Miguel isn’t getting that special This Is Us episode after all

This Is Us showrunners have decided not to go forward with a planned Miguel backstory episode, making us wonder if the guy will ever catch a break.

With just a few episodes of This Is Us left in the season, some fans might be wondering when we’ll see that Miguel-centric episode promised by the series showrunners. Well, its been decided that Miguel, played by the fantastic Jon Huertas, won’t get that story after all. I know there are a lot of Miguel-haters out there who might be glad to hear this, but I for one would have loved to see more of his story. He is, after all, part of the family. On a happy note, the series going forward will begin to focus more on Miguel, telling more of his story over time than in one concentrated episode. Showrunner Isaac Aptaker clarifies, “We’re peeling back the layers of Miguel and his relationship with his family over the next few years, in bits and pieces.”

Miguel’s backstory episode was originally one of three focusing on what I like to call “the Little Three,” Beth, Toby, and Miguel. It’s not always easy being on the sidelines of the Pearson drama, and these three spouses have bonded over their shared frustration with being a Pearson, but living on the outside in a post-Jack world. Beth got her episode, a beautiful and blissfully Big Three-light story just about Beth, her childhood, and her dreams. It was a breath of fresh air to see a new side of a character we know and love, but don’t really know much about. I was hoping the same for Miguel – that maybe seeing his story would show a new side of him to the haters and redeem him in the eyes of fans – but for now that dream is on hold.

Toby’s backstory was already explored this season in an episode called “Toby,” in which we saw a little bit of his childhood and his life long struggle with depression and mental health. It examined the toxic idea that men are meant to repress their emotions, a practice that continues to damage Toby’s mental health. Since Miguel won’t be getting the same special treatment, we will at least hopefully get to see more of him in the coming seasons. “Jon Huertas is the charming-est, coolest guy and such a good actor, but has such an uphill battle to make America fall in love with this character,” said Aptaker, acknowledging fan backlash against him. “But we do think getting to see a bit more of his story this year, people are going to start realizing what a good guy he is and what a support he is to the Pearson family in the wake of Jack’s death.”

I’m still rooting for that special episode – if not in the foreseeable future, maybe in one of the upcoming seasons. Miguel deserves better than comically awkward Pearson family interactions and concerned reaction shots. I demand to see more of Miguel!

Source: TVLine