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‘This Is Us’ Creator Shares Video of Milo Ventimiglia Filming Vietnam Scenes

This Is Us has been hinting at Jack’s service in Vietnam for the past two seasons, but come season three fans will dive deeper than ever before into his time there and just how it shaped him into the man we all love on a weekly basis. Thanks to a new video shared by series creator Dan Fogelman, fans were able to see young Jack (played by Milo Ventimiglia) in uniform riding in a helicopter. He simply captioned the short clip “Yep.” because it’s been something fans have been itching to know more about for quite some time – it needed no introduction. Check out the video below!

One of the things that has made This Is Us such a resounding success is its ability to connect with almost everyone. The characters are so real and the struggles that they’re facing are really easy for audiences to connect to and relate to their own lives. Exploring more of Jack’s days in Vietnam is just another story that will allow fans to reflect on their own stories and experiences as well. Some users were already commenting about this on the video.

This Is Us has ensured fans that they plan to tackle the Vietnam storyline with accuraccy and honor by bringing acclaimed Vietnam War journalist and writer Tim O’Brien on to serve as a consultant. Having been drafted into the Vietnam War and serving from 1969 to 1970, O’Brien was able to captivate audiences with his stories about his experiences there including his collection of short stories titled The Things They Carriedwhich has received multiple awards such as France’s Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger Award and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award.

'This Is Us' Creator Shares Video of Milo Ventimiglia Filming Vietnam Scenes
NBC

In addition to the flashbacks, Kevin will be traveling to Vietnam to learn more about his father. According to Hartley, Kevin’s discoveries won’t be easy for him to swallow saying they’re “super heartbreaking” and “shocking,”

[row]“It’s not what anyone is expecting. No one is going to see it coming. It’s ambitious stuff…. Here’s the cool thing about it: At the end of season 3 when you go back and watch the beginning of the series, you’re going to [be] like, ‘Wow, it all works,’ but you never would see any of this coming. I don’t know what those writers are eating, but it’s brain food. They’re brilliant.”[/row]

Michael Angarano as Eddie from the Showtime original series I'M DYING UP HERE (Season 2, Gallery). -
Photo: Eric Ogden/SHOWTIME; NBC

Season 3 will also introduce Jack’s younger brother Nicky who will be played by Michael Angarano. When it comes to Nicky Pearson, it’s unclear just how much the Big Three, and even Rebecca and Miguel, actually know about him aside from the fact that he and Jack fought together in Vietnam and he died in the war. Audiences were first introduced to Nicky during a flashback in season two’s “Brothers” and later in a photo that Kevin would uncover in the present day.

'This Is Us' Creator Shares Video of Milo Ventimiglia Filming Vietnam Scenes
NBC

While it’s sure to be a heartbreaking journey, we have to admit that we are looking forward to diving deeper into Jack’s past. He’s such an interesting character and his death was such a cloud hanging over his arc. Now that we all know how and when Jack died, we really get to dig into the meat of his story.

[row]“There’s something very freeing about being past the mystery of Jack’s death and moving into this new chapter and being able to tell a completely different kind of story. To be all of a sudden [writing] about the Vietnam War is very special and different,”co-showrunner Elizabeth Berger said earlier this year.[/row]

What are your thoughts on Jack’s upcoming Vietnam storyline? Let us know.

This Is Us returns for season 3 on NBC Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9/8c!