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This post contains spoilers from Tuesday’s This Is Us. Please proceed accordingly.
Well, mark off another This Is Us mystery as solved. And if the comments sections of our recaps are any indication, many of you are probably pretty pleased with the outcome.
Throughout the NBC drama’s run, anytime the question of with whom Kevin should end up arose, Sophie’s name — and along with it, portrayer Alexandra Breckenridge‘s — copiously and conspicuously filled our comments section.
“It seems like that’s the majority, that’s the reaction,” Breckenridge tells TVLine, chuckling. “I saw something somewhere, people were like ‘We’re not going to watch this show if they don’t end up together!'”
Well, now those people can breathe easy. In this week’s episode, Kevin and Sophie reunite romantically, two decades after their teenage union ended in heartache. The recoupling is facilitated by Kate and Philip’s wedding, which puts a recently divorced Sophie and a finally mature Kevin back into each other’s orbits. Conversations are had. A mid-makeout freakout occurs. And by the end of the hour, the pair have decided to be brave and make a go of it again, sealing the endeavor with a kiss in front of Kev’s entire family. (Read a full recap.)
We chatted with Breckenridge, who also stars in Netflix’s Virgin River, about playing the payoff to Kevin and Sophie’s looooong romantic arc. Read on for her thoughts — and to find out how much we’ll see her as the series approaches its May 24 finale.
TVLINE | We’ve got a sense of how much Kevin has been thinking about Sophie over the years. Do you think she’s at the same level, in terms of how much he’s been on her mind in the years since they were together?
Oh my gosh. Absolutely. As she says in an episode, it’s that kind of love that you can’t walk away from in your heart. It just stays with you. They both tried to move on from each other in different iterations. Obviously, him with Madison, and she got married to Grant, but she was trying for stability. Sophie really wanted to be with somebody that was going to show up for her, whereas Kevin, historically, has been quite self-centered and not been able to show up for her. She found that in Grant, but she unfortunately just wasn’t in love with him. She was in love with Kevin. So, I think that’s kind of where she’s at. When we enter the episode, I think she’s walking in there really hoping. Even though Kevin’s broken her heart twice, she’s still hoping that maybe… and obviously, he is too.
Even though he thinks she’s married at the beginning. I’m really happy that they were able to find their way back to each other, and that this time it made sense in a way that I think is sustainable.
TVLINE | There are a lot of long, longing glances between you and Justin Hartley in the episode. How much was scripted, how much comes out of your working history? And does it ever fall apart, do you start laughing?
We definitely giggle a lot. [Laughs] I mean, he’s very funny, and it’s hard not to laugh. When we’re in those moments, some of it is scripted, and some of it is in the directing. There’s a scene in this episode where we’re walking through a grocery store, and Justin was on fire. He was like, “You should just be putting all this random crap in your basket.” He’s like, “Just when you’re over here talking, just put a couple Band-Aids in there.” And I can’t explain how funny that was at the moment, but for some reason it was so, so, so funny that Sophie would just be grabbing a couple boxes of Band-Aids for no reason. So, as we’re doing this scene, I’m trying to do it with a straight face. And I just look at him, and he was looking at me, and then I pop a couple boxes of Band-Aids in the basket trying to break him so bad. [Laughs] We almost started laughing, but we made it through.
TVLINE | It felt significant to me that Rebecca recognizes Sophie, even at this stage of her dementia. It was a reminder that whatever Sophie is to Kevin, she’s also a touchstone in the Pearson family’s life. Talk to me about Sophie’s thoughts as Rebecca is talking to her.
She changes Sophie’s mind in that moment. Sophie doesn’t know what to do. She’s so torn. And Rebecca comes over with this sage wisdom that Rebecca doesn’t even know she has because to her she’s in the past. So really it’s almost like she’s seeing into the future, which is the present. It’s really wonderful, the way that they wrote that scene. Sophie has grown up with [Rebecca] as sort of a part of her extended family since she was little, obviously. So they have that familial thing, and I think it makes sense that Rebecca would recognize her. And yeah, it was a very important moment for Sophie to hear those words from Rebecca, because it solidified her next move.
TVLINE | Sophie’s speech toward the end of the episode is great. It’s one of the rare times a non-Pearson gets to direct the emotional flow!
You know, when I read the episode, when I break up the moment in the bedroom with Justin, I go off on this whole monologue. There was actually a lot more to the monologue at the time, but the part that they cut out made perfect sense in the flow of the show, and I’m actually glad that they took those scenes out. So, I have these two very meaningful powerful speeches that I had, and I was incredibly nervous about it, coming from an actor’s standpoint. To come back to a show… you know, I’m not on the show all the time. For all purposes I’m a guest star, and coming into a show that’s so extremely successful with all these actors that are incredibly talented, to be given this moment at the end of this episode which has been anticipated for so long, I was like, holy hell! [Laughs] I was like oh, s–t. What am I going to do? So I was excited and nervous and half terrified.
We did it several different ways. There were different iterations in tempo and overall tone of that moment, but they ultimately went with my first instinct, which I was so incredibly grateful for, and it just was like really validating when I watched the episode that they went with something that was how I saw it. It was huge for Sophie to come and say this after all this time, a huge place for her to get to with him. It was huge…
We did the scene, and then when we did the kiss part, that’s when everybody was standing there. At first, it was a little bit weird and awkward. Like everybody sort of filed in, and we looked over like, “Is this not bizarre, guys?” They’re just watching us kiss. The kids are there. We’re like oh, this is weird. But I think the way that it played, it was sweet. The whole family was kind of rooting for them to find their way back to each other. It was sweet.
TVLINE | So do you show up pretty regularly for the rest of the season?
I mean, Sophie doesn’t disappear. I’ll tell you that.
TVLINE | She’s not like, “I’ve got to go wrap things up in Berlin! I’ll see you in a few months!”
[Laughs] Yeah. The rest of it is they’re all FaceTime episodes. She’s just going to FaceTime with him, I guess. “I’ve got to go, honey. This guy is bleeding out. Sorry!” [Laughs]
TVLINE | Are any of the remaining episodes heavy on Kevin/Sophie?
There’s so few episodes after this one. Coming to Rebecca’s deathbed is a big deal. For Sophie, Beth, and Phillip, they’re the support system and the support team for the Pearson kids as they navigate this really tumultuous, horrific disease and their mother, who is such a huge figure in the family.
TVLINE | My final question: Did Kevin never give Sophie that Valentine? Why does he have it, when it was for her?
Well, he gives her the Valentine, and it says, “Will you be my Valentine? Circle yes or no.” So, she circled yes, and gives it back to him.
TVLINE | Oh.
Yeah.
TVLINE | I love that you had to explain elementary school Valentines to me.
[Laughs] Well, it’s something I hadn’t thought of. It just made sense. I didn’t even think about it, but what somebody said earlier was, like, has Kevin been carrying this in his wallet the entire time while he’s been dating other women? I was like that’s a really good question! [Laughs]
Finally Kevin and Sophie! This was the best episode of this season yet!
I had a slightly different take on Kevin and Sophie. As much as he failed to show up for her, she missed his drinking problem both times they were together. Some of it of course was timing (he went to LA and she stayed local, and long distance it’s hard to see that kind of thing,) but some of it was that Sophie like everyone else (except maybe Randal,) was blinded by the charisma that Kevin puts out. Kevin even breaks down and tells a crowd to stop cheering for him. No one really got down in the mud and dragged Kevin out when he was at his lowest point in his addiction. As much as Kevin failed Sophie (and he really did,) I always felt that she failed him too. That is why this relationship coming back together so much later really has a chance to work. It isn’t Kevin trying to atone for his mistakes or Sophie atoning for hers, but rather two people who failed each other but never stopped loving each other getting it right when they both got healthy and whole. I think it is the only proper ending for the show.
well said
I totally agree with you and Mimi.
Honestly, this is the worst show ever!
Good news for you…in four episodes, it’ll be gone forever & you won’t have to worry about it anymore!
I always wonder how sad and bored one must be to post something like this…
and hateful
That was the worst comment ever!
If you think it’s the worst show ever, why do you read articles about it?
I was so happy with this episode! As if they could have ever been another “one” for Kevin. I do look forward seeing Sophie in the flash forward scenes. I want to see a happily married Kevin and Sophie. Her supporting him through the toughest part…
As much as seeing them together in the flash forward would be good, it felt like something that should have happened before the final season. In a show about people we barely ever saw Kevin with his true love. It’s not like this a superhero show or crime drama where relationships are in the background most of the episode. I like the actress who plays Sophie, but they didn’t do a good job of securing her contract at the outset. As a result she has been super successful and the show has been hamstrung in both timing and opportunity to use the character. With the next episode featuring Miguel I doubt we see Sophie at all. Assume one episode will be about Jack and the future generation of Pearson and or Damon children and you just don’t get a lot of time to see them together. That is really the only downside to this.
She’s probably helping nurse Rebecca at the end of her life in that flash forward, at Kevin’s new house.
I agree. I also wonder how much covid impacted the ability to tell their story. I would have loved to see them get together sooner or even have a child. This season has felt very rushed.
I loved the episode but I just kept thinking she was cheating on Jack from her other series
Quite the opposite for me: the chemistry Sophie and Kevin have with each other dwarfs anything that Mel and Jack have on Virgin River.
As if it was going to be anyone else. I think last night’s episode was written during season one.
HOORAY!! I haven’t kept up watching but I still read the recaps 😅 and I’m so happy Kevin and Sophie made their way back to each other ❤️❤️❤️
I’ve been waiting 6 years to have Kevin and Sophie finally be happy together!!!!
I am just so happy right now!
Alexandra was just so great, I missed her in TIU, thanks God she was able to return
Agree!! THIS was the episode I had been waiting for ever since we met Sophie, but most especially all this season. I thought it was very significant that anytime we saw young adult Kevin in flashbacks this season, Sophie was there! They are each other true loves, and if the show had Kevin be with anyone else, TIS would have been forever tainted for me. I just wish they could have been reunited sooner, both for their sakes and ours! And I have always loved the chemistry between Alexandra Breckinridge and Justin Hartley! And Alexandra was so perfectly cast and has always been perfect as Sophie! My favorite episode of the season so far!!
Coming to Rebecca’s deathbed? And Phillip being there?
Did Alexandra accidentally let a couple spoilers from future episodes out?
No Ken Olin released a photo on twitter–they are all in the living room–the whole extended family
Kevin and Sophie! ♥
I just love Alexandra Breckenridge. She’s not only stunningly beautiful, but very, very funny. And she and Justin Hartley have insane chemistry.
Oh, and I really want to check out Virgin River!
Do it! You won’t regret it. S1 2 & 3 streaming on Netflix. Waiting for s4.
Loved the Kophie reunion, loved this interview with Alexandra, and loved every second of the episode! It was the ending that was set up from season one and they delivered big time. Now that was romance!
I loved that Kevin and Sophie found their way back to each other. I’ve always been a fan of the pair. They have great chemistry which makes there long love story believable. I too have been a big fan of Alexandra since she joined TIU.
Don’t feel bad! I found your article after Googling the question of why Kevin had the valentine he wrote for Sophie.