Last Night’s This Is Us Episode Seriously Confused Fans at First

From Oprah Magazine

• Fans were finally reunited with the Pearsons (kind of) when the season 4 premiere of This Is Us aired Tuesday night.

• New cast members Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time), Omar Epps (Love and Basketball), Asante Blackk (When They See Us), and theater alum Blake Stadnik made their debuts—and had fans confused about their connection to the Big Three.

• In a jaw-dropping twist ending, the newbies’ mysterious roles proved to be way more critical to the series’ storyline than fans could have predicted.

This Is Us made its triumphant return to the screen Tuesday night. But instead of fans welcoming the Pearsons back into their living rooms, they opened their homes to a bunch of strangers. Because for the good part of an extended special premiere, cast newcomers Jennifer Morrison, Asante Blackk, Omar Epps, and Blake Stadnik dominated the drama. Warning: This Is Us season 4 premiere spoilers ahead.

In between time-jumping scenes including the dinner date from hell when Jack meets Rebecca’s vile parents, we meet Cassidy (Morrison), a soldier who returns to civilian life after serving in the Middle East; Malik (Blackk), a teenage single father living and working with his father, Darnell (Epps); and a blind musician (Stadnik) who’s suffering from writer’s block and remains nameless until the episode’s end.

Neat, right? Well, it actually all made for a puzzling game of #ThisIsWho? Living up to its title, “Strangers,” the cryptic premiere had fans taking to Twitter to express themselves and work out their emotions.

Some even felt snubbed and used their feed to articulate the disappointment they felt knowing that their plans with the Pearsons fell through.

It was pandemonium. That is, until the writers began skillfully connecting the dots. Thus sending fans into a state of mind=blown. Allow us to explain.

A liaison who negotiates intelligence via informants, Cassidy eventually finds her way back to her husband and young son, albeit suffering from the after-effects of living through war. The episode finds her seeking support from a veterans help group, where her share-turn gets interrupted by a PTSD man throwing a garden chair through the window. That man is Jack’s brother Nicky Pearson.

Not satisfied with the fiscal opportunity working at an auto shop with his dad offers, Malik seeks a quicker dollar by inquiring about selling drugs. This leads to a mano-a-mano chat with dad after work, during which he sets Malik on the straight and narrow. Later, Malik gets introduced to a teenage beauty who just moved to town and got into honors bio. That beauty is Randall’s daughter Deja.

Lastly, in an accelerated timeline that belongs to our handsome blond stranger, we see the singer botch his breakfast, head to a diner, and meet the woman who would become the love of his life. (Gah, who is he already?)

Then, in a parallel time jump, we see Kate, Toby, and their baby waiting for an update from their pediatrician. Doc comes in, delivers the news that little Jack isn’t responding to treatments and will likely live his life … blind. And the fans go wild.

Bravo, writers, bravo.

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