Warning: This article contains plot details from Strangers, the season 4 premiere ofThis Is Us.
(Checks notes.)
Nope, thats not what happened.
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Deja (Lyric Ross).
Ultimately, though, Rebeccas dad shook his hand and told him that wasnt good enough for his daughter.
I mean,theSterling K. Brown doesnt even appear until the 43-minute mark.DAN FOGELMAN:Right.
I wish there was more that went into it.
But then theres a part where hopefully that drifts away and youre just in the stories.
But thats not how you meet strangers in real life.
What kind of dynamics will unravel between these three?
And whether or not its ever romantic is for the series to delve into a little bit later on.
As is the entire first half of the season that hes embarking on.
And thats saying something.
So as an actor, hes just exceptional.
For the character, theres a couple of things at play.
Hes going to play a big part in Randalls familys story and Dejas story particularly.
When Jack performs at the concert, hes a young man, in his early 20s.
You said that this new future is about 10 years after we saw Rebecca at the house.
How deep are we going, ultimately?
Will we ever flash beyond that?Beyond Jack at the concert?
I mean, anythings possible.
Its not in the current plan right now.
Blindness can be associated with a premature birth.
How will Jacks blindness affect Kate and Toby in the present day moving forward?Its a gigantic story.
Raising a child is a complicated process, and raising a blind child comes with extra challenges.
Obviously, having a newborn child with or without sight is a challenging time for young parents.
Youre snipping at each other, youre exhausted.
[Now] theres added stuff.
This was not expected.
Its a surprise and thats a big part of their season this year.
How important was it to you to cast someone who is sight-impaired?
And what did Blake bring to this role?Well, he brought everything.
It was important to us to not cast a sighted actor here.
I found myself increasingly proud of him.
And he was one of those guys that was just never flustered by it.
Never overwhelmed by the moment.
I mean, thats not easy stuff for an experienced actor to walk into.
Not that Blakes not an experienced actor, but experienced on-camera actor.
So it was very exciting to watch a young man step up to the moment.
We see him with the empty alcohol bottles after a night of trying to write a song.
Thats loaded imagery when it comes to the Pearsons, when you think of their addiction issues.
Is that something youll be delving into the near future?It could be.
Were not returning to future Jack for a little bit, although we do have plans.
So its not something we necessarily focused on, but its a good thing to become aware of.
Or is it a combination of both?Its probably a combination of both.
Theres some real socioeconomic class stuff at play here.
And clearly Rebeccas family is not that and it radiates off them.
We know from knowing his future that hes able to keep them at bay for the most part.
I dont think thats the case here.
I think hes protective.
And I think heswrong, but he also feels hes right and hes doing something out of his goodness.
And that makes for a complicated relationship and character.
Next weeks episode is called The Pool 2.
That first episode dealt with race and weight in compelling ways.
What can you hint about the return to the pool?Its a generational story.
We planned the first two episodes of this season for quite a while.
Theyre just getting more fully formed, and kind of quieter.
Dont leave us hanging.
For more on what to expect this season onThis Is Us,read these 8 hints from Fogelman.
