Warning: Major spoilers for This is Us season 6.
As This is Us season 6 have deftly approached the crumbling of Kate and Toby's marriage, it has slowly filled in holes in the narrative that have left audiences unsure of the outcome for the two beloved characters. Still, the exact status of Kate and Toby's relationship has remained a mystery thus far. But with season 6 episode "The Hill," the shifting ground of Katoby's relationship reached a place where they became aware that their futures were diverging, and viewers were rewarded with the empowerment of the often overlooked Kate, and some implied answers to the fate of the fan-favorite marriage.
Beginning with the This is Us season 3 premiere, "Nine Bucks," audiences have known that Toby had reason to believe he wouldn't be welcome at Rebecca's side as the family gathers to say goodbye in the future. It was also shown that he wasn't wearing his wedding ring. Randall assured him that "she" would want him there, but it still remains unclear whether he was referring to Rebecca or Kate. When a future scene implied that Kate was marrying her co-worker, Phillip, five years in the future (though prior to the scenes that surround Rebecca's ing), there still remained a small, gray area to give audiences hope that Kate and Toby would still work things out.
This is Us season 6, episode 9, "The Hill," put Kate front and center, with flashbacks to her childhood fear of swimming, her teenage lack of confidence in her own personal and emotional strength, and her rapidly deteriorating marriage to Toby in This Is Us season 6. The Kate-centric storyline put actress Chrissy Metz in the driver's seat, both as co-writer of the episode and as she bore the weight of portraying the growth that Kate has experienced in recent episodes, while also portraying her heartbreak. Beautifully balanced, "The Hill" showed both Toby's newfound joy in his new job and Kate's empowerment in her role as a mother, teacher, singer, and daughter that has been built masterfully since This is Us debuted in 2016. While they both appear happy, it also finally laid to rest the mystery that was set up ever since that first flash-foward.
Sadly, this development of Kate and Toby appears to be creating a rift that cannot be repaired. And because This is Us continues to dole out details about the far future in tiny scraps, the final revelations about the Damons' relationship may not be revealed until This is Us season 6 concludes. With at least a 10-year jump occurring between the present storyline and the scenes depicting the Pearson family saying goodbye to Rebecca, there is still plenty of time for the story to surprise and delight (or destroy) audiences.
As This is Us reaches its climax, the series continues to focus on the family dynamics of the Pearsons and especially on the Big Three. But through breadcrumb-style flash-forward scenes, the show has brilliantly woven a tapestry of clues, hints, mysteries, and hope, all wrapped up in the family lore of the Pearsons. And while it doesn't bode well for Kate and Toby in the near future, it seems impossible that Kate Pearson, the heart of the Big Three, won't be given the happy ending she deserves. Giving audiences the satisfaction of seeing her success and joy is a must for This is Us's final season, especially if they must first watch Katoby implode.
This is Us airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. EST on NBC.