Well This Is Us fans, we’re getting closer to the day we’re all dreading. The day when we find out just what happened the night Jack Pearson lost his life. Jack has been a source of positivity, love, and strength to his family. We know the kids only got 17 years with their father, and his death left a void that they have not recovered from. The next episode will not only see the present day Big Three during the Super Bowl, but we will also see the fire that destroyed their life.
Before we see exactly what happened and find out the answers to questions we’ve been asking since season one, we wanted to celebrate Jack Pearson. We put together some of best reasons we love Jack and his relationship with his family and friends.
Turning lemons into lemonade
At the beginning of the series, we saw Jack and Rebecca eagerly awaiting the birth of triplets. But what is supposed to be a happy time is marred by tragedy when one of the babies doesn’t survive. After encouragement from Doctor K., Jack goes to visit his surviving kids to see a newborn abandoned baby boy in the crib next to them. This marked the moment Jack decided to adopt the baby we would come to know as Randall Pearson.
Cheering Kate up
Throughout her life growing up, Jack was a constant support booster, trying to help his Katie-girl feel confident with herself. From doing the Madonna “Vogue” hands, to giving her a special shirt at the pool, to making sure she never stops feeling good about herself, Jack has always been a loving father to Kate. We just wish he was here in the present. Excuse me, I need a tissue.
Lift this child
The relationship between Randall and Jack has always been a special one. Jack was the one who saw Randall for the first time in the hospital nursery and immediately knew he was meant to be theirs. He vowed to always carry Randall and help him grow into a strong man during his son’s first karate lesson. One of the best scenes between the two is when Jack assures young Randall of how much he wants Randall to stand out on his own since he is so smart and special.
Tuxedo
As we’ve seen throughout the series, Jack has had a tough relationship with Kevin. The oldest of the triplets, Kevin always felt left out and he kept his feelings to himself. He also wasn’t as understanding of his father’s addiction and made things tough on his parents. However, we saw just how much Jack loved Kevin when his son was hurt playing football. The speech about how since Kevin was born, he was Jack’s whole world was everything we needed. And even though it marked one of their final moments together, the moment they shared buying a tuxedo for Kevin’s formal was so touching.
Hallucinations
Even in hallucinatory moments, Jack is a great father. When Randall struggled over his feelings about Rebecca keeping William from him, Jack was there in spirit to remind Randall that he did have a place in their family and he was always a part of them. Then, when Kevin was struggling with his addiction and saw his father during an awards speech, Jack talked about how amazing his son was. While it may not have been the real Jack, it showed him in the different ways his sons needed him to be there.
Marriage
Rebecca and Jack are basically the “It” couple of the series. Like Miguel said to Kevin in a recent episode, they were always one. From the moment Jack saw Rebecca singing at a bar, the two were destined to be together. Raising triplets, mourning a child’s loss, and battling Jack’s addiction together brought the two closer even during the rough patches in their relationship. Despite losing Jack, we can see Rebecca still loves her husband and mourns him since she continues wearing his necklace.
Best friends
Miguel and Jack are the best of friends. Even though fans have not liked Miguel since he ends up with Rebecca later on in life, we see that Miguel continues to hold a special place in his heart for Jack. They had always been there for each other and Miguel can be seen as protective of his friend even now. This was seen when he stopped Toby before he could continue teasing about Jack looking like a porn star in an old photo. But of course, he did have to agree and having known Jack, he can get away with it. Jack had one true friend throughout his life and seeing what a good friend he was, and had, is just one of many reasons to love Jack.
Whatever happens in the Feb. 4 episode of This Is Us, we know based on the promo and Jack’s character that he will do whatever it takes to save his family. We wanted to celebrate television’s favorite father as we prepared to say goodbye. We love you, Jack Pearson.
What is your favorite Jack Pearson moment? Tell us in the comments below or find us on Twitter. Make sure to check back in with us when we have our recap up of “Super Bowl Sunday.”
(Featured image via Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
