Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Because of the State of the Union, This is Us is not airing a new episode today, Feb. 4, 2020. Viewers will have to wait until Tuesday, Feb. 11 to see the next new episode, titled “A Hell of a Week: Part Three.” It will air at 9 p.m. on NBC.
The break comes in the middle of a three-episode Pearson Family trilogy. The first episode of the arc followed storylines for Randall, played by Sterling K. Brown, and the second followed Kevin, who is played by Justin Hartley. The next episode will follow Kate, who is portrayed by Chrissy Metz.
The promo for the episode promises plenty of character-centric drama.
Where Will the Episode Pick Up?
The first two episodes in the trilogy had small appearances from Kate. In the past, we saw teenage Kate, portrayed by Hannah Zeile, get into a fight with her then-boyfriend Marc (Austin Adams), over the phone before Rebecca’s birthday dinner.
Kate asked Marc what she did wrong, but when her friends appear concerned and ask what’s going on, Kate shut them out.
Later in Kevin’s episode, he returned home to find his mother pacing frantically.
“I’m worried about Kate,” Rebecca told him. “And she rode off with Marc to the cabin. She just called me crying. I think she’s in trouble, Kev. We have to get her.”
In the promo we see this pan out; Kate seems to get kicked out of a car by Marc.
In present time, Kevin and Kate arrange a sibling trip to that same cabin, but things aren’t going well with Toby (Chris Sullivan). Kate, Kevin and Randall are headed back to Pittsburgh.
Season 4, Episode 13 Preview
Since the episode will be very Kate-centric, executive producer Elizabeth Berger teased that Kate’s past does affect her relationship with Toby.
“There are two important relationships that have greatly informed this woman and her life,” she said. “And I think all of those intense teenage relationships tend to stick with us and cause patterns to form and leave these impressions that never really go away.”
They said that Kate’s relationship with Marc has a strong influence on her current relationship with Toby.
In an interview with TV Line, Justin Hartley, who directed the next new episode, gave some details for what to expect. Hartley previously directed an episode for Smallville, which he also appeared on.
He said fans should expect to see Kate’s relationship with Marc and how that influenced who she is in the present.
“The cabin stuff, it is interesting,” he said. “Trying to be there for other people when you’re going through a lot of stuff is difficult. But they’re all connected. They’re family. And some sh*t comes out. There’s a minor blow-up. Different ways of handling important situations.” He went on to say there’s a problem between Kevin and Randall.