Although Kate and Toby’s divorce on This Is Us ended up being for the better, it introduced a fresh plot hole into the program. As the last episodes of its final season air, NBC’s family drama is beginning to tie up some loose ends. That includes dissolving the union of Chrissy Metz and Chris Sullivan’s on-screen couple, Kate and Toby.
This Is Us had been making references to Kate and Toby’s separation for some time. The couple appeared to be living on borrowed time even before they began to have children. However, the divorce was not formally announced until the fifth season finale of This Is Us when it was stated that Kate will soon wed Phillip (Chris Greene).
Kate and Toby’s Separation
Since then, Kate and Toby’s separation has been anticipated in This Is Us season 6. In the end, the responsibilities of Toby’s career and Kate’s mounting annoyance with their long-distance arrangement were simply too much for them.
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Kate and Toby’s divorce is shown in “Katoby,” episode 12 of season 6 of This Is Us. Toby disagrees with the decision that Kate makes. That is, until a brief flashback to Kate’s second wedding day occurs, at which point Toby calls to effectively inform her that he has accepted their separation.
This Is Us managed to make it seem like everything turned out for the better despite this tragic development by having Toby finally realize it years later. This, however, conflicts with the first batch of This Is Us flashbacks, which focused on Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as she was on the verge of passing away.
The excerpt not only showed the Pearson patriarch for the first time on her deathbed, but it also showed an obviously dejected Toby who was not wearing his wedding band, suggesting that by that point, he was still having trouble accepting the dissolution of his marriage.
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This notion is further supported by the fact that Randall (Sterling K. Brown) had to persuade Toby to accompany the Pearsons as they bid Rebecca farewell.
An additional glimpse into the future suggests that Kate and Toby will finally find a way to get along as they both support adult Jack (Blake Stadnik). Toby’s perspective on the divorce, however, seems to be out of sync with what is known about the This Is Us timeline between the day of Kate’s second wedding and right before Rebecca’s passing.
Although it’s possible that something else occurs that causes Toby to struggle, it’s puzzling why he wouldn’t want to go with the Pearsons to say goodbye to Rebecca if he has fully reconciled with his separation from Kate by wishing her and Phillip the best. He essentially integrated into the Pearson family when he began dating Kate.
With Randall, Kevin (Justin Hartley), and even Miguel, he has developed his own relationships (Jon Huertas). He also enjoyed some wonderful times with Rebecca. He shouldn’t have been that reluctant to join the Pearson clan during that trying period, at the very least.
It’s intriguing to see if Toby will appear in the next episodes of This Is Us given the non-linear storytelling structure of the series. After learning how his relationship with Kate ends, the show might decide to concentrate on telling Kate’s journey with Phillip instead. Otherwise, the family drama can only concentrate on Rebecca’s passing as the climax.