‘This Is Us’: Dr. K Returns on Tuesday Night’s Episode

This Is Us lost Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) on Sunday’s night’s Super Bowl episode, but it will regain one if its strongest recurring characters: Dr. Nathan Katowski (Gerald McRaney).

Dr. Kataowski, better known as Dr. K, is the doctor who delivered Jack and Rebecca’s triplets (Kevin, Kate and stillborn baby Kyle) during the series premiere. He is the one who comforted Jack after Kyle’s death and inspired him to adopt Randall, who had been dropped off at the hospital that same day.

Dr. K also appeared several other times in season one. He returned for the episode “Last Christmas,” where the Pearsons ran into him after he was hospitalized for a nearly fatal car accident. They bonded with him by keeping him company in his hospital room as he feared for the worst.

He also returned in the flashback episode “The Big Day,” wherein viewers saw his activities before delivering the Pearsons, which included a struggle with moving past the death of his wife.

As shown in the preview for Tuesday night’s episode, Dr. K appears once again to comfort Rebecca in the wake of Jack’s death. The preview footage shows Rebecca mourning near a cemetery. Dr. K then emerges out of a building and greets her with a simple but somber, “Hello, Rebecca.”

This will be Dr. K’s first appearance on the show since “The Big Day.” He’ll presumably comfort Rebecca the best he can, using his own loss as an example.

After McRaney won an Emmy for his previous guest appearance, he was asked by Deadline if he would come back during season 2. He was unsure at the time and said he would wait for This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman to write a return for him.

“I have no idea. I hope Dr. K makes another appearance, but if he doesn’t I’m fine with that, because it was such a joy to have been on this show and to have been a part of it,” McRaney said. “But I am not going to try and persuade Dan to write something for me. You don’t mess with perfection.”

Aside from his This Is Us role, McRaney is best known for his lead role in classic TV shows Simon & Simon and Major Dad. He also appeared in House of Cards as billionaire Raymond Tusk, a rival to lead character Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey).

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Photo Credit: NBC