Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 (Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)
WARNING: This article contains spoilers and predictions for This Is Us Season 4. Read at your own risk.
The newest season of This Is Us just premiered recently. And NBC isn't joking when they said that it's going to be huge.
The first part of the episode, Strangers, introduced Jennifer Morrison's character as Cassidy Sharp. No one knows who she is or what's her connection to the Pearson family, hence, the title of the episode.
Cassidy is a U.S. military officer who recently served in the Middle East. Upon her return to her husband and son, she learned that she has PTSD which she tried to resolve by drinking.
It did not end well for her as she became an alcoholic who started to beat her son and alienated her husband. But later on, she sought help and started to attend AA meetings.
Her links to the Pearson family did not seem evident until Nicky shows up in the meeting. Unsurprisingly, Nicky caused a huge scene which ended him in jail.
Fans initially thought that Cassidy will have something to do with Nicky's arc in This Is Us. But when a phonecall reached Kevin, this is where things got even more interesting.
Nicky does not want anything to do with his brother's kids. But he sure listed Kevin as one of his emergency contacts. So, as a concerned nephew, he flew to Pennsylvania to rescue his uncle.
Cartermatt hints that Kevin and Cassidy will meet once he arrives in the state. And it will be a pivotal moment for the two characters as chemistry is already seen on screen.
While fans are already shipping the possible romantic relationship between the two characters, nothing is certain yet. Even EP Dan Fogelman revealed that it is something for everyone to find out for themselves.
In Cheat Sheet's defense, numerous links can be drawn from the episode. And although the Cassidy-Kevin is the more popular theory after witnessing the events of This Is Us Season 4 premiere, some avid viewers take Cassidy as Nicky's estranged daughter.
It has been pointed out that the look she gave upon seeing Nicky in the meeting is quite peculiar as if she knows him from somewhere. The possibility of this theory is justified when fans noted Nicky's previous conversation with Jack as he revealed that he once had a home. And possibly, a family too.
Whatever the case though, Cassidy's arrival on This Is Us Season 4 will have a huge impact on the Pearsons' future. And her links with the family will certainly be explored in the upcoming episodes.
This Is Us Season 4 Episode 2 titled, The Pool: Part Two, will air on October 1, on NBC.
