Kanika Kumar
Dan Fogelman’s ‘This Is Us’ is a critically acclaimed family drama that revolves around the different generations of the Pearsons. The NBC rom-com primarily touches upon the romantic and professional lives of the siblings Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz), and Randall (Sterling K. Brown), affectionately known as the “Big Three.”
Kate’s romantic journey is one of the most beautiful, relatable, and complex stories on the show. Her relationship with Toby Damon (Chris Sullivan) — which starts out in season 1 — is often praised by fans for being heartwarming. However, a new character named Phillip (Chris Geere) gets fascinatingly involved in Kate’s life in season 5. So, naturally, fans are curious about Kate’s future with Phillip. Will Kate and Phillip end up together in season 6? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Do Kate and Phillip End Up Together?
Kate’s romantic journey with Toby begins in season 1 of the show. The two get married in season 2 and have a baby named Jack in season 3. In season 5, the couple adopts a baby named Hailey Rose. Although Kate and Toby have their ups and downs, their relationship seems more or less stable until season 5. Additionally, the introduction of Phillip puts Kate’s life on a whole new path.
Kate first meets Phillip in the fifth season; the curt British man is the head music teacher at the Los Angeles County Music School for the Blind that Jack is enrolled in. Kate starts off as an assistant music teacher at Jack’s school but Phillip is initially unimpressed by her. In fact, he scolds her for being late and for looking at her phone. Later, he even tells her that she wasn’t his first choice for the job due to her lack of professional experience. However, soon, Kate wins him over with her fantastic vocal skills and ability to expertly interact with children. At this point, there’s no indication that a romance will develop between the two music teachers.
Towards the end of season 5, Toby decides to take up his dream job in San Francisco since the couple is struggling financially and he is unable to find happiness as a stay-at-home father. Kate is upset but respects his decision despite the fact that Toby will have to stay away from home three days a week. Kate even tries to quit her job at the music school in order to take care of the kids. However, surprisingly, Phillip refuses to accept her resignation.
“I didn’t want to hire you. I got stuck with you. An inexperienced aid with no qualifications or skill set…and yet, you ended up being great. The students love you,” says Phillip straightforwardly to Kate over the phone. “You’re talented, you’re useful, and on rare occasions, your jokes are funny. So, no, I do not accept your resignation.” Thus, Kate decides to continue teaching and tells Toby that they will make their long-distance relationship work somehow.
In season 6, we see that Kate is upset because she has to take care of Jack and Hailey on her own. In fact, sadly, Toby is also unable to be physically present for his wife’s 41st birthday. Although he video calls her and books her a massage session at home, it’s obvious that Kate is sad because Toby is not around. But, at the end of season 6 episode 1, Toby decides to surprise Kate by coming home to wish her a happy birthday. It’s clear that the two are still in love with each other despite their long-distance relationship.
However, fans are still worried about Kate and Toby’s future and curious about Kate and Phillip’s relationship. One reason for the fans’ concerns is that in the flashforward seen in the season 4 finale, an awkward Toby comes to visit Rebecca and the other Pearsons at Kevin’s house. From the way Randall and Toby interact, it’s obvious that the latter has not stayed in touch with the Pearsons. Plus, there’s no wedding ring on Toby’s finger.
Another reason for the fans’ doubts is that in the season 5 finale, the Pearsons get ready for a wedding five years into the future. Kate is revealed to be the bride, which obviously implies that she has divorced Toby. “This is the last time I’m doing this [getting married], so go crazy [with the wedding speech], brother,” says Kate happily to Kevin. Then, when Kevin asks Phillip if he can make a few jokes at his expense, the British man says, “Hey, if you can’t take the piss out of your future brother-in-law, who can you take the piss out of?” Thus, it is implied that Kate and Phillip will get married in the future.
Season 6 episode 1 lays the groundwork for Kate and Phillip’s future romance. We see that Kate receives a text from Phillip on her birthday; he tells her that there’s an emergency at work. Annoyed, Kate decides to go to the music school. There, she accidentally encounters Phillip breaking up with his girlfriend, Jessica. Phillip tells Jessica that although she’s a “stunning, intelligent, and magnificent woman,” he’s bored by her; he even confesses that having meals with her is like “watching paint dry.”
Additionally, Jessica asks Phillip not to use his “traumatic past” as a reason for their break-up. Thus, it seems possible that the same traumatic past will allow Kate to understand more about and relate to Phillip. Later, after Jessica leaves, Phillip takes Kate outside and shows her that her blind students are ready to perform her favorite song as a birthday surprise; keeping in line with his cynical and sarcastic nature, he insists he has nothing to do with the musical gift. Kate cries as her students sing, and Phillip watches her affectionately. Clearly, what we are seeing is the beginning of Kate and Phillip’s personal relationship.
Thus, it seems likely that Kate and Phillip will end up together. “Neither one [Kate or Toby] is right and neither one of them is wrong. It’s just people grow apart. So there is this mutual love and respect — and, of course, for their children [Jack and Hailey] and the life they created together, but also the one that they want to share, even if they’re not together,” stated Metz, talking about the end of Kate and Toby’s relationship. Thus, it’s obvious that their marriage will not last, leaving the door open for Phillip.
“[In] the early episodes of the [sixth] season, she’s getting to know him [Phillip] and seeing things that she didn’t remotely understand about Phillip. You can see them getting along, but there’s definitely no romance — yet. The episode that I got to co-write, which is [episode] 9, which is Kate’s episode — that’s going to be a massive turning point for Kate and Toby,” revealed Metz, pointing out that we will get to see how Kate and Phillip’s relationship develops as season 6 progresses.
It seems as though Kate will find her happily ever after with Phillip; after all, both of them share a mutual passion for music, teaching children, and witty jokes. However, we are yet to see Kate and Phillip in the ultimate flashforward, set 15 years into the future. Some fans believe that Kate dies in the future timeline, whilst others are of the opinion that the two music teachers are simply on their way to Kevin’s house. Either way, get ready to see many facets of Kate and Phillip’s relationship in season 6!
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