Oh, no. In the Tuesday, February 14, episode of This Is Us, another major bomb was dropped: Rebecca (Mandy Moore) used to date the leader of her band, Ben (Sam Trammell), infuriating her loving husband, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia). And Trammell tells Us Weekly exclusively that fans might not like what’s next for his character and the show’s matriarch.
After her Valentine’s Day performance, and before the Pearsons were to go out for their traditional February 14 bacon cheeseburgers, Ben casually shared this news with Jack.
“I remember when we were together, she said she never wanted to get married … ” Ben shared with Jack. “Oh, crap. I thought you knew. It was very brief.”
Jack, naturally infuriated, canceled their dinner plans and ended up getting into a massive fight with Rebecca.
Trammell spoke to Us about the episode, going as far as to defend Rebecca’s character.
“If I had to guess, because I don’t know Mandy’s character as well as she does, I would guess she’s not interested in having a relationship with this guy. It’s not about that. It’s about the band, and if she brings up the fact that I was an ex, it may hinder her dreams of singing. It may just complicate things,” Trammell tells Us. “It’s one of those things where some things are just best left unknown. It’s just one of those things where it’s not a big deal, and I don’t want to make it a big deal, and if I mention it, it will become a big deal, so it’s just better left unknown.”
While the 48-year-old actor may not think Rebecca is eager to rekindle the flame with Ben, he does admit fans might have some reason to worry.
“Do you have cause for concern? Maybe,” he teases. “I don’t know. Honestly I only know so much too, I know a little more than you, but I would say that’s definitely possible, the way they write the show. You never know what’s going to happen!”
One thing is for sure: If Ben has a hand in breaking up Jack and Rebecca, the backlash will be intense.
“I’m not prepared,” Trammell admits. “I’ve heard about the backlash for Miguel (Jon Huertas). I’ve heard it’s really intense, so I can only imagine how intense it’s going to be for the person who is responsible!”
This Is Us airs on NBC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.