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Last week, A Million Little Things took a step back in time and explored the hours leading up to Jon’s death. We learned that he skipped a final dinner with his wife to take Ashley to that mysterious apartment. They didn’t have an affair, like so many people thought, but he did drop some intriguing tidbits about his ties to this place. Fans were already wondering how this apartment ties into the overall narrative — did he really live a secret, sinister life? No one knows yet, but A Million Little Things creator DJ Nash’s tweet about Jon’s apartment clues has everyone looking for details hiding in plain sight.
In the episode, Jon tells Ashley that he's not the person everyone perceives him to be as he opens the door to his secret lair. She was surprised to discover that he used to live in the apartment and bought the entire block for sentimental reasons instead of business moves. He made her promise to keep their meeting — and the apartment — a secret from everyone. But why? There are way too many secrets on this show!
Most of the background details are blurry at best, but there are a few things that are prominently focused on during their conversation. And, they must be important because the show’s creator encouraged curious fans to take a second look. So, we put on our Scooby Doo hats and sniffed around for some potential hints about Jon’s mysterious past.
Fans might want to see if the following objects and observations come into play later this season.
The Trophy Stand
The clearest part of Jon’s apartment is a stand with bits of personal memorabilia. There are several trophies, including two for golfing, one for some sort of running, and, of course, a Bruins plaque. There are no nameplates we can see for any of the awards, but it can be assumed that they all belong to Jon. It’s also interesting to note that one golf trophy is from 2014, so he has obviously been visiting this apartment over several years.
But, there is also a cheerleading megaphone on the night stand. Part of the name is blocked out, but it appears to say Sacred Heart Cheerleading 69-70. It turns out there is a real-life Sacred Heart Catholic school in Boston, which makes sense based on what we know about Jon. He grew up Catholic and insisted that his children attend the same school he went to as a kid. So, this is probably the school the show is referencing, but the megaphone definitely doesn’t belong to Sophie.
Per a previous episode, Jon was born in 1967 so he would have been a toddler during this school year. It has to belong to a older person, likely a woman, with whom Jon had a close connection. If Constance Zimmer's character is truly Barbara Morgan, then it definitely doesn't belong to her because she's not old enough. But, if she's not, then Barbara is fair game. Or, could this be an old relic from Jon's mother or some older sister we don't know about? Only time will tell.
The Missing & Hidden Photos
What’s up with those photos Jon? There are at least two spaces on the wall where a photo was hanging for quite some time, as evidenced by the outlines left on the paint. Jon is also hiding a photo behind the big white couch and another chair.
It’s hard to tell if the hidden photos fit those blank spaces, but it’s clear that he doesn’t want to look at whatever was hanging on the walls. It could be painful old memories from a previous romantic or platonic relationship that ended on a bad note.
It's worth wondering if one of the paintings was the one we've seen in his home office.
The Harvard Connection
Jon has a ton of Harvard stuff in his apartment, including a flag, yearbooks, photos, and a sweatshirt. He admitted to living in the apartment when he was around Ashley's age, so he would have been living there during his prime college years. But, this begs to question why he keeps this period of his life locked away in this secret apartment no one can know about.
His family and friends surely know he went to Harvard, yet there is no evidence of college pride in his home or office — despite him telling Ashley that they were the “best years of his life.” There has to be a reason why Jon keeps his college years locked in a time capsule, right?
The Friendship Photo
Jon took Ashley on a random trip down memory lane with several of his yearbooks and scrapbooks. Many of the photos are not visible to the audience, but there is one snapshot of Jon on a couch with three other people in the same apartment. He has a beer in one hand and his other arm around a woman who definitely isn’t Delilah.
Of course, she could just be a random friend, but what if she was an old lover from Jon’s college days? We still have no confirmation on who Barbara Morgan really is, so this might have been our first look at this mysterious character. Or, it could be the true love of Jon’s life who either got away or was taken away by some unforeseen circumstance?
There is also the guy on the far right. He's wearing a Harvard sweatshirt much like the one that is on Jon's couch. What if he was Jon's roommate and is the owner of some of the memorabilia like the old golf trophy and the rowing oar? Anything is possible with this show.
The Bottle of Wine
The aforementioned trophy table also included a bottle of wine that Jon refers to as one of his biggest regrets. And he's holding a bottle of wine (presumably this one) in the above picture with friends. He tells Ashley about his desire to go back in time and never purchase this particular bottle of wine. For some reason, she doesn’t ask any more questions about this, which is just hard to believe. Jon begins to open the wine, but gets interrupted by the phone call with Regina and her story of being harassed at work. It remains to be seen what happened when Jon went to purchase the wine, but it must have been a life-changing event.
The clues in Jon’s apartment give a few hints, but really leave fans with more questions than answers about his past. Thankfully, the show has been doing more flashbacks for context, so the revelation about why Jon loves this apartment and had to go there the night before he planned on killing himself will hopefully be revealed soon.
Did he have a life with another woman here? What has Ashley learned about Jon since his death? And, why don't his family and close friends know what’s going on? The only way to find out is by tuning in each week for another dose of drama. Maybe Nash will share some more clues with fans this week.
