'This Is Us' Showrunner Gives A Major Clue About That Dog Kate Was Holding

The wild finish of the This is Us Season 2 premiere left fans with more questions than answers. We finally saw the night Jack died -- but instead of answering everything, it added to the confusion. How did Kevin break his leg? Why was Rebecca wearing a Steelers jersey? Was that Randall's girlfriend on the couch? And whose dog was Kate holding?

This Is Us certainly started the season off with a bang, and a whole lot of tissues. It opened with the now dead William ready poetry in voice-over. It broke Rebecca and Jack up and sent Jack to Miguel's, only to have Rebecca land on their doorstep to bring her husband home. That's when we found out how bad Jack's drinking really was. (Really bad.) But the gut punch was the ending, when we finally saw the night Jack died -- the same night the Pearson's house burned down.

How are these things related? Did Jack died in a house fire? Was his drinking to blame? How does Kate blaming herself fit into this? And seriously... Kate got a puppy? Since *when?* If she had a dog, don't you think it would have shown up before? Or warrant a mention at least once?

Creator Dan Fogelman wants fans to know that everything about that scene is a clue. Every last thing.

There's a lot of questions to be answered. But yeah, we can look at all of those details. But the Steelers jersey is one. The Steelers jersey is a clue. Clearly, the house is a big mystery. Was he in the house? Was he out of the house? What exactly transpired on that night? They're staying at Miguel's. That's interesting. He's distraught. You've got Kate holding a little dog that we've never seen before. What is that dog? Where did that come from? You've got Randall seemingly being comforted in profile by a red-headed girl we've never seen. Who is that person? What is going on? And then you've got Kevin's cast.

So what is the dog? Let's consider, and head back to the first season. Jack, as we know is the one who wanted kids. Lots and lots of kids. Rebecca was much less enthused by the idea, because having kids meant giving up her dreams of becoming a singer. But Jack pushed, she got pregnant with triplets, and the rest is history.

We learned in the Season 2 premiere that Rebecca actually didn't want to adopt Randall, either. When the third triplet was stillborn, she was fine with that. Just two was hard enough. Again, it was Jack who pushed her into it.

Now back to Season 1. Jack wanted more than just the three they have. He wanted another. But Rebecca put her foot down and refused. So he tried to angle... for a dog instead. At the time, Rebecca refused that, also.

Now back to the season premiere. We know from last season that Jack and Rebecca's breakup happens in 1996, the "Big Three" were 15 and the fight was shortly after Valentine's Day. It's a few weeks later, so now it's March or April. Rebecca is on Miguel's doorstep, insisting her husband come home.

He tells her his drinking problem is too out of control and closes the door, saying he needs to get well. But she's not having that. She's bringing him home, and they'll solve it together.

Then it's the night Jack died. Both Kevin and Kate were 17 when their father died, so it's at least 18 months later, post-August 1997. Rebecca is wearing a Steelers jersey, so it's probably football season, October or November 1997. And Jack is dead. And Kate is holding... a puppy dog.

Did Rebecca give in and get him that dog in lieu of a fourth child? Did he go back in for it, and that's why he died? Is that's why it's Kate's fault?

We'll learn the answers before Season 2 is over at least. But it may be a long season to get there.