Rather than focusing its main mystery on why Jon killed himself, A Million Little Things has introduced a slightly suspicious side to Jon’s business deals and his partnership with his assistant Ashley. While the show’s pilot suggested that Jon trusted Ashley with all of his professional doings, his last letter to his wife Delilah hinted otherwise. What is Rutledge on A Million Little Things? The questionable entity and its connection to the unknown name Barbara Morgan have fans curious about the secrets Jon was hiding.
This post contains spoilers for the second episode of A Million Little Things. In Oct. 3’s "Band of Dads," Ashley crashed the group’s cozy breakfast meeting with two cups of coffee in tow. Her regular barista prepped Jon’s usual order for her and, unsure of what to do with the drink, she apparently wandered over to the Dixon house for an answer. Delilah offered her use of Jon’s office to finish some work, and while there, Ashley read Jon’s suicide note, which she was still keeping to herself.
The snippet viewers saw of the letter informed the reader of an envelope behind a painting that Ashley seemingly wasn’t supposed to know about. Ashley pulled the envelope from its hiding spot, showing that it was labeled "Rutledge" in alignment with the computer files she deleted at the end of the pilot. While the scene didn’t exactly answer the truth behind Rutledge, the envelope contained a life insurance form listing Eddie, Gary, Rome, and someone named Barbara Morgan as primary beneficiaries. Seeing as she found no one by that name in Jon’s contacts, Ashley is out of the loop when it comes to understanding this random addition. However, the letter was intended for Delilah, so she might know who Barbara Morgan is.
Speculation about Ashley and Jon having an affair or Ashley at least loving Jon is still blooming, but Barbara’s identity has now taken over fans’ conversations about A Million Little Things. The character’s possible connection to the deleted computer files and why she would be valued as much as Jon’s friends are definitely questions to keep in mind as the season progresses.