Jack's 'This Is Us' Death Is Like A "Superhero Movie," So You Should Get The Tissues Ready

Guaranteed to be one of the most heart-wrenching moments in recent television history, Jack’s This Is Us death is on the top of fans' minds. Described as a "superhero movie" by actor Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us' forthcoming episode is apparently going to take fans through a roller coaster of emotions, while giving intricate details about Jack's final days with his family.

Last week's episode notably left fans clutching onto their tissues as they caught a glimpse of the moment, which would ultimately prove to change the lives of the Pearson family forever. While it had already been made evident in previous episodes that Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) would most likely perish in a house fire, the conclusion of Season 2, episode 13 offered viewers a sobering dose of just how emotional the revelation of Jack's death will be when it hits.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about his thoughts on creator Dan Fogelman's writing talent for the episode, Brown, who plays Randall Pearson on the series, explained,

“He may have written his best hour of television. It is cinematic, it’s epic in scope. He is able to take the mundane and turn it into a superhero movie. Each one of us, once we read it we were like, ‘Did you read this yet?' 'Yeah. It’s off the chain!' We were giddy.”

By far the most highly anticipated moment since the series' inception, the imminence of Jack's death is a situation that's become emotionally confusing. While you've most likely remained curious to learn what happens to the beloved character, you're never quite fully prepared to actually deal with the tragedy of it all.

Following the cliffhanging Jan. 23 episode that left fans feeling heartsick, This Is Us creator Fogelman shared even more in-depth details about what fans can expect from the fire that will presumably claim Jack's life. During a recent interview with EW, Fogelman explained,

"As we head into the Super Bowl episode next week, we’re headed into a big moment that’s like out of a movie — one of the moments that rarely happens in our life, when something extraordinarily big happens, like a house fire. But one of the things that we’ve always tried to accomplish in the show — and you saw it both this week and you’ll see it next week — is: It’s little things and the quiet moments, and sometimes the biggest moments of our lives are the simplest and most surprising and the quietest, even amidst the big stuff."

Sharing poignant thoughts about the forthcoming episode, entitled "Super Bowl Sunday," which is set to air immediately after the Super Bowl game on Feb. 4, Fogelman added: "It’s extraordinary…. It’s fair to say that he goes out like he lived."

A true superhero to his wife Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and children Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz), and Randall (Brown), Jack may risk his life to rescue his family, based on the trailer. And this factor will likely make the reality of Jack's death that much harder for fans to deal with.

The effect Jack's death has had on Kevin, Kate, and Randall, even as adults, has been a central focus throughout Season 2. The last episode left some members of the family at a crossroads when it came to their respective relationships with Jack, most notably Kevin, who recently had a spat with his father.

In his interview, Fogelman summarized how Jack's death individually impacts each child, explaining:

"When you look at Randall as an adult, you feel a lot of things, but one thing you don’t feel is a lack of closure with his father; you just feel a deep well of sadness where he’s gone. Kate had a very specific relationship with her father, and a lot of what she’s looking back on in this night is stuff of the cause of the incident, and how she blames herself. And Kevin, you feel a guy who really struggles to talk about his father, so it makes sense for us that he’s the guy that would’ve had a little bit less closure at the very end."

Besides the details about Jack's looming death, Fogleman also shared the great lengths it took to recreate the tragic blaze at the Pearson family home, explaining to EW:

"I will say that the opening five to 10 minutes of the episode — we spent a fortune, we went into the middle of nowhere so nobody would see us, and we built our house. We brought in the people who had done 'Backdraft,' and for you, as an audience member, it’s very hard to breathe."

Although this moment has been mounting for months, it's safe to say that fans will never fully be prepared for the gravity of Jack's passing. For what it's worth, fans won't yet have to say goodbye to Jack completely, as Fogelman revealed that the tragedy doesn't even meet the halfway mark for the series' intended run.

While it remains unclear how Jack's life will play out after his death is revealed to viewers, it goes without saying that as the superhero of the Pearson family, he will remain one of America's favorite TV dads.