This Is Us: Predicting Sophia Bush & Pamela Adlon’s roles in Season 4

Sophia Bush and Pamela Adlon are set to recur in This Is Us Season 4. What role will they play in storylines with Kevin and Randall?

This Is Us fans were gifted several news bits during NBC’s TCA panel over the weekend. One of the biggest highlights included the announcement that Sophia Bush and Pamela Adlon will recur in the remaining 2020 episodes. Now you may be asking, where have we seen these actresses before and what role will they play in Season 4? Let’s take a look.

Pamela Adlon

Pamela Adlon has appeared in a plethora of shows and movies, but she’s most recently known for being co-creator and star of FX’s Better Things. While she’s on hiatus from her own show, Adlon will play a major role in Randall’s upcoming storyline, which is set to explore his “mental health and how he takes care of himself, what’s right and what’s wrong about how he takes care of himself,” per Sterling K. Brown.

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Creator Dan Fogelman revealed during the panel that Randall’s storyline will be part of The Big Three’s “trilogy” episodes and will also focus on his marriage with Beth. We also know from NBC’s site that Episode 11 on Jan. 21 will feature Randall battling his anxiety. One has to wonder if his mother’s deteriorating health, on top of other life changes at home and work, will trigger an anxiety attack that forces him to reevaluate how he takes care of himself.

"“We have a cool guest star coming, Pamela Adlon, who will be involved in Randall’s very intense storyline. She has an unbelievable arc in the back of the season, she plays a limited but very important part of that story.”"

Based on that description from Fogelman, my prediction is that Adlon will come on to portray a counselor to help Randall treat his mental health issues. Considering how This Is Us has tackled a number of important issues already, it would make sense that the show uses Randall’s storyline to shine a light on mental health treatment and how it’s okay to seek professional help. This would be a perfect recurring role for her at this point in Randall’s arc.

Check out the video below to learn more about Pamela Adlon:

Sophia Bush

You’ve probably seen Sophia Bush in popular shows such as One Tree Hill and Chicago P.D., and now she will be involved in Kevin’s storyline throughout the remainder of Season 4. Most notably, she’s expected to play part in finding out who the mother of Kevin’s child is. Of course the first question that comes to mind is – Sofia Bush will be the ultimate love of Kevin’s life, right? Fogelman declined to confirm the speculation, though he did note we will know her identity by the end of the season.

It’s worth noting that Bush is not currently tied down as a series regular on any other television show at this time, meaning her recurring role this season could turn into a full-time gig if she is in fact going to be the next Mrs. Pearson. Some fans may be disappointed if Cassidy doesn’t end up with Kevin, but I’m starting to think that may be for the better. Despite their secret fling, I predict Kevin will stay true to his word and support Cassidy in fixing her marriage to save her family.

Interested in learning more about Sophia Bush? Check out this lengthy Q&A:

Are you excited for Bush and Adlon’s appearances? What role do you think they will play? Sound off below!

This Is Us returns to NBC on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 9/8 C.