Here's What Happened To The Real Slow Cooker After This Is Us' Final Season

It didn't take long for America to fall in love with the Pearson family after "This Is Us" first aired in 2016. While the death of the patriarch, Jack Pearson, was teased throughout the first season, it wasn't until Season 2 that fans learned about the events that led to his death. In Episode 13, entitled "That'll Be The Day," it's revealed that on Super Bowl Sunday, Jack cleaned up the kitchen after the game and shut off the family's slow cooker, which had a faulty switch that somehow ignited after Jack went to bed, per Entertainment Weekly. That would lead to a fire that burned the entire house down. 

The frenzy that followed among viewers is comical – for everyone except Crock-Pot, that is. "Just threw my crock pot out the window," posted a user on Twitter, one among many fans who were deterred from using their slow cookers. Crock-Pot released an extensive statement, saying in part, "[I]t is important that our consumers understand and have confidence that all Crock-Pot slow cookers exceed all internal testing protocols and all applicable industry safety standards and regulations" (via Entertainment Weekly).

Actor Milo Ventimiglia who plays Jack Pearson on "This Is Us" chimed in to help protect Crock-Pot's reputation, telling Esquire, "I enjoy the heck out of a good slow cooker. Crock-Pot is innocent!" The show's creator Dan Fogelman also defended the kitchen appliance, tweeting, "Taking a moment to remind everyone that it was a 20-year-old fictional crockpot with an already funky switch? Let's not just lump all those lovely hardworking crockpots together."

Having played such a significant role on the show, the Today Show recently asked the cast what happened to the infamous prop after filming wrapped on the final season. Milo Ventimiglia fielded the question, smiling when asked if he had taken the prop that led to the death of his character home, presumably to commemorate his appearance on the hit show. Ventimiglia denied having the slow cooker and instead pointed toward the show's creator. "I think it's in Dan Fogelman's office as I understand it. That's a prize possession. That slow cooker remains with the family," Ventimiglia said.