‘This Is Us’: Toby’s Weight Loss Secret Could Destroy His Relationship With Kate

This Is Us Season 4 is off to an incredible start. During the solid second episode, titled "The Pool: Part Two," fans returned to the present, where Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) began learning how to raise their blind child. Of course, fans witnessed more heart-touching moments featuring baby Jack. But now, it appears Toby is hiding his weight loss from Kate, and fans are wondering what this means for the couple as This Is Us Season 4 continues.

Toby is trying to protect baby Jack and Kate

Chris Sullivan as Toby on 'This Is Us' | Ron Batzdorff/NBC

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Isaac Aptaker delved into Toby's weight loss storyline in the fourth season of This Is Us. He also shared what inspired the character to venture down this path.

"Remembering back to season 1, Toby had a pretty serious heart incident," he shared. "So now that he has a baby, he's thinking, 'I want to be on this planet as long as possible to be there for my special-needs son and to be able to provide for him.'"

The EP then pointed out why Toby is keeping his weight loss a secret from Kate. "At the same time, I don't think he's trying to flaunt in his wife's face, 'Look at all the weight I'm losing,' especially given how busy she is with the baby and taking care of a newborn," Aptaker said. "So he's made the choice of keeping this on the DL and flying under the radar here."

Nevertheless, Aptaker hinted Kate knows what's happening — sort of. "Certainly Kate is aware that he's smaller," Aptaker confirmed. "But she doesn't know the extent he's going to [in order] to lose the weight. And I think he's doing that to try to protect her."

What Toby's weight loss means for the couple in 'This Is Us' Season 4

That being said, there's definitely trouble ahead for Kate and Toby. However, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the weight loss itself. Still speaking with EW, Aptaker pointed out the writers do not plan to make him "obsessive" over his weight loss. Rather, it will be used as a healthy outlet.

"He's a guy … who's had significant mental health problems and struggled with clinical depression," Aptaker said. "And now he's faced with this massive curveball finding out his son is blind, and he's found an outlet for himself for all that anxiety, for all of that pain, and that is at the CrossFit gym."

But, it looks like Toby's secrecy will come back to haunt him. The EP noted the contrast between Toby from season 1 — who decided to stop the diet — with the path he is going down now. He then hinted Toby's decision to protect Kate is "dangerous."

"[Kate's] breastfeeding, she's tending to an infant around the clock, she's not at a place in her life where she is necessarily most suited to being on a strict diet or on a strict weight-loss plan," Aptaker stated. "But Toby has found this path that's working for him, and because he doesn't want to rub it in her face he's making the choice to keep it a secret. That's dangerous in any relationship, keeping secrets like that."

Metz and Sullivan tease tension between Kate and Toby

Now, Aptaker isn't the only one hinting at trouble for Kate and Toby. In a separate interview with People, Metz and Sullivan shared thoughts on the future of their characters.

"I don't think that fans will necessarily expect the secrets that Toby was keeping and how that'll affect their relationship and moving forward," Metz told the publication.

"Trust really is intimacy," she continued. "The physical stuff is great and wonderful, but real intimacy is trust and so there's a bit of trust that's broken in him keeping this weight loss and working out a secret. We'll see how that evolves and unfolds with them."

Sullivan then confirmed Toby wants to stay alive for his son because he knows humans have a time limit. "As we're coming into the fourth season, it becomes a real conversation about what we do with the time that we have," the actor said. "I think the thing that Toby has learned up until episode two is that we don't have that much time."

Not going to lie, Sullivan's statement is a bit worrying. As People indicated, the This Is Us Season 3 finale featured a flashforward scene showing Toby without a wedding ring. Fans questioned if Kate and Toby got divorced. Some then theorized Kate is dead in the future. Regardless, it seems Toby's secret will impact the couple's relationship in a big way. And honestly, we're not sure if we're ready for it just yet.

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