Warning: There are major spoilers ahead if you have not watched the latest episode of "This is Us."
It's taken over a year, but we finally have the answer to the biggest mystery on "This is Us."
The NBC hit aired during a special time after Super Bowl 2018 and viewers finally learned how everyone's favorite dad Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) died — and it wasn't exactly what anyone expected.
Last chance to head back before spoilers.
After the Pearson household was set ablaze by a faulty crock-pot, Jack woke up to the house on fire. The smoke detector didn't go off because both he and his wife Rebecca (Mandy Moore) forgot to pick up batteries at the mall the episode prior.
Jack immediately jumped to action, waking up his entire family to get them to safety. One by one he pulled Randall and his daughter Kate into his bedroom with their mother. In the process, he burned his hands badly.
Quick thinking and cool under pressure, Jack made sure bed sheets were tied together to create a safe escape out of the second story window. Jack lowered his entire family down to the ground. Before he safely joined them, he ran back into the house to get daughter's dog and gather up a few of the family's belongings.
But, despite what most people though, Jack didn't die in the fire.
It looked like he just had second degree burns and a case of bad smoke inhalation. During a trip to the hospital, Jack looked fine as he joked with Rebecca and refused pain killers for his hands. She went to get him a snack and let the kids know they were OK.
As she spoke on the phone, you could see nurses and doctors run into Jack's room. A doctor then comes over to Rebecca and tells her Jack went into cardiac arrest from smoke inhalation.
Rebecca later reveals that Jack specifically died of a widowmaker's heart attack from the smoke.
Fans were devastated that it wasn't the fire that killed him, but smoke inhalation.
OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. SHE THOUGHT HE LOST HIM AND THEN HE CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE AND WAS FINE AND THEN SHE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY AND OMG HE'S GONE JUST LIKE THAT AND I CAN'T #ThisIsUspic.twitter.com/iaFeibBaNG
— S.S. Jaxon (@BooksbySSJaxon) February 5, 2018
HE DIED ALONE #ThisIsUspic.twitter.com/bIQbESYjCT
— Diana (@diana2rad) February 5, 2018
Jack when to cardiac arrest. 💔😢😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Bcoz of smoke inhalation. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Rebecca was shocked when doctor told her about Jack dead. 💔😢😭😭😭😭😭😭#ThisIsUs
— Crane Gma (@RiCrane9418) February 5, 2018
jack pearson.... the guy with the biggest heart..... literally died from a heart attack from smoke inhalation because he went back to save his daughters dog i want to fuckigng kill muself
— beck (@erskinerecords) February 5, 2018
Jack Pearson deserved a hero’s death running into the fire to save the dog, not due to a lame complication from smoke inhalation #justtofoolaudience#ThisIsUs
— Jayna Shand (@Jayna105) February 5, 2018
Others noted that they saw it coming, or guessed it before the big reveal on TV.
I cannot believe Jack went back for the dog and memories like now you might die from inhalation of smoke! #ThisIsUs
— B R I (@Bri_Desiree) February 5, 2018
wait so let me get this correct Jack died from smoke inhalation #ThisIsUs
— Grey's Love (@GreysGoobleMer) February 5, 2018
So he didn't die in the fire. #ThisIsUs
— ♏🇦🆁🇰🌊 (@MarkCM07) February 5, 2018
Too much smoke inhalation is going to get him. My guess.
Tears are flowing. He went back for the video tapes and family photos.
The episode is inspiring people to check their smoke detectors.
Not gonna lie. I had to check my smoke detectors after watching #ThisIsUs. This show gets me in the feels.
— Jose Hernandez, Ed.S (@jose_rnandez) February 5, 2018
Anyone else going to double check their smoke detector after this episode? #ThisIsUs
— hannah levine (@hannah_levine) February 5, 2018
#ThisIsUs has literally had me trying to figure out the exit strategy if our house caught on fire for months. Also, I’m pretty sure my smoke alarms are expired, so they need replaced.
— Just Me (@buckeye_chica) February 5, 2018
The next episode of "This is Us" will air Tuesday, February 6 at 9 p.m. on NBC and will focus on the history of the Pearson family, as told through the life of the family car.
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