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Every major character's first and last appearance on 'This Is Us'

Esme Mazzeo   

Every major character's first and last appearance on 'This Is Us'
Milo Ventimiglia.NBC; NBC
  • The beloved family drama "This Is Us" aired its series finale on May 24.
  • Every character went on a unique journey from their first scene to their last.

We followed Mandy Moore's character Rebecca Pearson through many seasons of life.

We followed Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore.      NBC;NBC

First seen: Rebecca was late in her pregnancy and expecting triplets when we first saw her on season one, episode one. She was wearing a bra over her tee-shirt and trying to convince her husband Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) that insisting she gives him a lap dance for his birthday was a bad idea.

Last seen: On season six, episode 18, Rebecca is last seen in her 20s, laying on a bed in her imagined afterlife. She died but was reunited with Jack on a train.

Jack Pearson was naked except for a Terrible Towel in his first scene and very much alive and admiring his young family in his last.

Jack Pearson was naked except for a Terrible Towel in his first scene and very much alive and admiring his young family in his last.
Milo Ventimiglia.      NBC; NBC

First seen: On season one's "Pilot," Jack was naked except for a Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel as he waited for the birthday lap dance he got every year from his wife, Rebecca.

Last seen: Jack was alive and well in his last scene of the series finale. In a flashback of Jack and Rebecca with their kids when they were in their 30s, he's seen admiring his family as they goof around on a day when they had no obligations.

Justin Hartley's Kevin Pearson grew into a family man.

Justin Hartley
Kevin Pearson transformed into an impressive man.      NBC; NBC

First seen: Kevin was in bed surrounded by attractive women on his 36th birthday in season one, episode one of "This Is Us." He was the star of the fake sitcom "The Manny" and contemplating if his life went wrong when he saw the Challenger space shuttle explode while watching it on TV at school in 1986.

Last seen: In the series finale titled "Us," he was admiring his family on the day of his mother's funeral in his last shot. He shared a smile with his sister Kate (Chrissy Metz).

Kate Pearson transformed from an insecure woman to a fierce mom throughout the series.

Kate Pearson transformed from an insecure woman to a fierce mom throughout the series.
Chrissy Metz as Kate Pearson.      NBC; NBC

First seen: Metz's character Kate was willing herself not to eat birthday cake when we first met her on season one's "Pilot." She had left herself nasty notes of discouragement as a warped way to motivate herself.

Last seen: She was glancing at her brother Kevin on the day of her mother Rebecca's funeral on the series finale. They shared a sweet, peaceful smile. Kate was married to her former boss Phillip (Chris Greer) and happily coparenting with her ex-husband Toby (Chris Sullivan).

Sterling K. Brown's Randall was potentially an aspiring president by the end of "This Is Us."

Sterling K. Brown
Randall knew he was going to be a grandfather on the series finale.      NBC; NBC

First scene: Kevin and Kate's adopted brother Randall (Sterling K. Brown) was celebrating his birthday in his office on the first episode of "This Is Us."

Last scene: He, too, was admiring his family on the day of his mother Rebecca's funeral on the season six finale. He had also learned that his adopted daughter Deja (Lyric Ross) was pregnant so he was soon to become a grandfather.

Randall was a senator mulling over a run for president when the series ended.

Sophie goes back to where she began by the series finale.

Sophie goes back to where she began by the series finale.
Alexandra Breckenridge.      NBC; NBC

First seen: We first met Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge) on the 13th episode of season one, titled "Three Sentences." She was surprised to see her ex-husband and former childhood sweetheart Kevin on her doorstep asking for another chance with her.

Last seen: By the "This Is Us" series finale, Sophie was remarried to Kevin and spending time with her family, including her stepkids Nicky and Frannie, on the day of her mother-in-law Rebecca's funeral.

Toby lost Kate but found love again in the end.

Toby lost Kate but found love again in the end.
Chris Sullivan as Toby.      NBC; NBC

First seen: Kate met her first husband Toby on the pilot episode when he was making her laugh from across the room at a weight-loss support group.

Last seen: In the show's series finale, he was last shown hanging out with the Pearson family (including Kate and their two kids Jack and Hailey) on the day of Rebecca's funeral. We previously learned he had found love again.

Beth Pearson was still her husband Randall's biggest supporter.

Beth Pearson was still her husband Randall
Susan Kelechi Watson.      NBC; NBC

First Seen: We first met Randall's wife Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) on season one's pilot watching her daughters Tess (Eris Baker) and Annie (Faithe Herman) play their respective soccer games.

Last Seen: In Watson's very last scene on the series finale, Beth faded into the background (so far the picture is blurry) enjoying time with her family on the day of her mother-in-law Rebecca's funeral.

She was a mother of three (having adopted Deja years earlier), a soon-to-be grandmother, and a dance studio owner. She and Randall were on the verge of deciding if he would run for president.

The doctor who delivered the Pearson triplets died.

The doctor who delivered the Pearson triplets died.
Dr. K      Dr. K

First seen: Dr. K (Gerald McRaney) had to calm Jack and Rebecca down on the pilot when he told them the doctor who was meant to deliver their twins was unavailable and he would be doing it instead.

Last seen: He made Rebecca a martini on her metaphorical death train in season six, episode 17, "The Train." Decades had gone by since she last saw him, so it can be assumed he was dead.

William Hill became a beloved member of the Pearson family.

William Hill became a beloved member of the Pearson family.
Ron Cephas Jones      NBC; NBC

First seen: On the pilot episode of "This Is Us," William Hill (Ron Cephas Jones) opened his apartment door to find his biological son Randall on his doorstep with some truths to unload on him.

Last seen: William closed a door for Rebecca on her metaphorical death train in season six, episode 17, "The Train." He had died years earlier on season one of the show. The audience watched his relationship with Rebecca go from tense to peaceful over the years via flashbacks scattered throughout the series.

Uncle Nicky went from presumed dead to the life of the party.

Uncle Nicky went from presumed dead to the life of the party.
Griffin Dunne.      NBC; NBC

First seen: When we first meet Nicky Pearson (Griffin Dunne) we learned that Kate, Kevin, and Randall's uncle didn't die in the war as Jack told them he did.

Though he was just a shadowy figure to the audience, Jack's little brother was alive and well living a reclusive life in Pennsylvania on season three, episode nine, "The Beginning Is the End is The Beginning."

Last seen: Nicky played the beloved family game, "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," with his grand nieces and nephews on the day of Rebecca's funeral during the series finale, "Us."

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