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This Is Us: Let’s talk about Miguel’s backstory

By Jennifer Lind-Westbrook

THIS IS US -- Season: 2 -- Pictured: Jon Huertas as Miguel -- (Photo by: Maarten de Boer/NBC)
THIS IS US -- Season: 2 -- Pictured: Jon Huertas as Miguel -- (Photo by: Maarten de Boer/NBC) /
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There is no other character on This Is Us who has drawn the ire of fans more than Miguel, but this may soon change. On Season 3, the series is going to delve more into Miguel’s backstory, and this could force viewers to rethink their opinions about Jack’s best friend.

As soon as viewers learned Rebecca married Miguel, Jack’s best friend on This Is Us, Miguel became the subject of a lot of negative scrutiny. Fans began to question how long Miguel may have been carrying a torch for Jack’s widow.

As the mystery surrounding Jack’s death began to slowly unravel, one particular disturbing fan theory emerged placing the blame squarely on Miguel. His motive? To get Jack out of the way and win Rebecca’s heart.

Since we know the fire that engulfed the Pearson home is started by a faulty Crock-Pot (a gift from Jack and Rebecca’s neighbors), and Jack perishes from a heart attack due to smoke inhalation, Miguel has been acquitted of any responsibility when it comes to Jack’s tragic death.

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There is also zero indication of Miguel being anything more than a supportive friend to the couple. It’s Miguel who warns Jack early in Season 1, he needs to get his act together or risk losing a woman who is out of his league. And when Jack becomes consumed with jealousy over Rebecca performing in a band with her ex, it’s Miguel who reassures Jack of Rebecca’s loyalty.

On Season 2’s, “Clooney,” Kevin cuts right to the heart of the matter,”Were you, uh … Were you in love with my mom when my dad was alive?” Miguel looks genuinely shocked and explains why the notion never crossed his mind — there was no Rebecca without Jack and vice versa.

Part of the reason viewers have such a dislike or distrust of Miguel is because he hasn’t been given much of a backstory. Viewers know Jack and Miguel were friends long before Rebecca came into the picture, remaining pals up until Jack’s death, but we haven’t seen the origin of their relationship. There’s a camaraderie and an affection we’re supposed to take at face value.

Also, there’s a huge gap of time between Jack’s death and the present, during which Miguel’s whereabouts and activities remain unaccounted for. But in an interview with Deadline, show creator Dan Fogelman confirms Season 3 will begin to fill in those holes, specifically Miguel’s efforts to help Rebecca and the kids in the wake of Jack’s death.

“When we’re picking up that particular storyline, [with] the teenage kids, we’re picking it up pretty immediately a couple of months after their father’s death. You’re seeing the beginning of a storyline where Miguel starts trying to help this family along, this character who has always been polarizing,” Fogelman stated.

There are still a lot of question marks surrounding Miguel. Why haven’t we seen his children or ever hear him speak about them? When he and Rebecca reconnect via Facebook in 2008, it’s after a lengthy estrangement. Did they have a falling out? How and when did they both leave Pennsylvania? Was it together or separately?

It’s still difficult to imagine viewers embracing Miguel — at least as Rebecca’s spouse. Marrying Rebecca definitely violates Bro Code, and Miguel is in a no-win situation. He can never possibly live up to Jack, something Miguel is very aware of and vocalizes on several occasions.

Season 3 is going to chronicle the beginning of Jack and Rebecca’s romance, so exploring how Rebecca and Miguel get together at the same time is risky. Seeing Rebecca and Jack in the throes of young love could create an even bigger backlash when it comes to the Rebecca-Miguel pairing. And on his best day, Miguel remains a bit … bland.

Miguel may be an underdog, but Fogelman thinks the character’s day of reckoning is coming.

“”I think last season, people actually started to love him, and then started to hate themselves for loving him. But then, they gradually figured out that this guy really has done nothing untoward and is a guy trying to do the right thing,” Fogelman said. “We’re going to dive deeper into that this season and begin this long play of making people actually start rooting for Miguel in a serious way which I think will be really exciting when we pull it off.”

Next. Four reasons why we love Milo Ventimiglia. dark

This Is Us Season 3 premieres Tuesday, September 25 at 9/8c on NBC. Tune in to see what’s next for Miguel.

Are you a fan of Miguel’s? Do you think we need to see more or less of him? Are you excited to learn how Miguel and Rebecca get together? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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