There's a new episode of "This Is Us" on the way Tuesday night, but before fans tune in for the latest twists and turns for the Pearson family, star Chrissy Metz paid a visit to TODAY to talk about the impact of last week's dramatic turn of events.
(Spoiler alert! If you missed that ep, you might want to go check it out before reading the details that follow.)
That's when Metz's character, Kate, learned the good news: She and Toby are expecting!
Her pregnancy follows a difficult struggle to conceive after Kate suffered a miscarriage last season, and that's exactly why it resonates so strongly with viewers who've gone through their own similar journeys — "This Is Us" is tackling a topic that's seldom discussed.
"I don't think we feel like we can ever bring it up (off-screen)," Metz said of the subject. "And how do you bring it up and where? I've gotten so many messages from people who've shared, you know, 'I went through the same thing your character did, and hopefully it's a better turn out for you.' People just completely divulge their sweetest and their deepest, darkest secrets."
And that personal connection with the public led to one unforgettable exchange earlier this week.
"One woman actually said to me yesterday that (last season's painful) episode helped her to get through when her IVF didn't take," Metz recalled. "And that it brought her hope, because she knew she could get through it because Kate did."
And now that Kate's fate has changed, the woman shared her own twist with the actress.
"Now she's pregnant!" Metz said. "She's having her rainbow baby, so I'm like crying. It's just beautiful."
And speaking of tears, if you're wondering how many you might shed when the newest episode of the series airs, check out a sneak peek in the clip below.
Metz gives the upcoming plot a "one box of tissues" rating, but added, "It's so hard, 'cause everything hits us all so differently. That's what so special about the show, because we can all relate in some capacity. It's always emotional — even for me."