Ahhh, new young love.
And/or a young love from so long ago, it’s old.
Did it turn out to be the right Sally?
Griffin Dunne, Mandy Moore, and Lyric Ross on ‘This Is Us’.NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; NBC; Ron Batzdorff/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Did she remember him?
She did not, at first.
Well, was she single?
Two more mysteries down, a few more to go before The End.
(Kate, where are you?)
Start reading it will go by faster than you think.
But when he discovers that old photo that she took of him on her wall, it’s enough.
What drew you to this small victory, which would be validating and affirming for him?
KAY OYEGUN:I would classify Nicky as a guy whose life is based on small victories.
I was like, “Oh, God, this man is like a little boy!”
He’s a young man who fell in love with Sally, and this moment is all he needs.
This will give him another 50 years.
Small victories are definitely Nicky Pearson’s bag.
But I was glad that [we decided that] Sally is not the person that Nicky first met.
In fact, that spirit has pretty much been repressed.
The memories come back slowly.
I did feel that it should be realistic about where it ends up.
She was preserved in amber.
She had an outsized impact on my life.
I put her name in scripts.
I carried not a torch, but I always wondered what happened to her.
She didn’t remember me.
Nicky going to find Sally actually impacted Rebecca and how she’s aging.
It was a molotov cocktail.
I was always laugh at that.
OYEGUN:There are so many story lines that are very personal to different writers.
This is one where it was a Kevin shebang all the way.
So I liked watching Kevin and Dan go back and forth at it and also K.J.
[Steinberg, executive producer].
I was like, “Yeah, fight!
Do the thing where we talk it out and we decide!”
It’s always fun.
So I was like, “Anything but that.”
Let’s do that."
This episode explores young love and old love.
Young love is formative and limitless and unpredictable, which makes it seem larger than life and overwhelming.
Old love can be deeper, more practical, tinged with loss, and informed by experience and perspective.
What was interesting about those discussions in the writers' room?
FALLS:I feel like young love still burns.
I was comparing it to a pilot light when people are older.
That is not something that’s foreign to people who get older.
The old woman on the bus tells Deja, “Young love changes you.”
How did it or the lack of it impact Nicky?
I feel like she was more of a free spirit than he was.
What do you think, Kay?
It’s literally day 2 of Woodstock, he’d be like, “Where’s Sally?”
It’s like, poor Nicky, now he’s got to find his way back home.
How significant of a player will Edie become in the final season?
OYEGUN:She folds in really well.
Every time you see Nicky, you’ll see Edie.
That’s literally what we told her.
We’re like, “You’re now his wife.
So whenever he’s around, you’re around.”
She’s a part of the Pearson family now.
Her banter with Griffin is just fun, fun, fun.
Oh, I can’t wait for people to see episode 5!
She certainly seems like someone who can hold her own, especially when armed with duct tape.
What else can viewers expect from her?
OYEGUN:She’s funny.
And she gives as good as she gets.
She matches wits with Nicky, and she holds nothing back.
People sometimes can be delicate around Nicky, but she’s all about it.
That’s her jam.
And is any of that rattling around Rebecca’s brain?
So there’s unforeseen circumstances, yes.
In this episode, Rebecca and Sally take back their power.
To seize the day, to lament, to mourn, to be nostalgic, to be proactive.
There’s really a sense of agency that not a lot of people get the opportunity to experience.
So whenever I pitch towards it, that’s always where I come from.
Deja takes a big step with Malik in their relationship.
What felt right about telling this story now, aside from the fact that this is the final season?
OYEGUN:I’ll say this: I’ve always had such big affection for Deja.
She was really scared and broken.
We get to see this, but in a character that we probably don’t always see it on.
So that’s been the joy of watching Deja really blossom.
The third episode that we saw her, she chopped her hair off with scissors.
That is a dangerous thing to do.
Now we get to see a young girl turn into a young woman and make a decision for love.
How, if it at all, was her decision impacted by her interaction with Jennifer?
She’s intimidated by her and curious about her.
And she’s not treated well by her.
OYEGUN:She’s never met Jennifer before.
Even though she’s had all these experiences, she’s still sheltered in a lot of ways.
She’s carrying herself in a way that Deja doesn’t carry herself.
Here’s Deja in a jean jacket and Chucks, and Jennifer has boots and a leather coat.
But she made a choice to go see him, wondering if she was ready.
Young love can be tricky with no obstacles, so how bumpy is this ride going to be?
Deja’s decision with Malik is sort of a repeat of her previous decision with Malik.
So it’s not going to be an easy ride.
FALLS:She’s fiercely independent, too.
She’s a strong woman and seen a lot in life.
So she’s a hard person to tell what to do, that’s for sure.
What was your favorite fan theory about who was in the car?
OYEGUN:Someone said, “Kate with one leg.”
I was like, “Butwhy?”
Those made me laugh.
How many more surprise visitors are coming to the future house?
We do still need a Kate sighting.
OYEGUN:Quite a few, actually.
It’s a full house.
Any hints about Deja’s husband, whether it’s Malik or someone else?
OYEGUN:It’s a full house.
FALLS:Everything’s on the table.
How long will viewers have to wait for the next visit to the future house?
OYEGUN:We go back to the future house.
Off of Nicky’s declaration, we’re going to start seeing that house come together.
FALLS:You’re going to see the future house at its studs and that foundation poured.
We’re going to build the last of the show along with the house.
Finally, what’s your one-sentence tease for next week’s episode?
FALLS:Buckle up because it’s almost literal.
