Warning! The following contains spoilers for This Is Us**. Read at your own risk!**
Kevin Pearson fell off the wagon in the latest This Is Us, as a bottle of whiskey in Nicky's trailer became the character's gateway back into alcohol. Actor Justin Hartley knew the scene was coming, but he couldn't help but wonder if Kevin would've thrown away his hard fought sobriety had one thing changed in the scene. Hartley explained he has faith that had one person been there for him in the moment, he may not have taken that drink. He said this:
One of the things that I was thinking is, if he made a phone call to Zoe, and she picked up the phone, and they were able to talk about what was going on for maybe even just a minute, I wonder if he would’ve gone down that path, you know? It’s a real thing, This happens all the time. People get sober, and then they 'fall off the wagon,' and they get sober again… It’s just an everyday struggle for him. Hopefully, he’ll do it right this time. Hopefully, it won’t be this big, huge thing for him. But gosh, it is heartbreaking, isn’t it? Because I feel like he’s gotten far, and now, here we go again.
Justin Hartley revealed that Zoey might've kept Kevin from taking that drink, but her phone went to voicemail and he started chugging away. Kevin was clearly ashamed in what he'd done, and had a faraway stare in the car ride home with Rebecca as she told him how proud she was that he helped Nicky. Obviously, Rebecca wasn't aware of what had happened in Nicky's trailer, nor is anyone else privy to the fact Kevin has slipped up.
The fact that Justin Hartley somewhat puts it on Zoey not answering her phone as to why Kevin drank makes it seem as though Kevin might point the finger at his girlfriend for his relapse. Regardless of whether he does or not, Hartley confirmed to TVLine that she will figure out her boyfriend is drinking again eventually.
There’s a lot of things that go along with it, right? This idea that he’s got this thing under control, and their relationship is based on that fact. And then she’s going to find out that he obviously doesn’t, at least not right now. He’s not taking care of himself.
Justin Hartley added that while he doesn't know for a fact that Kevin hasn't attended an A.A. meeting, he mentioned This Is Us' writers don't typically slip up and forget things like that. Basically, if Kevin had been to any form of treatment beyond his stay in rehab, it would've been acknowledged either in a scene of him in a meeting, or he would've mentioned it in conversation. He's willing to fix others problems, but can he fix himself again?
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Stay on top of all the new shows coming to television in the coming weeks by visiting our midseason premiere guide.
