‘This Is Us’: Randall Almost Had Secret Service Agents With Him in 1 Flash-Forward Scene
Starting in season 2, This Is Us slowly teased a flash-forward scene set in 2032. The Pearson family made their way to the house Kevin built for Rebecca for some unknown event. And it wasn’t until later on that viewers discovered they were assembling to say goodbye to Rebecca, who was on her deathbed. Fans also learned more about other characters’ futures, but one aspect of Randall’s life was missing in the This Is Us flash-forwards.
Randall might run for president in ‘This Is Us’
Following William’s death in This Is Us, Randall quit his job and later became a city councilman. His new career led him further down a political path when he told Rebecca in season 6 that a senator from Pennsylvania was retiring, and he wanted Randall to be on the shortlist to replace him.
Following Rebecca encouraging her son to run for senator in This Is Us Season 6 Episode 10, viewers never saw his campaign play out. However, when the series jumped ahead a few years, fans learned that Randall won the race.
After Rebecca’s funeral, Randall confided in his siblings that he might run for president. He explained that the DNC invited him to attend the Iowa State Fair, where potential presidential candidates often make appearances and answer questions from the public.
Dan Fogelman revealed that ‘This Is Us’ almost alluded to Randall’s political aspirations earlier on in the series
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly about the This Is Us series finale, creator Dan Fogelman explained the thought process behind the presidential tease regarding Randall.
“We had debated so many different things,” he shared. “It was often very debated about Randall’s endpoint. What we pretty clearly knew was we weren’t going to go all the way there — whatever decision we made internally, we weren’t going to take the story all the way there.”
Fogelman added, “I would be lying if I didn’t say there were moments when we discussed the idea of going back in time to Randall getting Tess to go to his mother’s deathbed and revisiting that scene and showing him surrounded by Secret Service agents going, ‘Eagle is on the move!’ and everybody going batsh*t. We thought it would distract from the television show, and it wasn’t the right decision for us, but it was certainly a source of a lot of conversation.”
The This Is Us flash-forwards never teased Randall’s political future. But the idea of including Secret Service agents during those scenes was tempting to Fogelman and the writers. However, that concept never came to fruition, and they saved the presidential reveal for the series finale.
Dan Fogelman wanted the series finale to leave some questions unanswered
Unfortunately, This Is Us fans never found out if Randall becomes president. And that was one hundred percent intentional on Dan Fogelman’s part.
“I think the question’s better left unanswered for now — only because what I wanted to capture was that like Kate and like Kevin, Randall is able to follow his mother’s wishes and not allow himself to be hampered or held down by his mother’s passing, but for her or in honor of her, potentially move forward in the biggest way imaginable,” the creator told Entertainment Weekly.
“In terms of the endpoint of his political career, it’s something that we wanted to touch upon lightly,” Fogelman explained. “There is no answer of what comes next, and you can bring your own knowledge of the character … And you can decide as the audience like a Choose Your Own Adventure-type novel.”
He continued, “Does he ultimately bail and just say, ‘I want to be home with my wife and my kids, and I’m very content in my position as a Senator,’ which would also be lovely completion of his arc? Or do you think he goes all the way? This is definitely a cutoff in that point of time that one of the few things we leave hanging.”
This Is Us is available to stream on Hulu and Peacock.
