World News – US – This Is Us Premiere: EP Promises Answers As Huge Randall-Related Revelation Will Come ‘Soon’

In the closing moments of Tuesday’s Season 5 premiere, the family drama revealed that Randall’s biological mother – whom viewers had been led to believe died shortly after his birth – took to survived the drug overdose that nearly cost him his life

The two-part episode, titled « Forty, » chronicled the 40th birthday of the Big 3, a date Randall lamented as his actual date of birth (Turns out it wasn’t) The current storyline showed that Randall had met Kevin and Kate at the cottage to deal with Rebecca’s unsettling episode of dementia.Meanwhile, the episodes flashback portrayed William’s angst after his girlfriend, Laurel, OD had took heroin that she begged him to get to ease her pain after Randall was born

After emergency medical technicians pronounced her dead and hinted at police and child protection services to get involved, William fled with his toddler son so he wasn’t there when one of the paramedics later realized that Laurel still had a pulse And just before the first cut in the credits Laurel started breathing again (Read full recap)

In a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, series creator / executive producer Dan Fogelman said Laurel’s reveal would fit in with another theme at the forefront of the episode: Randall’s continued exploration who he really is

“For us Randall’s story, as a whole, has always been about identity,” Fogelman said “Until he can get answers and some sort of closure, it will be a final step for him to accept some of his own questions about his identity And that’s something, if you look back on the show, that we’ve always talked about ‘Where’s your mom? Why is your birth mother not part of this story of your life? This is this character who died in childbirth, you never really watched him. This first half of the season is our opportunity to do just that « 

Unlike some of the past mysteries of This Is Us – see also: How did Jack die? Who does “she” refer to? « – Fogelman promises that all logical questions about Laurel (like whether she is still alive or not) will be answered soon. » The answers will be obtained fairly quickly, « he said » This is certainly not something that we are going to hanging around, a mystery like that, over several seasons or whatever There’s a pretty quick response I think it will be done elegantly « 

* Fogelman saw that future parents Kevin and Madison « have a top-to-bottom journey ahead of them. This won’t be this easy love affair like some of our other romances have been »

* After Randall broke up with Dr Leigh (played by Pamela Adlon), Fogelman said his search for a black therapist will begin in the next episode « This person, she or she, becomes a recurring part of the season, ”he added. However,“ What we’re looking at, at least in the next episode, is that it’s not like suddenly Randall is hiring a new therapist and everyone suddenly unlocked This is not how therapy works, nor how Randall, in particular, would work. So there is a journey there « 

* Although the pandemic slightly altered the authors’ immediate plans for Rebecca – aka the postponement of the clinical trial in St Louis – Fogelman said the character’s long-term arc remains unchanged « Due to the current disease situation, in terms of research and science we can still stick to our plan for Rebecca, which is not changed forever by the pandemic, but more short-term in terms of location , where she lives, ”he says. Also: Look for an exploration of Miguel and Rebecca’s dating, which“ becomes a greater part of the season in the second half of this season and into the next, ”the EP reported. / p>

This is Us, NBC, Randall Pearson, Sterling K Brown, Dan Fogelman, Kevin, Justin Hartley