Who is Marcus Brooks on This Is Us?

In the penultimate episode of a television series, you don’t expect the show to introduce a new character. Well, last night This Is Us did just that, and Marcus Brooks is an important one.

In typical This Is Us fashion, season 6 episode 17, titled “The Train,” managed to completely pull on our heartstrings and made us shed a few tears by the end. The episode focused on Rebecca’s metaphorical train ride to reach her final destination of finding peace as she finally passes. And in a moment we were all waiting for, she finally reunites with her one true love, Jack.

Elsewhere, her entire family is there to say their goodbyes. They know there isn’t much time left. The NBC series almost gave us a heart attack making us think Kate was going to miss her mother’s final moments. But she makes it just in time from her trip to London to say goodbye.

While all of this was happening, the series showed us a flashback to the night Jack died at the hospital. There, he meets Marcus Brooks’ father. So who is Marcus and why is he important?

Who is Marcus Brooks on This Is Us?

We meet the Brooks family as they are driving home. They get into a car accident, where an unbuckled Marcus gets severely injured. They are taken to the hospital, which is the same one where Jack dies from smoke inhalation. It’s also the same night.

As Marcus’ father waits to hear if his son will make it through the night, he runs into Jack. Proving yet again why Jack is the best person ever, he tells the worried father “there is no lemon so sour that you can’t make something resembling lemonade.” It’s the same phrase Dr. K said when one of Jack and Rebecca’s triplets didn’t make it. The Pearson father held the saying with him, which also helped another father worried for his son.

In the present day we see Marcus and his siblings remembering that phrase and laughing about why it’s their family motto. Though he only spoke to Jack for a few minutes, it clearly stuck with Marcus’ father.

Both Marcus and Jack go into cardiac arrest at the same time. Marcus makes it out alive, but as we all know Jack doesn’t. One life continues as another ended. But in a full circle moment, we find out that little boy grows up and is able to create a drug that is fundamental in battling Alzheimer’s, the disease Rebecca battled for years.

It’s meant to show how the world works because sometimes things happen for a reason. Marcus and Jack’s doctor was meant to save Marcus so he could grow up and take a big step toward finding a cure for a disease that affects so many, including our beloved Rebecca.

We’ve only got one episode left! The This Is Us series finale airs Wednesday, May 24 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.