Jack and Rebecca. Randall, Kate and Kevin. Six seasons and a combined 23 actors playing the Pearson mom, dad and children over four jumbled decades of love, war and a fatefully malfunctioning slow cooker.

Add to that the countless tears shed by devoted fans of B次元官网网址淭his Is UsB次元官网网址� and the oft-cited box of tissues as a standard accessory. It all comes down to one last good cry as NBCB次元官网网址檚 time-traveling family drama airs its final episode at 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

Creator Dan Fogelman, whoB次元官网网址檇 planned the showB次元官网网址檚 finite run from the start, is comfortable with his decision to leave viewers wanting more B次元官网网址�- unusual for TV, which has no qualms in milking a popular series for all itB次元官网网址檚 worth and then some.

B次元官网网址淚f we had done anything different, it would have happened because of the wrong reasons,B次元官网网址� Fogelman said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of them are lovely reasons, because I enjoy these people so much that I work with, because the show is lucrative, because itB次元官网网址檚 so successful. But creatively, I feel weB次元官网网址檝e done the right thing.B次元官网网址�

The story was always complete in his imagination, to the point that he knew B次元官网网址渨hat the final five minutes would look like. We knew enough that IB次元官网网址檇 say about half, if not more, of the final episode was shot three or four years ago.B次元官网网址�

The journey of the Pearsons and their extended circle of family and friends was as addictive, if not as edgy, as the cable and streaming dramas that operate without broadcast TVB次元官网网址檚 mandated guardrails.

B次元官网网址淭his Is UsB次元官网网址� also excelled in its approach to diversity, making it meaningful rather than a check-the-boxes approach. The experiences of Randall B次元官网网址� an African American who as a baby was adopted by white couple Jack and Rebecca B次元官网网址� were explored as fully as those of his white siblings Kate and Kevin.

Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore played opposite each other as the parents, with Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Chrissy Metz as Kate and Justin Hartley as Kevin. Other prominent cast members have included Susan Kelechi Watson and Jon Huertas.

The seriesB次元官网网址� compelling writing and acting, along with its intriguing time-shifting framework, earned fan loyalty: It remained a top-rated program among network-favored young adult viewers throughout its run.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 collectively really challenging for all of us to say goodbye to the show and this job,B次元官网网址� Moore said before taping wrapped. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 show up any day not grateful for the material. ItB次元官网网址檚 a dream on every single level,B次元官网网址� including the cast and crew.

B次元官网网址淭his Is UsB次元官网网址� received a wealth of honors, including a prestigious Humanitas Prize, a Writers Guild of America award and two consecutive Screen Actors Guild awards for best ensemble cast. It drew four best drama series Emmy nods, the sole broadcast nominee in recent years amid grander and gaudier competition such as NetflixB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Crown,B次元官网网址� HBOB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淕ame of ThronesB次元官网网址� and HuluB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he HandmaidB次元官网网址檚 Tale.B次元官网网址�

The NBC showB次元官网网址檚 stars and guest actors received multiple Emmy nominations, with Brown, Gerald McRaney and Ron Cephas Jones winning Emmys B次元官网网址� two for Jones in the role of William Hill, birth father to BrownB次元官网网址檚 Randall.

William was part of the second-to-last-episode that aired May 17 and followed the Pearson matriarch through the final stages of dementia.

As imagined in RebeccaB次元官网网址檚 minds-eye, William gently shepherds a young and glowing version of her through train cars for encounters with loved ones, scenes that are interspersed with family members saying their farewells to the frail, bedridden older woman.

The railroad metaphor was not in FogelmanB次元官网网址檚 original plan. Instead, he said it was proposed by writer K.J. Steinberg, who had someone in her life with a form of dementia and who spoke of being on a train ride.

B次元官网网址淜.J. said, B次元官网网址業 have a kind of crazy idea, bear with me for a moment,B次元官网网址� Fogelman said.

The result is surreal but not out of character for a show thatB次元官网网址檚 thrived on challenging its audience B次元官网网址� most notably with time jumps that create mysteries, such as JackB次元官网网址檚 premature death that went long and maddeningly unexplained. (It was heroic, saving his family in a house fire started by the above-mentioned kitchen item.)

B次元官网网址淭here were these kind of watercooler moments early in the show that were, frankly, a little unexpected,B次元官网网址� he said. As the show kept B次元官网网址渢hrowing to the future,B次元官网网址� as he put it, viewers continued to thirst for answers B次元官网网址� about Kate and TobyB次元官网网址檚 divorce, KevinB次元官网网址檚 forever love and other loose ends.

Fogelman is circumspect about finale details but suggested itB次元官网网址檚 the opposite of shocking given how much has been resolved for the characters.

B次元官网网址淭he goal of the ending was always to just sit with this family in the simplest of ways,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲here thereB次元官网网址檚 not that many questions left, and you can sit and enjoy almost the equivalent of found footage of a family, combined with a very meditative day.B次元官网网址�

Moore was asked whether the Pearson saga could one day be resumed, perhaps as a spin-off or a movie a la B次元官网网址淒ownton Abbey.B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 hard to imagine given FogelmanB次元官网网址檚 determination to end it as planned, she said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e really grateful that weB次元官网网址檙e able to do that and honor that,B次元官网网址� Moore said. B次元官网网址淚 feel like the audience will be incredibly satisfied with how things are wrapped up.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擫ynn Elber, The Associated Press