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This Is Us has been capturing our hearts since it first debuted in 2016. The award-winning drama series centers around the Pearson family. Helmed by matriarch Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and patriarch Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), we’ve watched the couple fall in love and raise their family. Fans have also followed the lives of their children Kevin (Justin Hartley), Randall (Sterling K. Brown), and Kate (Chrissy Metz).

Now, the Pearsons’ journey is about to come to an end, but why has the sixth and final season been delayed?

Mandy Moore as Rebecca, Milo Ventimiglia as Jack smiling and looking down on 'This Is Us'
Mandy Moore as Rebecca and Milo Ventimiglia as Jack on ‘This Is Us’ | NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Dan Fogelman teased the ‘This Is Us’ Season 6 premiere title

Since This Is Us debuted, creator Dan Fogelman and his writers have had things mapped out all the way to the end. In fact, fans have already seen glimpses of the series finale. Now, Fogelman has revealed that he’s already written episode 601 and he’s hard at work cranking out the remaining scripts for the final season.

In early August 2021, Fogleman posted a screenshot of the cover of script 601 with the tweet “One down.” On the script, the episode was named “The #$%^@$%#*&.” However, Fogleman revealed that that’s not actually the title, he simply didn’t want to give out any spoilers.

“Studio informed me that there’s confusion and asked if I wanted to clarify that this is not the title of our first episode,” he tweeted. “Nope. I just didn’t want to spoil anything and I’m old and bad at internet. It’s the right amount of letters though, so do your thing. #ThisIsUs”

Why has ‘This Is Us’ Season 6 been delayed?

Though many fans have been anticipating the return of This Is Us in the fall of 2021, we’re going to have to wait just a bit longer. The final season of This Is Us which is set to have 18 episodes won’t debut until 2022. But why has the return of the acclaimed drama series been delayed?

It looks like NBC wants to begin airing season 6 around January 2022 to avoid too many gaps and delays between episodes. “By putting it at midseason, we’ll have the least interruptions possible,” Susan Rovner, NBC Universal Television’s Chairman of Entertainment said via Parade. “I think it’ll be a great event for the fans to enjoy this incredible show.”

If things do pan out this way, fans can expect a brand new episode of This Is Us each week from January until May 2022.

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How will the final season of ‘This Is Us’ begin?

Fogleman and his team of writers have already gotten episode 601 in the bag and the This Is Us creator has explained that it’s “a doozy.” Since we are wrapping up the entire series with season 6, we can imagine that every single episode will be important and full of detail.

Thus far, we know that the season 6 premiere will open on Kate, Randall, and Kevin’s 41st birthday. “Often on our birthdays when we’re blowing out those candles and we make that wish, we’re wishing for that happy ending for ourselves,” Fogelman told Entertainment Tonight. “For Kevin’s character, all of us — everyone who writes him and everyone who are fans of him and people who have varying relationships with who they root for — are hoping he finds his romantic center.”

At this point, we’re just crossing our fingers that Kevin and Sophie (Virgin River’s Alexandra Breckinridge) find their way back to each other.

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