This Is Us S2 Episode 14 Recap: ‘Super Bowl Sunday’ Finally Reveals How Jack Died
Published on February 5, 2018. Updated February 7, 2018Ron Batzdorff/NBC
Following Super Bowl LII on Sunday, February 4, one thing a lot of audiences were waiting for was the highly anticipated episode of This Is Us which deviated from its normal Tuesday night timeslot to air right after the big game.
The episode entitled “Super Bowl Sunday” promised to be the biggest and probably most emotional episode of the hit series after the episode before finally showed the fire that burned down the Pearson home. Follow along for a full recap of “Super Bowl Sunday.”
The episode picked up right where the last left off as Jack woke up and realized the house was fire, and immediately began to rescue Randall and Kate and got the two kids and Rebecca out of their bedroom window. As many fans theorized, although the family made it out alive (including Jack) as Kevin wasn’t home at the time, the family’s dog was still in the house which sent Kate into hysterics. Jack insisted he go back in for Louie and was able to rescue some important family objects including a photo album, Rebecca’s necklace and the video of Kate singing.
When the ambulance and paramedics arrived, Jack was told his vitals were good but he had inhaled so much smoke that he needed to be taken to the hospital. Assuming he was going to be okay, Rebecca sent Randall and Kate to Miguel’s while she went to the hospital with Jack. Since everything seemed okay, Rebecca stepped out into the hallway outside of Jack’s hospital room to call her kids and in that moment Jack’s lungs failed and he went into cardiac arrest. When the doctor explained what had happened, saying Jack was trying to say “Bec” as he died, Rebecca went into denial and could not understand what had happened to her husband.
Along with the tragedy of Jack’s death finally being revealed, the episode included moments from the present day in which Kevin, Randall, and Kate had their own traditions for honoring their dad on Super Bowl Sunday. Kate would always watch the video of her singing that Jack saved, Randall would throw an amazing Super Bowl party, and Kevin would drink a lot and hook up with someone. Meanwhile, for Rebecca, she would try to stay as busy as possible and somehow Jack would always “send her a message” that made her laugh.
Twenty years later though, this Super Bowl was different. Kate’s tape began to unravel, but she had Toby there for her who rushed to fix and save the footage on the tape, and they started their own tradition of celebrating Super Bowl Sunday together.
The episode also offered up another huge emotional moment for Kevin, who went back to “Jack’s tree” in order to apologize for the first time. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’m gonna make you proud of me. I promise you that,” he said, and told his dad about his life including that he “did a movie with Rocky.”
Randall’s day had a little bit of Jack in it as his daughter told him she felt like he was looking for a new life by finding his biological dad, quitting his job, and fostering Deja. This prompted Randall to deliver an amazing “Dad speech” which Jack was so famous for and reassure his daughter she was always his number one, and Deja even made an appearance at the end of the episode.
This Is Us wasn’t done with the twists though. For the first time ever fans saw an even older Randall with his daughter Tess all grown up. Tess had become a social worker and when he visits her at work, she finds a young African American boy foster parents.