December 22, 2024 21:57 PM

‘This Is Us’ Episode 16 Recap: ‘Memphis’ Showed William’s Fate And It’s Heartbreaking

Fans of "This Is Us" have known all along that this dreadful day would come. But as the series went on, viewers hoped that it won't have to be so soon, but the episode titled "Memphis" made our nightmares come true. This beloved character passed away. Spoilers ahead.

We have been warned. Actor Milo Ventimiglia said on Twitter that we are going to need a dayoff from school or work after this latest episode. Creator Dan Fogelman also did his part by saying that the "Memphis" episode is everything. "Performances will simply blow you away," he added.

The latest "This Is Us" episode showed Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and his biological father (William (Ron Cephas Jones) had a bonding moment when they both embarked on a road trip to Memphis to learn about William's past, Entertainment Weekly said.

William has been terminally ill with stomach cancer. A few months ago, Randall faced his father, curious and angry, about why he abandoned him. Things turned out okay for them, as William took Randall in his home. Now going back to their Memphis trip, the two stopped on their way to pay respects to Jack (Milo Ventimiglia).

William showed Randall into his childhood home, and in flashbacks, William can be seen as a baby, raised single-handidly by his mother, after his father died in a war. During the '70s, William went back to Pittsburgh to take care of his sick mother, even if this meant pausing his promising musical career.

William was heartbroken when his mother passed away, and he turned to addiction, which resulted to William leaving Randall in that fire station and dropped off at the hospital where Jack and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) would adopt him, People said.

Back to where Randall and William were, the latter had to be taken to a hospital so he could recover before the trip home. However, it was made clear that there won't be a trip back, because William is just too weak. Then, William told Randall proudly: "You deserve the beautiful life you've made."

He then gave Randall his collection of poems that he had been holding onto for several years. Finally, William gave his last breath while Randall was holding him. William can then be seen going into the afterlife, embracing his mother.

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