This Is Us: Will Kevin and Madison end up together?

Will Kevin and Madison end up together on This Is Us? I’m not so sure.

This Is Us‘s Kevin Pearson’s always been a hopeless romantic, just like his father. Unfortunately, he’s never had much luck, admittedly due to his own mistakes.

Although Kevin seems to be turning things around with Madison, a recent interview with Justin Hartley and the latest episode of This Is Us suggests that staying together will be an uphill battle for the couple.

In a recent interview with TVLine, ahead of the return of Season 5, Hartley said that there might be doubt in Kevin’s mind that the unconventional relationship can work, which is rooted in Kevin’s fear that it won’t. He says:

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"“Gosh, I mean what if they can’t coexist together and be this cohesive unit that comes together and raises these kids, and he [only] sees them on the weekends? There’s all of that stuff. Probably, those are the things that keep Kevin awake at night. He said as much in the last episode. He sits there and stares at the ceiling and worries. All that worry comes from fear, the fear that it absolutely will not work out and that he’s trying to force something.”"

This Is Us: Unconventional love

Kevin and Madison’s story is not your typical love story, and it’s definitely unlike Jack and Rebecca’s.

After bonding over lost loves, Kevin and Madison had a one-night stand. Although Kevin worried about what Kate would say when she found out, he would have a much bigger issue to contend with when Madison revealed that she was pregnant with twins.

Having just come off his big showdown with Randall, Kevin would pledge to be there for Madison every step of the way. With this news also coming amid the pandemic, the pair would move in together.

Although the arrangement was strictly platonic, with Kevin proclaiming that his children would be the great loves of his life, it wasn’t long before the pair decided to give a romantic relationship a try and soon after got engaged.

However, the honeymoon period wouldn’t last very long once filming restrictions loosened in Los Angeles, and Kevin headed back out on auditions, securing a role in a legal drama that would send him out to Canada for six weeks. Although Madison would tell him to go, she would regret her decision after they met with a Hollywood nanny, and she began to realize what life living with a traveling actor might entail for her and their children.

A dose of reality

Following this meeting, the pair would end up clashing.

Although Madison would admit that she had let the realities of Kevin’s career slip her mind, she would remind him that he had made promises to her unprompted and that as a result, she had begun to fall in love with the idea of their family. The next day, Kevin would attempt to repair the damage; however, Madison would ask him to take this time apart to consider what he wanted, and although she would give him a parting kiss, she would not see him off.

On the way to the airport, Kevin looked as though his mind was going a mile a minute. Although he would call Randall for advice, ironic considering their current predicament, that conversation would end up being short-lived with no resolution.

It’s no secret that the Pearson men are obsessed with living up to Jack’s legacy. Hartley told TVLine that, in trying to do so, Kevin, in particular, has made a lot of mistakes. Now, he’s trying to do the right thing, but he has too many eggs in one basket, and the basket may break.

Despite telling Madison that his kids would be his love story, he’s nevertheless still looking for the perfect girl to sweep off their feet. Will Madison be that girl? Their relationship was born out of necessity rather than out of initial respect or mutual attraction.

While they’ve certainly grown to respect one another over the past few months, you can’t force chemistry.

Maybe they won’t end up together, and their relationship will be purely centered around their children, with Kevin focused instead on being like the father that Jack was rather than the husband.

However, if they are going to end up together, it’s going to take a lot of work as Madison is wise to the ways of the Pearson men, and Kevin won’t be able to fix their issues with a grand speech.

Then again, Kevin may not have the chance to fix their issues. If Madison’s demeanor at the end of this week’s episode is indicative of where they’ll end up, she seems to have one foot out the door herself.

Do you think that Kevin and Madison are the endgame? If not, how will this affect their relationship as parents? Let us know what you think in the comments.

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.