A ‘This Is Us’ Fan Theory Blames Jack’s Death on the Washing Machine, and It’s Actually Convincing

This Is Us may have given us a huge clue about how Jack Pearson dies in the first episode of the second season, but we still don’t know all of the details. Which means fans are now working overtime to piece this puzzle together—and one theory in particular has a placed the blame on an interesting culprit.

But first, a quick recap: In the season-two premiere, viewers saw young Randall and Kate looking distraught in the immediate aftermath of their father’s death, as Rebecca drives up to the charred remains of their home with Jack’s personal items in the seat next to her. This scene seemed to lead viewers to believe that Jack meets his untimely death in a house fire, though it’s not clear what caused the blaze or what exactly happened to Jack.

Reddit user Ashelizabethmoon suggests that an old episode already answered what caused the disaster: a washing machine. Stay with us here. The Redditer writes, “At the end of Season 1, Episode 7 ‘The Best Washing Machine in the World,’ Kevin, who had just moved to the basement because he didn’t want to share a room with Randall anymore, yells for Rebecca, screaming that the washing machine is possessed (signaling that it is not working properly).”

Ashelizabethmoon also points out that in the season-two premiere, Kevin’s leg is in a cast, and he’s holding crutches at the time of the fire, meaning he probably could not have made it up and down the stairs of his basement bedroom. This theory posits that since Randall and Kevin were feuding at the time, Kate likely was moved to the basement (with the faulty washing machine) temporarily so that the two boys would not have to share a room. We know from earlier episodes that Kate blames herself for her father’s death, so it would follow that Kate somehow caused the washing machine to malfunction and start a fire that ultimately somehow caused Jack Pearson to die.

No matter how and why Jack does ultimately meet his death—that is, if he actually is dead, which is a whole other theory—we know one thing: We’ll need an entire box of tissues when we find out.

Related: Chrissy Metz Drops Hints About What’s in Store for Kate in Season 2 of This is Us