We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community about their thoughts on Jack's death on "This Is Us".
1.
I think some sort of accident but I also think Kate was there, which makes me believe it was a car crash. She survived and he didn’t. She feels tremendous guilt over it and can’t forgive herself for surviving.
2.
I think that the stress of work and the unhappiness he felt in his job caused him to revert back to his drinking habits, and he drove home drunk. I don’t think it was a fluke that he had a blip of a drinking habit, and in that blip they showed a scene where he arrived at home seemingly drunk…
3.
Horrific car crash where for some reason he was in the car with Miguel’s wife and children.
4.
Jack and Rebecca take Kate to college. On the way home, they crash, killing Jack and severely injuring Rebecca. Rebecca then needs help and Miguel volunteers to take care of his best friend's wife. That is how Rebecca and Miguel get together and also explains why Kate is really having a hard time dealing with her father's death. The only hole in my story is in the flashback scene of Jack's funeral, Rebecca looks physically fine. But maybe she needs emotional support, especially since the Big 3 are away at college so Miguel offers her a shoulder to cry on.
–lauraleacan, Reddit
5.
Car accident! Mandy Moore’s Instagram story was filled with spoilers. Recently she said you they were filming the last episode, and in one video Milo says, “Ow that hurt” and Mandy quickly then says “shhh you can’t say that!" There’s also tons of videos of them filming at night in a car with Mandy driving.
7.
A lot of people were suggesting maybe Jack died in 9/11. Given the timing I don’t see this as a possibility. But I could see maybe another plane crash.
In 1994 there was a big plane crash in Aliquippa (US Air flight 427) that was supposed to land at Pittsburgh International. Everyone on board died. It’s already well documented that Kate is terrified of planes and Kevin threw out all the model planes that him and Jack made together following his death. Also the fact Jack was cremated could be the result of the crash and the condition his body was found in.
–karens4d94b861b, via IMBD
9.
He died from lung cancer from inhaling sawdust, asbestos, etc. from his construction sites.
10.
Kate mentions in the episode with his urn that “he got sick.” If it was cancer, Randall would mention both of his fathers died of cancer. I can’t imagine we’re never going to hear about the drinking again so I think it has something to do with that.
11.
Seems like Jack is losing his memory. He forgot to kiss Rebecca. Forgot to tell her about the deal he was closing. He forgot Kevin's football number, and he forgot they didn't eat dinner.
–Ts8579, Reddit
12.
As much as I hope this is not the case I’m wondering if it’s a possibility that he committed suicide, because of the scene where Randall is talking that man out of committing suicide in the Christmas episode. I’ve read a lot of people didn’t really understand the point of having that scene especially it being drawn out so long. It could be a way of foreshadowing what happened to Jack. Also when Randall was talking to the guy on the roof he told him that his little girl could forgive him for having an affair, but it would be a lot harder for her to forgive him for committing suicide. Almost as if he was speaking from experience. Also Kevin has said many times he was angry when his dad died and that he destroyed the planes he built with his dad. If his dad committed suicide it would explain the anger Kevin felt.
13.
There's a fire at their house. It might be because Kate was baking something and it caught fire, and Jack dies saving Kate. That's why she has the urn and seems most affected by Jack's death, and also kind of distant with Rebecca. Not that Rebecca would directly blame her, but maybe Kate was feeling guilty and she distanced herself from Rebecca and Randall, and got closer with Kevin.
–skeeter_ABQ, Reddit
14.
I think Jack died trying to save Miguel's family from a fire. From what I recall, Miguel had a wife and kids too but hasn't mentioned them even once in the present time storyline. I think if Jack died, along with Miguel's whole family, it would make sense why Miguel and Rebecca got so close afterwards and maybe that's why they stayed together. It would also make us feel more bad for Miguel.
– AFriendlyInternetGuy, Reddit
15.
I think Jack will die in a fire in their house and the firefighter that took Randall to the hospital will try and save him. It seems this would be fitting since everything is so intertwined in the show and Jack was also cremated. To take it even further, could the fire start with the washer or dryer? There seems to be a lot of focus around the washer and dryer.
16.
I don't think we've seen any evidence of their childhood home still being around, so I'm thinking it's going to catch fire, Jack will die in the process of saving one or more of the kids, and the firefighter will be there to put out the fire and maybe recover the body?
Pretty damn morbid theory, but it's the best I've got.
–Malhavoc430, Reddit
17.
I think it’s going to be something completely unimaginable. I think it will be something very sudden. Maybe he witnessed a domestic abuse and the man turned his anger towards Jack and the violence proved to be fatal. Maybe he was in the middle of a store being held up at gunpoint and in the midst of trying to diffuse the situation he took a bullet.
19.
I believe that he dies from a simple, but dramatic, accident from working on the family home or while on the job (possibly falling off the roof). I have this feeling mostly from the episode from when Randall goes on his “trip” and speaks to his dad while Jack works on the cabin.
20.
I feel like he’s going to die while helping someone else. He’s the kind of guy that would try to help someone being robbed and then get shot for his efforts.
21.
Perhaps, his genuine selflessness and kind heart gets him into a bad situation that ultimately ends up taking his life... making his greatest strength also his fatal flaw.
–mgar7414, Reddit