America’s TV dad has officially passed away.

Jack Pearson, the patriarch and one of many main characters in This Is Us, is a beloved character by many. Despite being a fictional character – played by Milo Ventimiglia – Jack Pearson has touched the hearts of many Americans with his quick wit, powerful pick-me-up speeches and his devotion to his wife Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and kids Kevin, Kate and Randall.

After the Super Bowl, Jack’s death scene aired. It wasn’t something that was unexpected by fans; viewers have known since season one that Jack was going to die sometime when the triplets were in their teenage years.

However, the way it happened was unexpected to viewers.

*Warning: There are spoilers ahead*

Jack, Rebecca, Kate and Randall were all home on Super Bowl Sunday night when their crockpot caught on fire. As their house began to burn, Jack started rounding up his family to his room to shield them from the flames.

After making it out onto the roof, Jack helped his family off the house and onto the lawn. A tearful Kate pleaded with Jack about finding her dog Louie. Jack, being the hero that he is, went back into the house to search and emerged with Louie in his arms.

Many thought that’s how Jack was going to die, going back into the fire for a heroic dog-saving scene.

However, he died in a nearby hospital, due to medical complications after inhaling too much smoke from the fire.

This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman said that the death scene was simple, but exactly what he planned for.

“When I started to write this thing, in my mind’s eye, there was a fire at the house, and the patriarch of the family heroically got the family out of the house, and then died in a really small way, without proper cinematic good-byes, house later in a hospital by himself,” Fogelman said to Entertainment Weekly.

So where was Rebecca in all of this? The matriarch of the family was getting a snack for herself and Jack – specifically, Jack’s request was nothing with chocolate – when a doctor came over to her and told her the news.

Mandy Moore, Rebecca’s actress, gave a stunning, raw performance of reacting to Jack’s death. After disbelief and anger, she walks over to the door, where she sees Jack’s lifeless body. Viewers see it too, in the reflection of the hospital door.

However, Fogelman noted that Jack’s story isn’t over yet. After his funeral, it was announced that Jack’s background – his time serving during the Vietnam War in specific – will be aired more on the show.

In the meantime, Kate and Toby are still planning their wedding, Kevin is continuing his rehab, Randall is working with this fierce wife Beth on owning an apartment building and Randall’s children, Tess and Annie, are getting more of a storyline.

However, the biggest bombshell of the season, so far, has been the return of Deja, Randall and Beth’s foster child. During a preview for upcoming episodes, Deja returns to the Randall Pearson household.

This Is Us will return on Feb. 27, after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The episode will air at 9 o’clock ET.