The long wait is almost over for the return of "This Is Us" on NBC. On Monday, the network revealed its fall premiere lineup, confirming that the second season of the Milo Ventimiglia-led TV series will open on September 26 at 9:00 p.m. The announcement came after the family drama was renewed for two more installments in January.
What to expect from the new season?
The final moments of the "This Is Us" pilot season have brought us back to how Jack and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) first met, how their romance bloomed, and how their marriage fell apart. The finale even left us heartbroken when Ventimiglia's character left an emotional message to his lover before he disappeared to take a breather from their relationship.
“You’re not just my great love story. You’re my big break and my love story. And I know it may not feel like it right now, but it’s just getting started," Jack told Rebecca before stepping out of their family house.
After the tear-jerking scene, viewers were left wondering whether the separation was the end for the Pearsons or just a bump in their marriage. When asked about this, Dan Fogelman said Mandy's reaction to her husband's impassioned speech should be taken as a ray of hope for the future of these two characters.
Aside from this, the "This Is Us" creator refused to spill whether Jack and Rebecca were together when the former died. Fogelman said viewers can expect the answer to this question when the NBC series returns in September.
Ventimiglia on his character as Jack
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the 39-year-old actor candidly opened up what he would like to explore for his arc in the upcoming seasons of the family drama. The "Gilmore Girls" star is hopeful that "This Is Us" Season 2 will tell more of his character's service during Vietnam war. The said era of Jack's story was introduced at some point in the previous installment, but was not explored thoroughly.
Ventimiglia considered his time in Vietnam as an integral part of his character's life. He also asked the fans to focus on how Jack has lived his life, instead of searching for the missing puzzle piece of his mysterious death. The actor revealed he got some inspiration from his father's service in Vietnam when they filmed his character's past.
NBC's Jennifer Salke, on the other hand, assured the upcoming "This Is Us" Season 2 will be "bigger" than the previous one, teasing that viewers can expect a lot of things when the show returns on NBC.
