This Is Us' Susan Kelechi Watson Reveals What Season 4 Has In Store For Her Character

It did not take long for season 4 of This Is Us to get emotional. We knew that it was going to happen (it's season 4, after all — we should be used to this) but we still somehow weren't prepared for the impact the new season would have on our feelings, in spite of repeated warnings.

There are some minor spoilers ahead, so if you aren't caught up on all the This Is Us drama, you might want to take care of that before reading further. For those of you who are up-to-date with the Pearson clan, buckle up, because Susan Kelechi Watson just dished out some details of what Beth Pearson will be facing this season.

In season 4, there are some big changes for Beth Pearson and the family. The family has moved to Philadelphia, which is a big adjustment in and of itself, and they're also adjusting to being the adoptive parents of a teenager who has started to date. Susan Kelechi Watson told People that Deja's growing relationship with Malik, a teenage father who is a couple of years older than Deja, will cause tension in future episodes. "Beth is still learning how to treat Deja, [who has] only been with them for two years," she said. "She wants Deja to feel comfortable and acclimated in the family but also wants to treat her like her birth daughter. And protect her in the same way."

We can expect this to lead to some uncomfortable moments in upcoming This Is Us episodes. "There's a bit of a trying to step a little lighter than she would normally," said Watson. "But she also wants to show that she cares and does matter. The pace that she moves with boys and all those things, it's a work in progress. It's definitely alarming to her and Randall."

We'll also be seeing more of the college-aged Beth as the show's non-linear storyline takes us to the past. Watson said that her character's college years provide a nice contrast to the present-day relationship with her daughter and her boyfriend. "It is a cool juxtaposition of Beth and Randall in the past with Deja and Malik in the future," she said.

Watson hinted that we may see Beth starting to act more like her mother, Mama C, who is described on the show as "Supreme Court-level judgey." Watson said that Beth's evolving parenting style will have "some of that same quality."

"I don't think Beth is as necessarily strict as Carol," said Watson. "But that quality of being super protective is there for her girls. I definitely feel that Beth wants to be sure that no matter what happens Deja is okay and that she ends up in relationships that are good for her."