This Is Us star Ron Cephas Jones teases that the sixth and final season will be “overwhelming,” even for him. The hit show, which began airing on ABC in 2016, tells the story of the Pearson family’s three siblings and their parents across two different time periods. It’s notable for its frequent plot twists and turns, often with tear-jerking consequences.
Jones, who won Emmys for his role on This Is Us in 2018 and 2020, plays William “Shakespeare” Hill, the biological father of Sterling K. Brown’s Randall, who was adopted by the Pearsons. He has appeared in 29 episodes across the first five seasons, and without giving too much away, has been at the center of several of the show’s key emotional moments. Although plot details for This Is Us season 6 remain frustratingly under wraps and it has not been confirmed if he will be returning, Jones has given fans a slight peek behind the curtain for what they might be able to expect.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada, the actor teased that “there could be a really great opportunity” for him to return. He was less coy about the nature of the tone of season 6, describing it as “overwhelming for everyone… even overwhelming for myself.” While that’s not exactly full of detail, This is Us creator Dan Fogelman confirmed that the show will be ending on his own terms, which are certain to indeed be devastating. Read the full quote from Ron Cephas Jones below:
“I think they got something coming that’s sort of like, it’s gonna just overwhelm everyone. You figure with all the different ends that need to be wrapped up between the inner family, the Pearsons, the uncle, they’re just so many wonderful things that even came out this past season, all the surprises that went on. So there’s a lot of little buttons, I’s that need to be dotted and T’s that need to be crossed, and I think that it’s gonna be even overwhelming for myself.
“[On returning:] There could be a really great opportunity for that to happen. One of the storylines that was so beautiful was some of the relationship that you saw with the grandchildren. And so I have this imagination, this dream sequence in my head to them, one of the two granddaughters. So there could be a multitude of things that Dan [Fogelman] could come up with and the writers could come up with. So I’m confident, I’m feeling positive that it may happen.”
Jones isn’t the only This is Us star to be facing the final season’s emotional developments with trepidation. Mandy Moore also admitted this will be a challenging year with lots of tears. And if there are two people who can be trusted regarding tearjerkers, it’s the stars of A Walk to Remember and Looking for Alaska (Jones played Dr. Hyde in the heart-rending John Green miniseries).
This Is Us season 5 has already set up at least one major death for the show, so those prepping for the final season might want to start stocking up on tissues now. This promises to be a season full of twists and turns that will resolve many storylines, though not always in ways that will make viewers feel bright and sunny. However, This Is Us wouldn’t be This Is Us if it didn’t devastate the audience just a little. This Is Us season 6 is set to premiere in early 2022.
