This Is Us Fan Theory Explains Rebecca and Miguel’s Train Scene

After the penultimate episode of NBC’s hit show “This Is Us,” fans were left reeling after the lack of interaction and acknowledgement of Jon Huertas‘ character.

Titled “The Train,” the episode revolved around the Big Three and their families saying goodbye to Rebecca Pearson (Mandy Moore).

Viewers got a glimpse inside Rebecca’s mind in her final moments — with the matriarch traveling through train cars encountering people from different periods in her life.

When Pearson finally runs into Miguel, he tells her that she is his “favorite person.” Rebecca responds with only a smile as she moves on to the next car. For some viewers, the brief encounter wasn’t enough and demanded that her second husband be treated with greater respect and significance.

“Miguel being kicked out of the picture was so…insulting, honestly. He was Rebecca’s literal husband? We got a whole monologue from Dr. K, Rebecca’s one time doctor, and just a few lines from her HUSBAND,” one fan took to Reddit.

Another user commented, “My heart is still broken for Miguel. Up until the end, Rebecca was his whole world, but in her dying moments, he was just a blip in her world. 😭.”

Check out our full recap for a more in-depth look into the episode:

Despite the general disappointment over Miguel’s treatment, one Reddit fan provided an interesting potential explanation for why the encounter was written that way — and it sure seems plausible, and comforting.

Check it out for yourself below!

“I feel like a lot of people are missing the fact that all of this was going on inside Rebecca’s head, in the mind of someone with Alzheimer’s,” the fan wrote. “In a way, she’s her own unreliable narrator, and her recollection of the last few years of her life is unfortunately non-existent. She’s not the late 70s-aged version of herself; she’s Rebecca at her prime. All of the people she sees actually manifest as they would have been at that time.”

“Of course Miguel gets short shrift – he was only ever Jack’s friend in the time frame in which she sees herself. The big three appear as adults, but her flash of recognition seems more palpable when she sees them as children and young adults. William symbolizes the confusion and self-flagellation that came with keeping secrets from Randal, and in her last moments, he (and the doctor) permit her to forgive herself for her life’s mistakes. I think his was incredibly well handled. I’m not sure if people really were expecting the metaphorical ‘life flashing before her eyes’, because what they got was something significant and profound: a woman, at the end of her life, forgiving herself and being forgiven.”

The theory has been making the rounds all over the internet — appearing to give some fans at least a little comfort when it comes to Miguel.

Last night’s episode was a tearjerker for many, leaving fans to wonder how the show’s season finale will be able to top it!