5 craziest This Is Us fan theories about Jack’s death

After the fiery season 2 premiere, we know a little bit more about how Jack died, but there remain a number of wild and viable Jack’s death theories.

The This Is Us season 2 premiere ended with quite the reveal vis-a-vis the mystery of Jack’s death. The episode closed with a montage showing Rebecca driving up to the burnt-out Pearson family home, with Jack’s belongings beside her while the Teen Randall and Teen Kate mourned (with a new girlfriend and new dog, respectively) and Teen Kevin made out with presumably Sophie (with a new leg cast). The promised clue was clear: Jack’s death involved a house fire.

But there’s plenty still to be learned. Did he die in the fire? How did the fire start? What are the circumstances? Why does Kate blame herself? All of which is to say, unlike Jack, the Jack’s death conspiracy theory industry lives on.

Of course, some of the previously popular death theories must be ruled out. It’s almost impossible now for Jack to have died in 9/11 or a different famous plane crash. Or drunk driving. Or from a terminal illness. But there are still so many theories to parse!

So with the fire in mind — which, of course, could be a big red herring — here are the 5 craziest Jack’s death theories still in play.

1. Miguel is a murderer

Yes, dear reader, the Miguel murder theory could still come true. No matter that Dan Fogelman has straight-up said it’s not true. Who is to say the man isn’t bluffing? You would lie too if a legion of fans caught on to your major plot twist. Plus, if Miguel merely set the fire or kicked off a series of events that resulted in the fire with Jack trapped inside, well, then, Fogelman could hypothetically argue that Miguel didn’t murder Jack. That’s like, criminally negligent homicide, maybe?

We’ll leave the specifics to the lawyers but as conspiracy theorists, Miguel could very much still be a murderer — endearing love of pigs-in-a-blanket be damned.

2. The best murderous laundry machine in the whole world

This jam comes from Reddit and it goes like this.

Kevin has moved out of the basement on account of his broken leg. Kevin and Randall still can’t share a room so Kate kindly gives up her room and moves into the basement, which is also, you may remember, where the Pearson family washing machine resides.

And let’s not forget: The washing machine is “possessed,” per Kevin in season 1 episode 7, “The  Best Washing Machine in the Whole World.”

A malfunctioning washing machine could, the theory goes, break in such a way, perhaps in combination with some electrical issues, that sets a fire. Per ashelizabethmoon:

"Kate could have turned the machine off incorrectly if it became “possessed” or might have been washing something that her new dog dirtied or even put something on top of it or near it given that she was likely living down there at the time. Even if she used the machine as instructed and did nothing wrong, she might still consider herself the reason Jack is dead."

The Redditor also cites Fogelman: “What causes the fire is going to be heartbreaking. The small movements of our lives, and how big they can become if little things break the right way or the wrong way.”

Is the fire caused by that same washing machine that made everyone cry in season 1? We can’t, in good conspiratorial conscience, rule it out.

3. Suicide

We regret to inform you that suicide is still on the table. In fact, now that we’ve seen Jack newly recommitted to quit drinking it’s maybe even more plausible. Jack has a metric ton of pride and he’s begun to share his drinking problem and related baggage with his family. While this provides him unprecedented support, it’s also added pressure to succeed and stay clean. If he relapses again, perhaps the guilt and feeling of failure will be too much to handle.

Now, a primary flaw in the suicide theory — a flaw in any of the Jack-relapse-related theories, which include but are not limited to fires started by a drunk and/or passed out Jack — is that his surviving family shows not a sliver of resentment or anything but borderline idolatry toward him, suggesting he is zero percent responsible for his own death. Which isn’t to say that his family should or would resent him for taking his own life, only that suicide is no simple matter for loved ones and you would expect to result in far more complicated feelings than we’ve seen.

4. Kate’s killer vices

This isn’t that crazy, but we’ll still play it out. Kate develops some high school vices, as you do. Perhaps cigarettes or alcohol. Perhaps vanity, something involving hair straighteners or curlers left on to light up the Pearson family home. One of these vices results in the fire.

Alternatively, not quite a vice, but her pup could have somehow set the fire.

In any case, the fire is tangentially Kate-related, hence her guilt. Everyone gets out of the house, except the dog. Jack goes back into the burning house to save the dog. (Also amplifying Kate’s guilt.) The dog makes it out; Jack does too, but passes out from the smoke inhalation and dies at the hospital. (Perhaps the fire aggravates a war injury?? Bad lungs from the war?? Is that a thing??)

5. Actually, Jack’s still alive

Buckle up, This Is Us fans, because the craziest This Is Us Jack’s death theory is that Jack is not actually dead (!!!!). In fact, there are at least two (!) separate Jack’s-still-alive theories out there (on Reddit, naturally) and they are equally bananas.

_Stevie thinks Jack’s in jail:

"I think Jack is still alive and that he went to prison and instead of telling that to the kids and everyone else they (maybe just the mom) decided to fake his death cause that would be easier for them to deal with."

The evidence is, apparently, that the baggie looks like the kind in which they possess your personal belongings when you go to prison. (Except those baggies generally stay at the prison until you’re released.) _Stevie also thinks that Rebecca’s face in the car is “stern” but doesn’t show “he’s dead” trauma:

"I think that at the jail/prison he told her that he did something really bad or something to that effect and she didnt know what until she got home. Maybe in a drunken rage he decided to torch the place."

Um. Okay.

And here’s Dreamer0710, who thinks it’s a mistaken identity / if-you-love-them-set-them-free deal:

"I think Jack continues to have drinking problems, maybe he accidentally hurts Kevin and that would explain the cast. I think Jack gets drunk at a bar and ends up getting into a fight with the wrong people. He gets severely beat up/robbed. The robber has his wallet and goes to the house to rob it or hurt the family. Kate may be home and the dog starts barking at the intruder. Kate gets distracted by the dog and accidentally starts a fire. The robber gets trapped inside, dies and body is unrecognizable…except for the ring, watch and identification in wallet. Mistaken identity. No one would have any reason not to think it wasn’t Jack.When Jack recovers, he feels so guilty that he hurt his family, he truly believes they are better off without him and does not say he is actually alive. Maybe later he comes to his senses, and tries to go back to family, but finds out Rebecca and his best friend are together. At that point, he stays away for good."

Wow.

The Jack’s Alive Theory is so wild it actually makes the Miguel’s A Murderer Theory seem plausible.

Next: Every season 1 episode ranked by how many tears we cried

But in all seriousness, it seems highly unlikely that This Is Us pulls that kind of twist. It would be absolutely nuts and totally contrary to the show’s identity as a heartfelt, genuine exploration of shared connection and the human experience. There’s plenty of potential for melodrama in the reveal of further details of Jack’s death, but a pivot to prison and mistaken identities and long-lost-fathers would veer the show sharply into soap opera territory. And that just doesn’t sound like Fogelman’s gig.