The This Is Us Season 4 fall finale left fans with several burning questions, including why Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) are not speaking.
In the last few minutes of the show, viewers witnessed another flash forward. Instead of years, though, the time jump was nine months to the 40th birthday of The Big 3. It has only been a few months, but life was drastically different for the Pearson family.
When Kevin said that he and Randall aren't speaking anymore.#ThisIsUs We saw their relationship as brothers grow and then all of that was diminished. https://t.co/Up3fik1z6U
— #Still_Woke ?? (@RuqiyyahS) December 9, 2019
Rebecca (Mandy Moore) had deteriorated rapidly from either Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Kate (Chrissy Metz) was celebrating her birthday with Kevin, Rebecca, and Miguel (Jon Huertas), but her husband Toby (Chris Sullivan) was nowhere to be found.
All of those revelations are shocking, but the most jaw-dropping moment was Kevin reminding Rebecca he and Randall are not speaking. The brothers had developed a strong bond over the past couple of seasons, especially after the family day at Kevin’s rehab facility in Season 2.
On Thanksgiving, they appeared closer than ever as Randall quizzed Kevin about his future plans.
Me when Kevin said him and Randall aren’t SPEAKING ANYMORE!!!?!?!? #thisisus pic.twitter.com/JiOCBT9mu3
— emily ❄️?????? (@emilyrgriffin_) November 24, 2019
The question on This Is Us fans’ minds, as we patiently wait for the NBC drama to return in January, is what caused Kevin and Randall’s rift?
Rebecca’s illness is the first reason that comes to mind. Randall knows there is something off with their mother at Thanksgiving, but per her request, he keeps it to himself.
She agreed to see a doctor, but in the preview clip for the next episode, only Miguel and Randall are with her.
When Kevin and Kate find out Randall kept them in the dark regarding Rebecca’s troubles, they are not going to be happy. It would be the apparent reason, which means there has to be more to the story than Randall keeping Rebecca’s secret.
Creator Dan Fogelman never goes with a story that is obvious to viewers. He generally does the opposite, leaving fans stunned.
Perhaps they do argue about Randall’s secret-keeping, but it gets worse when the family discusses treatment options for Rebecca. Kevin may think a specific course of action is necessary, while Randall believes a different direction is best for their mother.
There is a slight possibility Kevin and Randall’s rift has nothing to do with Rebecca’s illness. They could have fought over Kevin helping Tess (Eris Baker) come out.
Tess allowed Kevin to help her in a way that she wouldn’t let Randall. The latter likes to be the go-to person for all the women in his life.
The two brothers could be feuding over Uncle Nicky (Griffin Dune) or Kate’s drama with Toby. Those two reasons seem highly unlikely, though. It could be a million different things.
However, the safest bet is Randall and Kevin are no longer speaking because of Rebecca. Why do you think the Pearson boys are on the outs?
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.