'This Is Us' spoilers: show creator Dan Fogelman talks about slow healing process for Randall and Rebecca

Randall (Sterling K. Brown) may have slowly come to terms with the revelation that he could have known his biological father all along if not for Rebecca (Mandy Moore) getting in the way. And while things may seem to be going in a great direction in terms of mending ties with the son and mother, it will definitely be a slow and painstaking process moving forward in "This Is Us."

Show creator Dan Fogelman confirms this whilst inadvertently advising fans to pile up on kleenex, given that the rift between Rebecca and Randall will not be solved in just a couple of episodes. That is most certainly a bummer given the kind of closeness that two has shared over the years but the decision to prolong the agony also makes sense.

Talking to Entertainment Weekly in an episodic post-mortem session, the writer clarifies that the decision to brew the tension for a bit longer is rooted from their desire to actually make the show as authentic as possible. And given that "This Is Us" has been clearly adored by many since its debut thanks to its very relatable story, it might just be the right move in terms of going about the story arc.

"It feels like it's something that's going to spread out a little longer than maybe we had intended, because it feels very false to resolve them over an episode or two. It feels like a movie or a TV show, and I think this is the kind of thing that estranges a family for a moment, and then hopefully at least in our show, it's something they can come back from," Fogelman pondered. "I think Randall is a good enough man and Rebecca is a good enough mother that they can, but I don't think in real life things like this get apologized for and forgiven. It's a slow thaw between them. And we see the first step tonight, and then you'll see the next steps next week. And at some point, we could either break them or have some real moment of forgiveness, but I think we're probably going to spread that out for a bit."

In next week's episode, which will also serve as the show's midseason finale, the burgeoning tension will simmer down to awkward encounters as Rebecca and Randall meet again at a family get-together, presumably for Christmas. This is teased in the promo clip for the episode titled "Last Christmas" via a snippet of the adopted son welcoming his mother in the front door.

The parallel sequence from the past, on the other hand, will see the younger Pearson family visiting Dr. K in the hospital where the Big Three will meet him for the first time. Unfortunately, he does not look like he is in a very good condition as he himself is lying on a hospital bed. And if Rebecca saying that nothing bad happens during Christmas is any indication, fans can expect to have a not-so-good news coming along the installment.

"This Is Us" airs every Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET, on NBC.