10 Biggest Things That Happen To Knocked Up's Characters After The Movie's Ending

Summary Debbie and Pete manage their 40th birthdays in different ways.

Marriage struggles between Debbie and Pete continue.

Financial issues, careers, and family dynamics are central themes.

This Is 40 takes place five years after Knocked Up and checks back in with the comedy's beloved group of characters. Knocked Up is a 2007 comedy that saw much success and acclaim from critics and audiences and is considered Judd Apatow's best movie. The movie stars Seth Rogen as Ben and Katherine Heigl as Allison, two individuals whose paths are forever intertwined after a one-night stand. Years later, Apatow followed up with an unofficial sequel, This Is 40, that focuses on the relationship between Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd).

Both Apatow films include memorable one-liners and share similar depictions of relationships, familial conflicts, and financial stress. Five years later, audiences find that Debbie and Pete have hit important milestones, such as turning 40, but are managing through many of the same martial issues established in Knocked Up. This Is 40 isn't as highly favored as its predecessor, but it brings back the beloved fictional family and is still a must-watch in Apatow's filmography.

Related Every Judd Apatow Movie, Ranked By Rewatchability Some of Judd Apatow's movies, like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, hold up to more viewings than others, like the recently released COVID farce The Bubble.

10 Debbie And Pete Turn 40

They Each Handle The Milestone Differently

The topic of age was mentioned a few times in Knocked Up, particularly when Debbie would compare herself to her sister, Alison. When the two sisters would go to the club, Debbie was often self-conscious about her age compared to those around her. One time, she was denied immediate entry because the bouncer felt her older age ruined the ambiance of the club.

As This Is 40's title suggests, both Debbie and Pete are now 40. Pete doesn't have an issue with this milestone and is happily ready to celebrate with his family and friends. On the other hand, Debbie spends the majority of the movie lying about her age and feeling insecure about her attractiveness due to her age. Debbie is reassured by others of her worth, but she still feels conflicted about the significance of her birthday. When out at a club, Debbie is sought after by an attractive man and though she shuts down his flirting, she's flattered and it's a much-appreciated boost to her confidence.

9 Debbie And Pete's Marriage Struggles

Conflict Is Still Present In Their Relationship

In Knocked Up and This Is 40, Debbie and Pete's relationship is realistic and favored by audiences because of this. Leaning into its comedy genre, each movie portrays the ups and downs of married life in a relatable way for audiences. Knocked Up showed the couple arguing over small things, and Debbie suspected Pete was cheating at some point.

This Is 40 sees conflict linger in the couple's relationship. Debbie wants to make some life changes to improve her family's way of living and Pete is struggling to abide by changes involving healthier eating habits and cutting off loans to family members. Knocked Up's Pete was distant from Debbie a lot of the time and the issue improves very little in This Is 40. During an argument, the couple attempts to apply patterns of speech learned in couple's therapy, but the calmness only lasts for so long before they begin yelling at one another.

8 Debbie's Pregnant With Her Third Child

The Pregnancy Was Unexpected

Mirroring her sister's incident in Knocked Up, Debbie finds herself in an unplanned pregnancy. Following Alison's delivery, Debbie casually tells Pete that they're going to have another baby. Debbie was caught up in the joy of her sister having a baby and likely wasn't saying it with certainty, but it's what ended up happening for the couple in This Is 40, though it does take a backseat to the other issues the couple sorts out in their marriage.

Once she's informed of her unplanned pregnancy, Debbie's initial reaction is panic, but as the minutes pass, she seems to be a bit more content with the circumstances. Unfortunately, with the ongoing conflict in her and Pete's relationship, Debbie is unable to share the news with him right away. Pete only discovers Debbie is pregnant when the news is unintentionally blurted out at his birthday party.

7 The Girls Are Older

Sadie Is 13 And Charlotte Is 8

In addition to being known for recasting a handful of the same actors across multiple projects, Judd Apatow has also cast his daughters, Maude and Iris Apatow in his work. Maude and Iris both star in Knocked Up and This Is 40 as Debbie and Pete's daughters, Sadie and Charlotte. Five years have passed since the first film and the girl's older age introduces a sweet and familiar sibling dynamic.

As a 13-year-old, Sadie enjoys spending her time on social media and watching Lost, all whilst trying to keep control over her younger sister Charlotte. As an 8-year-old, something Charlotte desperately wants is her sister's attention. Charlotte constantly asks to play with Sadie or to watch Lost with her, but every time she asks, Sadie's teenage annoyance only grows. The Apatow sisters have a larger and more interesting presence in This Is 40, as their familiar sibling relationship brings an endearing aspect to the movie.

6 Debbie Owns A Boutique

She's Not Able To Fully Trust Her Employees

Debbie owns a boutique, but though she's not seen working there herself, the store plays a part in her financial struggles. At the beginning of This Is 40, Debbie is made aware that a large sum of money is missing from the store. Debbie notices one of her employees, Desi (Megan Fox), has an expensive car and wardrobe, so she suspects she's responsible for the missing money.

Debbie's boutique is also run by Jodi, a minor character from Knocked Up. Jodi's presence is a bit greater in This Is 40, when Debbie confronts Jodi after discovering she was the one responsible for taking the money. Debbie briefly mentions Jodi watching her children whilst under the influence of drugs, but any other connection from the first movie isn't mentioned.

Related Steve Carell, Ryan Seacrest & 12 Other Surprise Cameos In Knocked Up, Explained Judd Apatow's classic comedy Knocked Up has a star-studded cast that is packed with celebrity cameos and some very unexpected guest appearances.

5 Debbie And Pete Are Struggling Financially

Neither Of Their Businesses Are Succeeding

Knocked Up and This Is 40 both include the large part money plays in romantic relationships. In Knocked Up, Ben and Alison argue about the former's lack of funds and Alison worries about whether he'll be able to help provide for their baby. Similarly, income, and the scarcity of it, play a large part in Debbie and Pete's marital issues.

Neither of their businesses are making a sufficient amount of money. Additionally, Pete has been lending his father large amounts of money, which not only puts pressure on his shared finances with Debbie, but also causes trust issues between the two. Debbie asked Pete to cut off the transactions with his father, but he continued anyway and lied about it.

4 Pete Owns A Record Label

He's Unable To Adapt To Modern Audiences

While Debbie's business endeavors include her clothing boutique, Pete opens up his own independent record company. However, he's unable to get a decent amount of album sales for his artists, and it's largely because the artists he signs are outdated. This Is 40 follows Pete workshopping ways the Graham Parker & The Rumour reunion could draw in audiences.

Friends and family of Pete remind him of popular artists audiences would much rather support, but he refuses to see the vision. Rather than signing bands like Arcade Fire or finding popular artists reminiscent of Nicki Minaj, Pete is holding out for artists from the 70s. It's only at the end of This Is 40 that Pete starts to see potential in fresh, modern artists, alluding to the possibility that he's able to take his record label in a new direction following the events of the movie.

3 Jason Is Debbie's Trainer

Jason Segel Returns As The Character

A lot of the improvised lines in Knocked Up came from Ben's group of friends. The group has become part of Judd Apatow's rotation of actors, but only Jason Segel returned as his character in This Is 40. While he doesn't mention his connection to Ben or Alison, he remains close with Debbie.

Jason's importance in This Is 40 is scaled down as he's briefly on-screen as Debbie's trainer. Due to her inability to cope with turning 40, Debbie turns to working out in hopes that she will obtain her attractiveness to Pete. Jason reassures Debbie of the positive results of his training, but doesn't contribute to her life in other ways. During Pete's 40th birthday party, Jason makes an appearance, but his character is only there to compete with Ronnie (Chris O'Dowd) for Desi's attention.

2 The Fathers Of Pete And Debbie Are Introduced

Family Continues To Be A Theme

The familial ties in Knocked Up were predominantly focused on the sister relationship between Alison and Debbie, but This Is 40 introduces another member of Debbie's family. Debbie meets for lunch with her biological father, Oliver (John Lithgow). Their relationship is complicated, and it's revealed they haven't seen one another in years.

Pete's dad, Larry (Albert Brooks), is also introduced in This Is 40, but he is far from absent. Larry doesn't feel guilty about his consistent need for Pete's money and feels offended when Pete tells him he has to stop giving it to him for the sake of his family. Both Pete and Debbie feel animosity toward the other's father, feeling as though their actions, Oliver's absence and Larry's seeking of charity, are not fair to their respective children.

1 Ben And Alison Are Meant To Be In Atlanta

Judd Apatow Revealed Cut Details From The Script

Two characters from Knocked Up that are considerably absent from This Is 40 are Ben and Alison. This Is 40 has an inconsistency surrounding the relationship between Ben and Alison and Debbie and Pete. The former couple are never mentioned in the sequel, aside from a brief mention when Pete says he got a marijuana cookie from Ben the last time they were in town.

Even though the characters aren't mentioned in This Is 40, Judd Apatow did share his idea of where the couple's future took them. Apatow said that Ben and Alison had moved to Atlanta and the latter no longer works at E!, and instead got a job at CNN (via Slash Film). Apatow ended up omitting this from the final script because he views Debbie and Pete as a future version of Ben and Alison. Both couples are ultimately an exaggeration of Apatow and Leslie Mann, so he didn't feel the need to continue with Ben and Alison's story.