This Is Us is finally coming to an end. The series, which has run for five seasons on NBC, will close the curtain on the tale of the Pearson family at the close of Season 6.
It has been long rumored the end of the series would come at that point as its creator Dan Fogelman had long planned to close out its run during the 2021-22 broadcast season.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke to sources close to production that claimed a formal announcement regarding the end of the NBC tearjerker would come on May 14. On that day, the network will reveal its fall schedule for the 2021-22 season.
It is not a surprise that Season 6 of the family series would draw to a close at the end of next year. At the end of Season 3, Fogelman shared that he was at the midway point of telling the tale of the Pearson clan after the network renewed the show for three more seasons.
He said in an interview with THR in 2019, “Our characters are all finding themselves as we near what I like to consider kind of our midpoint of the TV series. They’re at some real crossroads.”
Fogelman also revealed at the time, “We never set out to make a television series that was going to last 18 seasons, so we have a very direct plan. I have script pages I have written and I’m writing that really are deep, deep, deep into the future. We have a plan for what we’re going to do, and I know what the plan is.”
What can fans expect in the final season of This Is Us?
For the final season of the series, viewers can expect a total of 18 episodes.
This was the normal count of the scripted series each year save for this season, as the coronavirus pandemic delayed production. Season 5 will wrap with a total of 16 episodes.
Most importantly, fans will likely be able to have the chance to review their favorite moments over and over when the show reaches its 100-episode threshold during that season. THR reported that this is typically needed for a series to secure a syndication deal moving forward.
While this has not been confirmed by the network, chances are there will be more episodes that will be directed by series stars Milo Ventimiglia (Jack) and Jon Huertas (Miguel) who previously directed the installments Storybook Love and The Ride.
What’s left for Season 5?
Season 5 has two episodes left before the its conclusion.
The first will air on May 18 and will be titled Jerry 2.0. In a teaser trailer, Kevin prepares for his wedding with a bachelor party with his brother, Randall. But it looks like he may be having second thoughts about marriage, if his phone call with Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge) is any indication.
The finale episode will be titled The Adirondacks. A teaser trailer has not been made available for the finale which will be the wedding episode for Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Madison (Caitlin Thompson).
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.