Warning! The following contains spoilers for This Is Us' episode "Lights And Shadows." Read at your own risk.
This Is Us is always one for surprises, so much so that it has become the show's tagline for Season 4. It certainly came as a surprise when news recently broke that the NBC show had nabbed Sophia Bush for a role, despite the circumstances of her departure from NBC's Chicago P.D. as Detective Erin Lindsay. Bush's role doesn't come across as one that will bring her back to This Is Us as a game-changer, but the show did seemingly throw in a shoutout to her former series.
In the episode Kevin met Sophia Bush's Lizzy, a woman he believed could kick off the fairy tale romance he's been searching for. The connection between the two was evident, though the roadblocks slowly but surely started hinting this romance wasn't meant to be. It turns out she was not a Los Angeles native, and in about the most obvious nod to Sophia Bush's past on NBC, Lizzy was "a Chicago girl." Twitter was quick to jump on the nod, in case it went over anyone's head.
The nod could've been coincidental, but given that This Is Us also spiked in a few references to World Of Dance in "Lights and Shadows," I'm inclined to think it was intentional. Chicago P.D. fans loved the reference regardless, and continued to clue in others on Twitter who may not be about that #OneChicago life.
Some fans were happy enough to hear Chicago mentioned, though others jumped to some wild conclusions. A few people on the social media platform jokingly suggested that this could mean that Chicago P.D. and This Is Us share a universe, which is quite a thought.
Remember, Lindsay left Chicago P.D.'s Intelligence Unit for a job with the FBI Narcotics unit in New York. Imagine if This Is Us actually had Lindsay pose as "Lizzy" as part of some undercover investigation with the Narcotics unit! Claiming she was a "Chicago girl" would be the perfect lie to Kevin. Just because she moved to New York doesn't mean she's not still a Chicago girl, right? Imagine if this was actually what This Is Us was setting up!
Of course, This Is Us seemingly only wanted to set up Kevin Pearson for further heartbreak. Lizzy wasn't who she claimed to be, but actually a married woman and not available. She had pursued Kevin because she was her "hall pass" and the mother that was a super fan pestering her all day was actually her husband. It was pretty bad, but definitely worse because she waited until after Kevin rented out the Hollywood Bowl and hired music legend John Legend for a private concert to reveal that.
It felt like Sophia Bush's stint was a one and done deal, especially after how Lizzy did Kevin. Then again, Sophie keeps coming back into the picture, and the announcement reporting Bush's role was recurring means there's hope for Chicago P.D. fans that Bush will get another episode or two on This Is Us. Meanwhile the hunt for Kevin's future beau continues, and it feels like the show is not any closer to revealing who he'll end up with.
Related: Why This Is Us Took A ‘Really Big Swing’ With Those New Characters
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