‘This Is Us’ Fans Wonder if Rebecca Was Ever Truly in Love With Miguel
Fans have one more week to see how This Is Us characters Miguel Rivas and Rebecca Pearson (Jon Huertas and Mandy Moore) unfolds. An episode titled “Miguel” is the 15th installment of the NBC drama’s last season. The character has proven himself to be a force for good within the Pearson family. However, as Rebecca’s health declines and she believes she sees her first husband Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) in her son Kevin (Justin Hartley), viewers took to social media to debate if the character was ever indeed in love with Miguel.
Rebecca and Miguel’s friendship grew deeper as they clung together in their shared grief over losing Jack
After losing Jack, Rebecca and Miguel clung to one another in their shared grief. Always friends, the duo leaned heavily on one another in the years following the death of the Pearson family patriarch.
However, they didn’t realize their feelings developed into something further until a season 6 episode titled “Taboo.”
It was during that episode a post-meal game of the game Taboo highlighted how attuned to each other Miguel and Rebecca were.
This was realized by all of The Big Three, including Kevin, who drank throughout the Thanksgiving dinner after confessing to wife Sophie he cheated on her. Subsequently, Kevin told Miguel Jack was turning over in his grave at the thought of whatever was going on between he and Rebecca.
As Rebecca begins to discuss her feelings, Miguel blurts out he’s moving to Houston, where he has a new job and he’ll be closer to his kids.
Miguel admits, “I feel like I’ve been staying around because… it’s time Rebecca. Now that you’re back up on your feet, it’s time for me to go.”
Was Rebecca ever truly in love with Miguel or was he the closest thing to Jack she had?
In a Reddit post titled “Rebecca’s feelings towards Miguel,” fans shared their own theories on the relationship between Jack Pearson’s wife and his best friend.
“The show has established that the love between Jack and Rebecca was hot, young, passionate love, even when they were in their 40s. Meanwhile, the love between Rebecca and Miguel is an older, comforting love, as best friends,” wrote one follower.
“But I wonder if Rebecca subconsciously saw Miguel as a stand-in for Jack all these years. She’s known him as long as she knew Jack, and his presence was always comforting and welcome. I get that she loves him, but is she in love with him?” the fan questioned.
“She doesn’t mistake Miguel for Jack because Migs is an old man. Her eyes see that. Whereas Kevin is the same age as she’s recalling Jack in her crumbling memory. She’ll forget Jack soon. And she’ll be thinking Kevin is her father possibly,” theorized a second Reddit user.
“I think that after Jack died Miguel became a familiar safety net for Rebecca. When she lost him to Texas she fearful. It was another piece of Jack to loose. It’s always seemed to me to be more of a friendship/companion kind of love more than a hot romance from Bec’s POV. It does seem like migs adores her though,” wrote a third viewer.
How many more episodes remain in season 6 of ‘This Is Us’
Including the Apr. 26 episode, there are four episodes remaining of the sixth and final season of This Is Us.
Tonight’s episode is titled “The Night Before the Wedding.”
Episode 15 is titled “Miguel.” That installment is followed by episode 16 called “Family Meeting,” and episode 17 is “The Train.”
The series ender is simply titled “Us.” The finale airs on May 24.
This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.
