Kevin’s Relapse on ‘This Is Us’ Won’t Be Good for His Relationship with Zoe & Here’s Why

If you wanted to give Kevin (Justin Hartley) a hug after last night’s episode of This Is Us, you’re not alone. But what does the character’s relapse mean for his newfound relationship with Zoe (Melanie Liburd)?

While the answer is unclear, showrunners Dan Fogelman, Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger recently chatted about the twist during a press event for the Television Critics Association. “You’re never done grappling with addiction when it’s real addiction,” Fogelman said, referring to Kevin taking a swig of alcohol during last night’s episode, titled “Songbird Road: Part Two.”

Although Fogelman teased that “there’s a big focus on Kevin and Zoe in the rest of the season,” Berger warned fans that Kevin’s journey to finding “the one” won’t be simple.

“With all of our characters, it’s always a journey,” Berger explained. “We’re going to see, of course, some ups and downs along the way. But we’re thinking in terms of the big picture in the long run.”

Kevin’s relapse comes just one episode after Zoe asked for “some space.” To top it off, his new Uncle Nick (Griffin Dunne) basically told him that he wants nothing to do with him, so it was a long time coming.

“When we realized that Kevin was going through this real emotional journey of trying to discover a new part of his father’s life, learning about a long-lost uncle and being told by that uncle that he doesn’t want anything to do with him, it felt very real that it would send him back to these vices,” Aptaker added.

So, will Kevin regret his decision and come clean? Guess we’ll have to wait until This Is Us returns to NBC on Tuesday, February 19, at 9 p.m.