One final bow. For years, fans of This Is Us have been put on an emotional roller-coaster — and the last season will be no different.
In May 2021, NBC announced that the Emmy-winning series will wrap after its sixth season. The series, which debuted in 2016, stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley, and has been filled with heart-wrenching moments for both the cast and the viewers since its start.
“I think the [audience will] feel that bittersweet feeling that I think a lot of the episodes leave you with,” Metz teased to Us Weekly exclusively in July 2021. “I think they will feel like a sense of closure and some bittersweet memories.”
The singer, who noted she’ll be “on the floor” during the finale because of the emotions, added that she’s feeling both happy and sad about wrapping it up.
“You know when you go to a party and everyone’s cool, and then it gets really good, like, when there’s 30 minutes left? That’s what it feels like. It’s like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s just getting good and now we’re leaving,'” Metz shared. “It doesn’t mean that you didn’t have an incredible last 30 minutes or incredible time at the party, but you’d rather go instead of being like, ‘Oh, we overstayed our welcome’ or ‘Oh, that was so boring. That party was awful. I’m never going back to his house!’ So I understand that good things must come to an end.”
Creator Dan Fogelman shed light on the show wrapping up via Twitter following the news in May.
“Whoever casually first said ‘All good things must come to an end’ never had to end their favorite thing,” he said at the time. “While sad to have just 1 season left, also grateful to NBC for letting us end the show how, and when, we always intended. We’ll work hard to stick the landing.”
Scroll through the gallery below for everything to know about the final season:
This Is Us season 6 is set to debut on NBC Tuesday, January 4 at 9 p.m. ET. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
The final season will consist of 18 episodes. NBC
As always, the last group of episodes will include some heavy moments. "People were crying to the point that I wasn’t sure if I should keep going or not,” Fogelman teased in August 2021. “Cameras were shutting off, and I thought I’d lost people. ... It’s the second time I’ve cried writing the show. I was like, ‘Oh God, what’s happening?'" NBC
Alexandra Breckenridge teased that Sophie, Kevin's ex-wife, could return for the final season if timing works out with her filming schedule for Virgin River. "I think they’ve been really hoping that it would work out maybe in the future. So we’ll see — maybe something, maybe I’ll be able to come back either in a love interest capacity or in an old friend capacity," she told Us in June 2021, hinting that she may be in the flash-forward scenes. “I did do a scene where they did old makeup, but I don’t think it made it to the show,” the Walking Dead alum said at the time. “Every time they’ve asked me to come back in the past, I’m like, I hope that I’m in the house at the end of the show and you see me in, like, old makeup and everybody’s like, ‘What? Oh, my gosh!’ And like, you’re not sure if she’s just there because their mom is in hospice or if they’re together. I really hope that happens.” NBC
Ventimiglia shared an Instagram Story on set in September 2021. "This was us," he captioned the video, during which he pulled down a face mask. "Season 6 covid testing has begun. Last year y'all. Hope you enjoy it." Courtesy of Milo Ventimiglia/Instagram
“Tomorrow. Day 1. Season 6. @NBCThisisUs. I’m directing @MiloVentimiglia & @TheMandyMoore to begin our final season,” director Ken Olin teased via Twitter in September 2021. “My goal is to appreciate every single day of work this year. It’s the best way I can think of to honor what an incredible experience doing this show this has been.” One day later, Fogelman shared a behind-the-scenes look of Moore and Ventimiglia shooting one of the first scenes of season 6. “Last first day. Feeling feelings. #ThisIsUs,” he tweeted alongside the kitchen snap. Ca'Ron Jaden Coleman, who plays the youngest Randall Pearson, also tweeted a photo from set alongside his TV siblings. “THIS IS SEASON 6 DAY ONE SET DAY!!!! So excited to get the season started!! Are you guys missing @nbcthisisus?? ARE YOU READY FOR THE LAST SEASON???” he asked. Courtesy of Dan Fogelman/Twitter
The actress, who plays Beth Pearson on the NBC series, shared her excitement in November 2021 over cowriting an episode for the new season. “Today baby takes her 1st steps.🙌🏽,” she captioned two photos via Instagram, one of the script with her name on it. “Episode 606 starts filming today.” Watson also gave her “fabulous” writing partner, Eboni Freeman, a shout-out for the success of “Our Little Island Girl: Part 1 & 2,” both of which Freeman worked on. “She is Queen,” the Louie alum wrote before honoring the show’s creator. “And the biggest shout out to Sir Daniel Fogelman who called me up and said, ‘I know you wanna write. .. wanna write this episode?’” she concluded. “I meannnn. Dan...no words, only emojis 🙌🏽💯🙌🏽💯☝🏽💯!.” Courtesy of Susan Kelechi Watson/Instagram
In November, NBC released new photos from This Is Us season 6 premiere. Jack and Rebecca look very happy in this still. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
The Big Three are turning 41 as the sixth season starts, but it looks like the celebration will be virtual — at least for the Philadelphia-based Randall. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Kevin doesn't look thrilled to be back on set in this photo from the January premiere. He's flying solo after calling off his wedding to Madison. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
The final This Is Us premiere will bring viewers back to the Big Three's preschool days — which might be a tough time for Jack and Rebecca. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
While they had some tension last season, this season 6 snap makes it look like Kate is definitely winning Phillip's heart. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Fans can always rely on Beth and Randall to be the rock of the Pearson family couples. The dance teacher appears to be giving her husband some encouraging words in sneak peek snap from the final season. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
During a December 2021 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Brown joked that he won't be able to film the series' final installments without breaking down in tears. "Once we start to get to, like, the last two or three episodes, there'll be something that happens that I won't be able to stop from happening, because I know I'm actually saying goodbye," he explained. "Right now, I'm like, 'Oh, we're having a great time.' When it gets to the end, there'll be no acting. It'll be ugly." Shutterstock
“You will get to see what happens with Rebecca. You'll see how Kate and Toby end up. And also what happens with Kevin,” Watson told E! News in December 2021. “I do believe each storyline will have its closure. It will be a very satisfying season. We're not going to, like, Game of Thrones you. I'm still mad at y'all for what you did.” Moore agreed with her costar, adding, “Lots of questions will be answered, but there will still be some surprising things because that's the trick of the show.” Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Brown told E! News in December 2021 that the cast “totally could” reunite down the line for a movie special. Chris Sullivan echoed his costar’s remarks, saying, “I would be on board. I'm always on board for the This Is Us family. I don't know if it's gonna happen, but that sounds like a great idea. We should start that hashtag.” Moore, for her part, told the outlet that she “would be game to do anything” that would reunite the cast in the future. Ron Batzdorff/NBC
During the L.A. premiere of This Is Us, Fogelman hinted at what story lines are coming in season 6. "There’s a lot about Kevin and his continuing existential crisis, and what will be the end of his romantic story. There’s a lot with Rebecca and her ailment and how that will be not just affecting her, but her family," he shared at the time, per Deadline. "Rebecca and Miguel coming together is a story we’ve always been excited to tell in the final season, and having done a bunch of that already, it’s really fun and exciting and lovely." Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
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