This Is Us: Who Is 'Her'? An Ongoing Investigation
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That first flash-forward set the stage for one in the Season 2 finale, when — on a different day (you can tell from their clothes and Tess' hairstyle) — Randall comes to get his older daughter for what seems like a somber task: "It's time to go see her, Tess." She hesitates. "I'm not ready," Tess says sadly. "Me, neither," Randall admits.
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But to whom does "her" refer? Clearly, the woman in question is someone important to both Randall and his daughter, which makes Beth a logical candidate. (Other options, of course, include Annie, Deja, Kate, Rebecca and Zoe.)
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While Tess visits the ladies' room "before we head over," Randall calls someone.
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The person on the other end of the line is Toby, who is sporting a scraggly beard and who appears to be alone. He says he's not sure if he "should" come down, but Randall asserts that "she wants you to be there."
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Let's take a minute to compare Toby's bedroom to the one we see him in during both the present storyline and the flash-forward in the Season 2 finale. (Also: Notice that his left hand, which would show us whether or not he's wearing a wedding ring, is hidden under the covers.)
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Let's back up a bit. The whole 'her' mystery got underway in This Is Us' Season 2 post-Super Bowl episode, when what seemed like a social worker prepping a little boy for placement in a new foster home in the present turned out to be adult Tess doing her job in the future — as we learned when an aged Randall visited her at work.
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Though the same art hangs on the wall, it's in a different spot. The lightning fixtures, bedside tables and bedspread are different. Is he in an apartment? A hospital? Some other type of care facility? Maybe Randall meant "come down" literally, and Toby is in the same place that "she" is?
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Our investigation is ongoing. Make sure to bookmark this gallery and come back throughout the season!
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UPDATE: Sharp-eyed readers @wanderer765 and Amanda both noticed that Toby's left hand is visible when he takes off his glasses, and it's clear that he's not wearing a wedding ring. Is this evidence that he and Kate have divorced? If so, maybe the "she" he refers to during his call with Randall is Kate and not the mystery "her"?