‘This Is Us’: Do Kevin and Sophie Belong Together? These Clues From Season 4 Episode 12 Prove They’re Meant to Be
The relationship between Sophie (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Kevin (Justin Hartley) on This Is Us is anything but perfect. After getting married at a young age, the couple broke up and divorced. Over a decade later, they decided to try again, but ultimately, Kevin succumbed to alcoholism. And once Kevin got back on his feet, he tried to get back with his ex-wife. However, she moved on and got engaged to another man. So will Kevin and Sophie ever get back together on This Is Us? The 12th episode of the fourth season might have revealed the couple will end up with their happily ever after.
[Spoiler alert: This Is Us Season 4 Episode 12.]
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘throwaway’ line
At the start of This Is Us Season 4 Episode 12, titled “A Hell of a Week: Part Two, titled “A Hell of a Week: Part Two,” Kevin is on the set of his new M. Night Shyamalan movie. Kevin approaches the filmmaker and expresses his concerns about the new ending. He likes the old finale that they previously shot.
In that instant, Kevin apologizes, realizing he overstepped. He also segues into the “hall pass” debacle with Lizzy (Sophia Bush) from the midseason finale. But Shyamalan ignores this and builds Kevin’s confidence in the film.
“Trust me, Kevin, this is the ending everyone wants, and they still won’t see it coming,” Shyamalan says. Meanwhile, Kevin’s assistant — who is holding onto the actor’s phone — receives yet another call from Sophie.
By the end of the episode, Kevin sleeps with Kate’s (Chrissy Metz) best friend, Madison (Caitlin Thompson), after saying goodbye to Sophie. For now, it seems this wildcard isn’t exactly what most fans wanted. So something about Shyamalan’s comments tells us the king of movie ending twists might have foreshadowed Kevin and Sophie’s story isn’t over just yet.
Sophie’s speech at her mother’s funeral
When Kevin answers his phone, Sophie tells him her mother, Claire (Jennifer Westfeldt), died. Kevin travels to Pittsburgh and he attends the funeral, where Sophie delivers a heartbreaking eulogy.
“My mother was impossible,” Sophie says. “Even when she was diagnosed with MS, she refused to stop moving. She never settled.”
Sophie then tells a story about her mother finding a coffee shop near her “dream apartment in Brooklyn” that became their spot. “Even when she couldn’t fly anymore, I would always get fresh beans,” Sophie says.
But then Sophie notes the coffee shop is also the place she found out her mother died. “I was being rude to this poor clerk who told me they were out of the house blend,” Sophie says. “How do you run out of your house blend? I was just grumpy from the night shift.”
After wishing she could return to the moment before she found out and her biggest concern was coffee, Sophie says, “Looking back, I guess I could’ve just settled for the French roast.”
She continues: “And now I can never go back to that coffee shop, never again. That place where my mom and I had some of our best talks. Our best laughs. It’s a really phenomenal place. But that’s the place where I found out she was gone.”
Later, Kevin takes Sophie to the spot where they both learned Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) died. “This place still makes me sad, but I’m not afraid of it anymore,” Kevin says. “You’re going to be able to go back to that coffee shop, Soph. It just takes some time.”
The Kevin-centric episode of This Is Us dealt with the idea of never settling, influenced by Claire. However, Sophie seems to do the opposite. Even in her eulogy, Sophie makes it clear she really wants the house blend, but in hindsight, would settle for the French roast.
Now, it’s possible Sophie’s remarks could parallel what’s happening in real life. She wants to be with Kevin, but settles for the now-faceless Grant. So will Sophie ever return to the coffee shop and get that house blend? According to Kevin, she will.
Sophie’s mother and the emerald ring
In a flashback sequence, teen Kevin (Logan Shroyer) and Sophie (Amanda Leighton) return to Pittsburgh for Rebecca’s (Mandy Moore) birthday dinner. Then when they get a moment alone, Kevin asks Claire for her mother’s emerald ring to give to Sophie.
“My mother’s ring has a story,” Claire says. “Now, don’t spread this around but both my parents fell in love while they were both getting divorces, which was not common in that day. Before they could get married, my father was drafted to Korea. He tried to give my mother that ring before he left. But she refused it. And she said, ‘Wait until you get back.’”
She continues: “So he took the ring and whenever he felt hopeless, he looked at it and he found the determination to make it through. And when he got back, they got married. 50 years.”
That said, Claire doesn’t give Kevin the ring, hinting he isn’t ready. “I love you, kiddo, but I can’t give you that ring. Not yet,” Claire says. “Your marriage is too new and you’re too young. You gotta earn it, baby doll.”
Back in the present day, Kevin leaves Sophie and visits Claire’s grave. Kevin expresses his sadness that it’s over with Sophie and wishes he could have another chance, especially since he is ready to go all-in now.
But just as viewers start to believe this is the end of the couple’s long relationship, Sophie finds the emerald ring in her childhood home. She then glances at her engagement ring from Grant to her grandmother’s ring, as if comparing them.
The significance of the emerald ring has not yet been revealed. However, it could symbolize Sophie considering Kevin after all this time. When speaking with Entertainment Weekly after the Jan. 28 episode, executive producer Elizabeth Berger confirmed Sophie “definitely associates” the emerald ring with Kevin.
It also seems possible Kevin and Sophie’s relationship echoes her grandparents’ love story. Sophie’s grandmother didn’t officially receive the ring until her grandfather returned home — when they were both ready and after they were already married to other people. But will history repeat itself? Maybe.
Whether you believe Sophie deserves better or you want her to get back together with Kevin, there’s no denying the couple’s whirlwind romance. But at this point, anything could happen between Kevin and Sophie in This Is Us. The NBC drama could have been telling fans to prepare for their storybook ending. However, it’s also possible the episode was their final goodbye. So stay tuned.
