“This is Us”
Things are heating up between Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) on NBC’s “This is Us” in Season 1, episode 2 — but will his doubts about her weight loss goals get in the way? NBC

After revealing an unbelievable plot twist during the Season 1 premiere, fans are more than ready to see what could possibly happen next on “This is Us.”

NBC has released a synopsis for the upcoming episode, which teases budding love, potential deceit and much, much more. Kate (Chrissy Metz) will really begin to dedicate herself to her weight loss journey. With the support of her new beau Toby (Chris Sullivan), who fans met in episode 1, she’s sure to succeed. In addition to serving as her biggest cheerleader, Toby will open Kate’s eyes to something she’s been missing all along — the ability to have fun.

Meanwhile, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) will attempt to integrate his birth father in with his wife Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) and two children. While Randall is ready to forgive and forget, Beth has some questions about William’s (Ron Cephas Jones) decision to participate in his son’s life so late in the game and she’s not afraid to pose those questions to his face. Kevin (Justin Hartley) is having issues of his own, dealing with the fallout from having left his acting job. Fortunately his agent Lanie (Katey Sagal) is there to pick up the pieces.

NBC’s synopsis also suggests there will be a rather large time jump in episode 2. Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), who became parents in the premiere, are now struggling to juggle a house full of growing kids and their relationship with one another. In the last eight years they’ve grown apart and it’s clear to both of them that their marriage is floundering.

Heading into episode 2 fans should recall the shocking twist revealed in the premiere about how each of the main characters is connected. While their stories appeared, at first, to be taking place independent of one another, it turns out that Kevin and Kate are two-thirds of a set of triplets. During the episode, their mother Rebecca — shown 36 years in the past — encounters complications during their delivery that lead to the third child (a son) being stillborn. Randall — who confronted his biological father after several years of uncertainty and searching — is their adopted brother.

Mandy Moore opened up about the twist during a premiere party in Los Angeles, telling USA Today that she and her co-stars were grateful to all who were privy to early screenings of the show and managed to keep it under wraps.

“We’re all very grateful that people have kept this secret,” she said on Monday. “It’s nice to celebrate with the entire cast and have the shared experience.”

Additionally, creator Dan Fogelman told Entertainment Weekly, that it was always his intention to include the secret familial ties in the show during the writing process. He said that he and his team were careful not to give anything away while introducing the characters to prospective fans, adding that he is proud of how they handled it. Fogelman said that there were a number of important decisions showrunners had to make in ensuring that little details in the first episode gave nothing away, including lighting, design and even props.

“It was always designed to be exactly where it is. It was written as such. Looking back on the pilot, obviously the locations are very well disguised. John and Glenn [Requa and Ficcara respectively] did a brilliant, brilliant job of making everything correct,” he said.

“This is Us” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EDT on NBC.

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