This Is Us producers warn of Kate-Toby divorce episode: 'Get a beach towel instead of tissues'

The end for Kate and Toby is nigh. How nigh? Like, Tuesday night nigh.

Yes, the much-anticipated dissolution of a core Pearson couple on This Is Us will go down in the next installment of NBC's hit family drama. (The show's 100th episode, for those who enjoy big, round numbers.) Emotions may be harder to control than Deja (Lyric Ross) when she wants to see Malik (Asante Blackk). Or, say, Nicky (Griffin Dunne) in any social situation.

"Intense" is the word that executive producer Elizabeth Berger — who co-wrote "Katoby" — uses to describe the hour that drills down on Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan). "This episode is a lot," she warns EW. "If you have followed along with this couple and you've loved them over the years, have your ice cream sundae prepared, either as you're watching or for immediately after you watch. It definitely requires some serious comfort food."

Executive producer K.J. Steinberg bumps the stakes up another notch. "I don't want to say, 'Bring out the tissues,' because it's not special enough for how special this episode is going to be," she declares. "I'd say, "Get a beach towel instead of a box of tissues."

Before you start waterproofing your sofa, remember: This is This Is Us, there's some sort of twist or at least subversion of expectations. "We're going to see the final chapter of the Kate and Toby love story, and we're also going to see some real exciting, beautiful new chapters beginning as well — all in one episode," notes Berger. "This was something entirely different for us in terms of the way time is moving in this episode. I'm massively impressed with anybody that follows along with the entire thing. Even our writers had to really, really focus their brains on breaking this one and following along with it. But we are very, very excited by the way it came out."

Steinberg seconds that notion of emotion. "It really earns what we've all been afraid of: 'Will the show be able to earn this iconic couple splitting up? Will the audience ever be able to understand and accept both sides and love them both at the end of it?'" she says. "And the answer is, 'Yes."

The teaser for "Katoby" features Toby telling Kate that he's moving back to L.A. to "do whatever it takes" to reverse their corrosion course that is inevitable. (If you saw the season 5 finale that peeked at the wedding of Kate and Philip, you know why we speak of this in certain doomed terms.)

"Kate and Toby do everything they could possibly do to try and save this marriage," says Berger. "These are not two people that threw their hands up in the air and didn't really try and fight — and we are definitely going to be seeing them fight throughout this episode."

In more ways than one. Tune in Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT for all that awaits.

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