Fans of the hit NBC show “This Is Us” know they are lucky if they can sit through an entire episode without shedding tears. If you are ready to laugh, cry or both, you are in for a treat. The season three premiere of “This is Us” leaves fans at the edge of their seats, wondering what lies ahead for the Pearson family.

THE BIG THREE IS BACK

“This is Us” famously intertwines the past with present situations by showing how our current characters’ attitudes and actions resulted from their unique childhoods. The show revolves around a set of triplets, otherwise known as “The Big Three,” navigating their way through their thirties. With Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson, Chrissy Metz as Kate Pearson and Justin Hartley as Kevin Pearson, this exceptional cast has been breaking hearts since day one.

The season premiere “Nine Bucks” centers around the Big Three’s 38th birthday. In this episode, each Pearson sibling faces a tremendous challenge. Randall yearns to adopt a daughter, Kate longs for any chance of conception and Kevin attempts to conceal his secret relationship with his sister-in-law’s cousin. All of these challenges intertwine with flashbacks to the night that their parents, Rebecca, portrayed by Mandy Moore, and Jack, portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia first met.

As the episode unravels, we journey through Rebecca and Jack’s very first date, where Jack only had nine dollars to woo his dream girl. He takes Rebecca to a local carnival, where the night takes a sharp turn from candy apples and hot chocolate to showering rains and depressive moods. However, Jack’s love for Rebecca shines through, ultimately ending the date on a sweet note. As Jack has been enamored with Rebecca day one, Kate’s newlywed husband Toby, portrayed by Chris Sullivan, shares a similar captivation in the present day. With Kate’s increasing urge for conception, the couple visits a fertility doctor to see if there is any possibility for her to conceive. However, the newlyweds also discover that Toby’s sperm count is low because of his antidepressant usage. With the odds stacked against them, Toby considers discontinuing his medication, showing utter selflessness and consideration toward Kate and her desire to bear children.

Meanwhile, Randall attempts to connect with Deja, portrayed by Lyric Ross, a 12-year-old girl he has been fostering. He admits to Deja that he and his wife would like to officially adopt her, but he does not want to sign the papers unless Deja decides that she wants that for herself. In addition to the emotional whirlwind of potential adoption, Randall’s wife Beth, portrayed by Susan Kelechi Watson, furiously confronts her cousin and Kevin after finding out about their secret relationship. Although we initially perceive Beth as protective over her cousin, it turns out that she is actually looking out for Kevin.

A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE

The final minutes of the season’s premiere lead us into the future where grey-haired Randall and his adult daughter Tess, portrayed by Eris Baker, are about to visit an unnamed loved one. To make the matter even more interesting, Randall calls Toby to tell him that this unnamed loved one would want to see him too. This startling cliffhanger leaves many questions unanswered: Who are Tess and Randall going to see? How is Toby tied to this mystery person?

With a new episode airing every Tuesday night, fans will just have to patiently wait, preferably with a box of tissues nearby, for these questions to be resolved.