This Is Us rumors: Pay closer attention to the details of Jack's death

What are we missing when it comes to Jack’s death on This Is Us? Milo Ventimiglia says we need to pay close attention.

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Six more weeks separate us from the answers to the question we have been mulling over since This Is Us stole our hearts last fall: How did Jack Pearson die? Stone cold details surrounding the morbid mystery are scarce, but Milo Ventimiglia was kind enough to rule out death by gluten, Bieber fever, and other outlandish ways to go. Very helpful, Milo.

Now, Ventimiglia spoke on the podcast of Debra Birnbaum, Variety’s executive editor of TV, about Season 2 of This Is Us with his fellow castmates. Among other things, Ventimiglia and his co-stars celebrated their earned embarrassment of Emmy riches and whether we’d get to see Jack in scenes opposite Kate and/or Kevin. If the writers can find organic ways to incorporate William into the story, then they will surely deliver on Papa Pearson’s next interaction with the Big Three. Of course, Jack’s death came up (as it always does), and it appears we have been failing to keep our eyes peeled for hints and clues that will wind up smacking us with an a-ha moment after the big reveal.

While Ventimiglia hints to Birnbaum that Jack and Rebecca will be picking up the pieces of their shattered stability in Season 2, This Is Us will also track their paths back to each other. Unfortunately, returning to happily ever after ultimately results in Jack’s death. We might have even missed a few important facets of the mystery. As Ventimiglia tells Variety:

"“With Dan Fogelman’s style of writing and storytelling, with every answer there are 20 more questions. Very quickly, you’re going to know what happened. … But if you pay attention, really close attention, there are markers and symbols that will help you understand the greater mystery of Jack dying.”"

“There are markers and symbols that will help you understand the greater mystery of Jack dying.” What is Ventimiglia trying to tell us? That there have been telling details weaved into each episode? That Jack’s passing holds more weight than finding how it happened? That his death isn’t the real Pearson family mystery? If anything, it confirms that we know nothing.

Next: Milo Ventimiglia and Justin Hartley aren't here for your Jack's death theories

In time, This Is Us will reveal the cause of Jack’s death and introduce a host of more questions with an overriding significance to the course of the Pearson family. But in order to turn knowing nothing into knowing something, we’ll have to pay closer attention to the tiniest “markers and symbols” throughout the series. Sure, that’s easier said than done when we’re busy wiping away a waterfall of tears. This is us watching every episode with a metaphorical magnifying glass!

How do you think Jack died? Have you picked up on any hints here and there? Let us know in the comments, listen to Variety’s full podcast, and keep the conversation going over on Twitter!

This Is Us returns for Season 2 on Tuesday, September 26 at 9/8c on NBC.

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We’re not paying close enough attention to the details of Jack’s death

By Reed Gaudens | Aug 13, 2017

What are we missing when it comes to Jack’s death on This Is Us? Milo Ventimiglia says we need to pay close attention.