#This Is Us Fans Freak Out As Series Enters Extended Hiatus

It feels like just a few weeks ago that This Is Us Season 5 finally hit the air. 

Oh, wait, it was!

But NBC dropped quite the news on fans of the series at the conclusion of This Is Us Season 5 Episode 4:

The series will not be returning until Tuesday, January 5. 

This is a TV season unlike any other, and it’s all thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This Is Us Season 5 entered production in September, so it was inevitable that there would be some breaks between episodes. 

Still, given that the scheduling of the series has been a bit all over the place due to COVID-19, as well as the Presidential Election, fans took to social media to voice their displeasure. 

“January 5th? Are you freaking kidding me?” one fan asked on the show’s official Instagram page. 

“January whyyyyyyyyyyy we just started,” another said of the hiatus.

There was even more bad news when NBC dropped a promo for This Is Us Season 5 Episode 5, and it confirmed the return of teenage Kate’s boyfriend, Marc. 

“I know it’s a flashback, but ughhh we really have to see piece of crap Marc again?” a viewer tweeted.

While fans are up in arms over the delay, as well as the return of Marc, showrunner Dan Fogelman tweeted that there will be answers when the show returns. 

But he did hint towards production constraints being the reason for the long wait between episodes. 

“A lot of answers when we return. Promise,” Fogelman wrote on Twitter.

“The [This Is Us‘ writers] are on fire and we’re making them as fast (and safely) as humanly possible! I’m very excited about all that comes next.”

Bringing the show back during the pandemic was always going to be tough, and it could explain why networks like FOX and The CW saved the bulk of their scripted programming for 2021. 

What are your thoughts on the news?

Watch the promo below. 

Remember you can watch This Is Us online right here via TV Fanatic. 

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.