This Is Us: 4 Obvious Questions After the Season 4 Premiere

Fall television kicked off last night with NBC’s favorite Tuesday night drama, This Is Us. After a rocky season last year, the show could use a rebound of hope. Even though it never lost its entertainment value, This Is Us hit us with a heavy dose of heartache, and not the usual good way. After a rocky season, Tuesday’s episode titled “Strangers” seemed to have a light of hope and we’ve got some questions.

As always, if you haven’t watched yet, stop reading here and come back when you’re caught up.

Still with us? Alright, here we go:

“Strangers” was primarily set slightly in the future, how much will we get of these characters this season?

We saw a glimpse of baby Jack’s future, Deja in a brief encounter with Malik a character we just met, and a troubled look into Nick Pearson’s continued struggles. Between that and the flashback of (father) Jack meeting Rebecca’s parent’s there’s a lot of question on how all these interactions reflect on the whole overall picture. Leading us to ..

Will we see a new love interest for Kevin?

We see how his uncle, Nick, gets into trouble and how he immediately reaches out to Kevin. We have to assume this part of the episode takes place in the present. His outburst foreshadows a collision course with our newest character, Cassidy. As someone who struggled with addiction Kevin can be the guiding light for Cassidy and her struggles.

Being the lone family member who shows his uncle empathy after his post-war trauma, the bond between Kevin and Cassidy could be what helps her put her life back in order.

Teasing a less than honorable business associate, will Malik’s decision lead Deja down the wrong path, or will Deja’s connection to Randall lead him down the right one?

There’s no coincidences on This Is Us and when Deja ran into Malik at a cookout it wasn’t one either. Clearly his family is not in the best of positions so there will be a sense of desperation at some point. There’s also the chance that in his quest to help the struggling community, this could put Randall on the path of mentor/role model.

How will Jack’s blindness effect the relationship between Toby and Kate?

Kate and Toby have already faced their shares of struggles and last season teased plenty more. After last night’s big reveal, will the uncertainty of raising a blind child be the wedge that drove the pair apart?

This Is Us was announced to have an endgame in mind with a set number of seasons. By being able to progress at the pace they’d like to tell the story it ought to make the series stronger. How will the latest roles change these connections? We’ll have to tune in next week at 9pm EST to find out.