The third season of This Is Us, which is set to air in just over one month, is coming closer into view with each passing day. With the release of exciting plot lines and new cast members already, the next month is bound to be filled with anticipation and eagerness. The latest news, however, is in regards to someone viewers have already met, with the character Zoe (Melanie Liburd), being promoted to a regular role on the NBC drama.
Zoe was first introduced in the Season 2 finale of the program, but has already garnered close connections to some of the other cast members. While she not only is one of Beth’s cousins, she was also shown as Kevin’s future girlfriend in a quick teaser at the end of the episode.
Melanie Liburd has had several television appearances throughout the past few years, most notably in HBO’s Game of Thrones, Sci-Fi’s Dark Matter and Fox’s The Grinder. Liburd’s recent entry into the This Is Us cast has the potential to be a hugely career-changing step for her, with the show receiving mass acclaim from both fans and critics alike.
This Is Us follows the Pearson family at three crucial points in their lives, the birth of the “Big Three” siblings, Kevin, Kate, and Randall, as well as their time as teenagers and again in the present, having just entered their late-30s. The series also deeply explores the trios parents, Jack and Rebecca, played by Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore.
While the timeline does change repeatedly in each episode, the show is not at all a doozy to follow. The writers largely use the shifts to the past and future as moments of both surprise and/or beauty, as well as to consistently explore new possibilities for their beloved characters. Though one plot point may seem to be set in stone or likely-untouchable, a quick jump to the past could reverse everything that once seemed so clear.
Kevin Pearson (Justin Hartley), an ex-sitcom actor who feels largely unfulfilled by his previous role, has struggled with both finding himself, as well as someone to share his love with, throughout much of the series. After rekindling his relationship with his high school girlfriend and ultimately calling it off, he once again found himself alone and broken. However, the short moment he shared with Zoe at the end of the season finale has already brought hope to many that he may soon find new love.
Season 2 of This Is Us was nominated for eight Emmy nominations, including two for Lead Actor in a Drama Series, placing Milo Ventimiglia against co-star and last year’s winner, Sterling K. Brown (Randall). The newest season of This Is Us is set to premiere on September 25 on NBC.