Nicky's presence at Kevin's compound in the flash forward is making more sense by the episode. In "One Small Step..." fans finally got to see Jack's estranged brother connect with his new grand niece and nephew. But there are still some things that need explaining, like Nicky's wedding ring in the This Is Us flash forwards.
In an interview following Nicky's big episode on Wednesday, actor Griffin Dunne, who plays older Nicky, weighed in on those cryptic flash forward details. "I don't know how he got there, but he seemed to be, sort of, the patriarch," he told People, adding that, as far as his new accessory, he's just as lost as the rest of us. "Nicky has a wedding right that they cut to, and I wish I could even tell you, 'Oh I know who he married and I can't tell you,' but I can't tell you because I don't know who I'm married to."
Dunne might not know the future of his own character, but "One Small Step..." might have given us a new clue as to who might be the lucky lady in Nicky's flash forward life.
"One Small Step..." gave us more insight into Nicky's past. Most notably, his love affair with Sally, a free-spirited girl who traveled across country in a van named Pearl and wanted to go to Woodstock with him. Unfortunately, his nerves got the better of him, and Nicky stayed home. We can assume he got drafted soon after, and we know he hasn't had any romantic relationships since. But is Sally Nicky's flash forward wife? I'm not so sure.
Yes, This Is Us loves a star-crossed romance. (See: Randall's biological mother Laurel and Hai.) But, it would be a lot, even for This Is Us, to bring back Nicky's one true love all these years later. Also, Nicky might be slowly getting ready to step outside his comfort zone, but seeing how tortured he was flying to California to meet Kevin's kids, it's hard to believe he'd be ready to get married before the flash forward, which seems to take place just a decade later. So, if he's not married to Sally, then who is he married to?
My theory is he's married to no one. I think future Nicky isn't a married man at all, but he is a Pearson. And if there's one thing we know about Pearsons, it's that they show up for each other. So, if Rebecca's memory was fading fast and she searched for comfort in her dead husband, Jack, then maybe Nicky would step up and play along. Nicky acting as a stand-in for Jack in Rebecca's final days would explain the ring, and why Miguel hasn't been seen in the flash forward.
As seen in "One Small Step...," despite never truly reconciling with his brother, Nicky wants to connect with Jack's family. He feels a duty to be there for his brother's grandchildren because Jack can't be. If he keeps on integrating himself into the Pearson clan, that sense of duty might just extend to Jack's widow, too.
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