NBC has renewed This Is Us for three more seasons, and as silly as it sounds to be discussing the show's ending on the heels of that news, it does raise some interesting questions. Why exactly did NBC decide on such a large renewal so soon, especially when ratings for Season 3 haven't been the best they've traditionally been? What does this decision tell us about the endgame?
For now, all that is officially known is that NBC did not say whether or not This Is Us will end after Season 6. TVLine reported each season will run 18 episodes, and will presumably ensure the series is on primetime for at least a few more years. Given the specific renewal, this could mean that Dan Fogelman and crew have decided how long it will take them to wrap up the story.
Which would make sense, because the plan for This Is Us was for the story to be finite. In fact, Season 3 featured scenes from the series finale, which showed the Pearson family years on down the road and reunited at Rebecca's bedside. The exact circumstances behind everything happening wasn't known, and it's believed some interesting developments from that flash forward will be addressed in future episodes.
Going back to a previous point, the three season renewal is surprising considering This Is Us' ratings took quite a dip in Season 3. Its ratings hit a series low before Season 3's fall finale, although the NBC drama still finished out the night as the top-rated show on television. Bottom line, it's still one of the best primetime series on television for ratings, but that could change if ratings continue to trend downward.
With that possibility, and the admission that scenes from the series finale are already appearing on screen, it just doesn't seem likely that This Is Us will get renewed beyond Season 6. Of course, NBC could always change its mind along the way if ratings are crazy good, although it wouldn't seem wise to push the series past what would be presumed to be its original end.
If there's a downside to this news, it's that This Is Us is likely going to draw out the various mysteries of the flash-forward scenes even longer. For example, the drama now can safely hold off on revealing what Nicky was doing at Rebecca's bedside for a season beyond Season 4, or keep future Kate off-screen for another season. Would they really do something so cruel? I mean, they killed off America's dad with a heart attack, so probably.
This Is Us big renewal means it's going to be on NBC for quite a while, so be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for updates on Season 4 and beyond.
