'This Is Us': Everything We Know About Tuesday Night's Episode

Premise

As the episode title alludes to, the episode is all about the Pearson family's station wagon, which can carried them around for years.

According to online synopsises, the show's planned to show "the history of the Pearsons as told through the life of the family car."

As far as what the episode will hit on emotionally, the video preview touched on that: "Tuesday, the family story continues with the enduring power of a father's love and a visit from an old friend."

Possible Family Car Origins

It's only fitting that an episode centered around the family's adventures in the car would begin with the family buying the car.

Aside from it making sense from a storytelling standpoint, viewers may have a gotten a glimpse of the scene where Jack buys the vehicle.

There are shots in the trailer of him and Rebecca in an office that looks a lot like a car dealership. There is also dialogue from Jack about ensuring his family is safe, which would definitely be part of conversation about buying a new car.

Pearson Kids Returning

Based on the above image released from the episode, we know that the young versions of "The Big Three" will return.

Randall (Lonnie Chavis), Kate (Mackenzie Hancsicsak) and Kevin (Parker Bates) are shown playing around in the family car, which is fitting for the episode's premise.

Plus having this early time period be a setting for part of the episode allows for a certain patriarch to come back into the fold.

Jack is Back

Based on the episode preview, Jack is back in the fold.

Many fans worried his death during the Super Bowl episode meant he was gone for good However, that does not seem to be in the place.

As previously mentioned, Jack appears in the episode's preview and will be a part of the show's early flashback scenes while the '90s era Pearsons cope with his death.

Jack's Funeral

Back in the '90s, part of the Pearson family's struggles will be Jack's funeral.

While a glimpse of the memorial service was shown in season 1, it appears "The Car" will finally show the full service.

As for how the family car fits into the '90s setting, it is not quite clear.

Randall Possibly Making Arrangements

Speaking of the funeral, we think that Randall (Niles Fitch) may step up and help plan the service.

In one of the released photos from "The Car," Randall is shown on the phone with a note pad nearby. He could definitely be coordinating details of Jack's service or possibly notifying family and friends of the passing.

This would be right in line with Randall's character. He steps up in these situations, and he would sure want to ease the burden that was put on his mom.

Kate Questions Jack's Death

Kate was the Pearson child that was closest with Jack, so it is only natural that she would be taking his death harder than the others.

In the episode's preview, a teenage Kate (Hannah Zeile) is seen talking to Rebecca in the wake of Jack's passing. She is upset and is trying process what happened.

"I don't understand how he died," Kate says.

Her process will most likely lead her to the realization that Jack going back in to save her dog ultimately doomed him, which is what she has struggled with ever since.

Dr. K Returns

This Is Us will regain one if its strongest recurring characters in "The Car": 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.

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 season 1 episode "The Big Day." He'll presumably comfort Rebecca the best he can, using his own loss as an example.

Mandy Moore Says It is 'Even More Heartbreaking'

Lastly, if you thought the saddest moment of show came at Jack's death, you may be wrong.

Mandy Moore told PEOPLE that "The Car" was even sadder, presumably because we see the family in mourning.

"I dare say, it's even more heartbreaking," Moore said.

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