This Is Us is about to make a surprising move that will most certainly change the direction of the show. Pearson matriarch Rebecca (played by Mandy Moore) will reportedly leave her familiar East Coast abode for a new life on the West Coast after the birth of her daughter Kate’s (Chrissy Metz) premature baby.
This Is Us producer Isaac Aptaker confirmed the upcoming storyline to Entertainment Weekly , revealing that writers for the show are “excited” about the surprising move for Rebecca and her second husband Miguel (Jon Huertas). Aptaker also revealed why the time is right for Rebecca to leave her longtime home on the East Coast as her once-strained relationship with her only daughter takes an important turn.
“Rebecca was so there for Randall [Sterling K. Brown] during the early days of his family and raising his daughters when they were super-young. And it feels like they’re at an age when it might be nicer to be on a warmer coast, not to deal with those brutal East Coast winters. So we’re really excited about telling a fun new chapter for them. And also, I think it speaks to how far Rebecca and Kate have come in their relationship. …Based on where they were, even just a year ago as a mother and daughter, I don’t think it’s something that Rebecca would have even considered.”
Of course, a move from the East Coast could drum up some unresolved feelings for Rebecca since she will be leaving the place where she still has a connection to her late husband, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia). Aptaker also noted that Rebecca and her son Randall have a deep connection and her move could greatly affect him as he deals with his own personal issues with his wife Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson).
“Not having his mom right there, is a pretty big deal,” the This Is Us producer teased.
On the most recent episode of the NBC drama, titled “The Waiting Room,” Rebecca let loose with a lengthy description of the hospital waiting room she sat in on the night Jack died in 1998. It is clear the character pays close attention to her surroundings, so her West Coast move is bound to stir up a lot of emotions as it plays out in the upcoming episodes of This Is Us .
Of course, the West Coast does have a special place in Rebecca’s heart. Earlier this season, This Is Us fans got to see Jack and Rebecca’s early courtship as they made a spontaneous road trip to Los Angeles so Rebecca could pursue her dream of a meeting with the same record label that her music idol Joni Mitchell was signed with.
At the time of the road trip episode, titled “Sometimes,” Milo Ventimiglia told The Wrap , “L.A. is a long way from Pittsburgh in 1972, so Jack and Rebecca are going to be spending a lot of time together.”
Turns out the couple spent almost every day together after that for 25 more years, but now Rebecca will make new California memories with Miguel.
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.