflessness and support, even when it comes in the form of tough love. "She believes in him. There’s this moment when she hears him out and then she processes, and she always takes the high road,” says Constantine. "I don’t feel ... that she’s 100 percent convinced, but I think she does that because she’s selfless,” she says, adding that it’s a case of, “'I am going to support you because this is what you want. I am here for you. I am going to be there and I am your cheerleader.'"
2. Family Is The Most Important Thing For Both Of Them
Despite Rebecca's initial reluctance to the idea of starting a family, and Jack’s struggles with alcoholism, at their core there is nothing more important to either of them than family. There were two things that really stood out in the above video for Constantine. The first was an "intense want to love,” she observed, adding that what indicated that was “the two of them, the way she embraced that child so close to her chest."
And secondly, Constantine noted how invested they both were in being parents. "They showed that the two of them were two partners in raising these kids and loving these kids together, mutually, as a couple, especially when he leans back to try and console the other baby.” she says. "What's interesting is that Rebecca doesn’t turn around or look at him ... she stays looking straight ahead, which is telling me that is what would go on in [the] real world behind close doors. If the baby were to cry, it wouldn’t be a question of if this is your job or my job — they would both be there."
3. Rebecca Truly Understands Jack
This final video above was the most illuminating for the dynamic of the relationship for Constantine, who saw that, in this partnership, Rebecca gets Jack on a deep level. She knows him, accepts him, and wants Jack to understand that.
Constantine zeroed in on the moment where Rebecca approaches Jack. "The fact that she moved into his proxemics was really powerful — it was a powerful move," says Constantine. "And the pause and the length of time between [each time she said 'I know'] ... really solidified that she got it on a really deep level. She knows him better than any other person in this entire world." And according to Constantine, it's her conviction that finally reassures him enough to believe her.
Seriously, This Is Us, I don't know how much more of this I can take. And the fact that their epic love story is being cut short like this? What a crock! (Sorry, too soon?)
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