After an emotionally taxing freshman season that frequently left fans reaching for their tissue boxes, Season 2 of “This Is Us” will lighten things up, according to the show’s executive producers.
“People call the show a dramedy but we’re going to lean into the [comedy] a little more,” said co-showrunner Isaac Aptaker Tuesday night after a screening of the finale.
Fellow co-showrunner Elizabeth Berger added: “We were talking to [creator] Dan [Fogelman] for actually a few hours today about Season 2 and we kept pitching things and then we’d say, ‘That’s too sad! Let’s lighten up a little.'”
While Season 1 has at times been consumed by loss and sadness, Berger said it was the birthday parties and moments of togetherness that fueled some of the most “beautiful” scenes.
“We definitely want to find that balance for sure,” she said.
Also in the works? More singing from Chrissy Metz’s Kate.
In the finale, the character told boyfriend Toby (Chris Sullivan) that she intended to pursue singing professionally, a storyline that mirrors her mother’s path.
While Metz has no trouble breaking out into song on red carpets, she admitted doing it on set can be daunting.
“You know, when you have to take seriously, it is a little more nerve-racking,” she told CNN. “When you’re joking around on an interview, it’s different. But, no, I’m excited.”
Drama will no doubt come, however, as the audience learns more about why Kate feels responsible for her dad Jack’s (Milo Ventimiglia) death. But Metz hasn’t been filled in on those details.
“We don’t know the answers but we’ll know eventually,” she said. “More will be revealed.”
Ventimiglia admitted he knows “bits and pieces” about what’s to come.
“I’m going to have to steal Milo and ask him because I don’t know anything,” Moore said upon learning about her co-star’s scoop. “I’m completely in the dark.”
Tuesday’s season finale took a deep dive into Rebecca (Moore) and Jack’s relationship, showing their first meeting and separation years later.
The episode did not, however, reveal how Jack died, as many expected.
Sullivan told CNN he did not think fans would be peeved about the decision to delay the reveal.
“[The fans] love waiting,” he said. “The only thing you love more than watching, is waiting.”
“This Is Us” will return in the fall for Season 2. It has also already been picked up for a third season by NBC.
“It’s everything you write down on a wishlist of acting,” Metz said of her role on the show. “It’s everything I could ever hope for.”