S01.E16: Memphis

[luna1122]

5 minutes ago, Laurie4H said:

 

What was the point of William being gay?  It wasn't explored,  they didn't show him say goodbye to his partner.  Was it just added for political reasons?

I thought it was a bit hokey that his cousin was sitting in the same spot in the bar 40 years later?  Also did William ever call him to say he wasn't coming back or did they just not speak for 40 years?

I guess I just figure William was bisexual, as some folks are, and that's all there is to it. I do not put it past this show that they did it just for supposed shock value, just to have a twist, or whatever, but maybe not. Some people are bi, they have various kinds of relationships in their life, and that's where William was. I does bug me that Jesse seemed to be just a plot contrivance rather than a real character, tho.

I did find it absurd that his cousin was just sitting there in the same spot, and that they hadn't spoken in 40 years, for whatever reasons, if that's what the implication was. But weirder things happen, I suppose.

[saber5055]

I would think during all the time William lived in Randall's house he would have mentioned all the cousins in Memphis. If not, then that could have been part of the 16+ hour drive. I also hope anyone who has never sat with and watched a family member die from cancer doesn't think it's as neat and tidy as William's death ... lucid, insightful conversation followed by immediate death. I know it's tv, but many people think fictional shows are RL.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I agree with someone earlier  wishing we had seen Kevin and William say good bye.  I loved the dialogs between these two.

[Happytobehere]

Amazing, heartbreaking, inspiring, and simply amazing.  I would put this episode of This Is Us up against the very best episode of any show currently on television for judging because I dare anyone to challenge the greatness of what we witnessed.

[elle]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

This is off-topic, but what happened to Milo's arm?

He said on The Tonight Show that he had to have surgery on his arm due to a few torn tendons. 

 

9 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I did find it absurd that his cousin was just sitting there in the same spot, and that they hadn't spoken in 40 years, for whatever reasons, if that's what the implication was. But weirder things happen, I suppose

He said he owned the club, so in that context it makes sense.  Plus, there is the whole artistic then and now staging.  William said that he was too ashamed to call his cousin, which is why they had not talked in so long.  His cousin either did not know where to call William or just expected him to call.  I would think that there was at least one call to say  that his mom was more sick than she had let on and the he was going to stay in Philadelphia and maybe one to say that she had died.  William may have been too upset to make that call and then the rest of life happened.

Watching the scenes between the two I had in mind the advice his mother had given him before she left to take care of her mom.  She told William to not let "that charmer of a cousin" to pull him into his schemes (paraphrasing).  I was expecting for his cousin to be the one get him hooked, well played show.

Randall's mom's name is Laurel not Laura, according to CC.

[Biggie B]

Re: cousin Ricky at the bar after so many years. He said to William, "Get out of my bar," so I assumed he now owned the place...which maybe William had heard through the musician grapevine over the years...and William gambled on the fact that, as owner, Ricky would be there.

Oops, I see elle beat me to the explanation. Great minds, etc..

Edited February 22, 2017 by Biggie B

[atiyah9369]

14 hours ago, SimoneS said:

Thanks for sharing this. I try to stay from actors in real life so as not to be disappointed, but SKB was a joy to watch in that video. He loves the show and is so grateful that his career is blowing up. I smiled when he was tearing up, even after watching the episode five times. Those of us who teared up have that in common with him.

After watching Sterling K. as Chris Darden in the People vs. OJ Simpson, I decided that I would watch whatever he did next. When I read he was going to be in this new show "This Is Us" I knew had to watch. I hoped that he wouldn't just be in a supporting role, but boy has Fogelman surpassed my expectations, featuring SKB as one of the leads. I am so excited that he has gotten roles in the Black Panther as well as the new Predator movie.

SKB has been one of my favorite actors since Army Wives. I felt the same way when I saw he was going to be in a new show. I will be watching. I have not been disappointed at all.

[mojoween]

Working around books all day sounds like a dream job to me too mama.

[OtterMommy]

I wish that I had been able to watch this last night when it first aired on the East Coast (I'm on the west coast), because a quick scroll through my FB feed before it even aired here spoiled it.  Thanks so much....

Anyway, I still cried and I still enjoyed the episode.  I'm going to force myself not to think too much about this particular ep--I know I can find things to nitpick, but I'd rather just leave this one right here.

I will say that I think that I'm glad that SKB is the actor playing the child and going through this.  I'm not saying that I don't enjoy Chrissy Metz or Justin Hartley, but I don't think either of them are up to pulling off a story line like this one.  Also, drunk Randall channeling Oprah will stay with me forever....

[Duke2801]

Welp.  I knew I was a goner when I was tearing up 5 minutes in.  By the end? Yeah, full on sobbing. 

That was brutal.  And beautiful. 

This show, man, this show...  I SWEAR I am not normally a crier.  But something about these characters, the way this show is written, it just really GETS to me.  In a good way. 

[roughing it]

Good casting - Randall has his Grandma's dimples!

[MsJamieDornan]

2 hours ago, Biggie B said:

Many sorts of occupations entail being a partner in the organization for which they work, such as an architectural firm. "Partner" implies one who has an equity interest in the company - someone who shares ownership of the company, as well as profits and losses. So it's not just law firms who have that sort of structure. As for Randall, wasn't there an episode called Career Day, or something similar, in which Randall's job was explained (sort of)? I can't recall the fine details but I'm sure others here will recall and explain what he does.

Yes, he explained his job.. My main question is if he is a partner in the business why was the boss able to take clients away and assign them to the other guy, or even bring the other guy in without Randall knowing? Because I do know the meaning of partner and that boss thing seemed kind of odd.  Obviously, Randall does not have full control of the business, but he should have some say in what goes on with his clients.

[Biggie B]

Quote

My main question is if he is a partner in the business why was the boss able to take clients away and assign them to the other guy, or even bring the other guy in without Randall knowing?

Who knows what the terms of the partnership agreement are? There may be provisions that give the senior partners - Randall's boss, for example - the leeway to pick and choose who gets what work. Not all partnerships are equal. I worked at one law firm (and again, we know Randall's not an attorney) in which there were non-equity partners and they had very little say in certain matters. It also makes for better drama on a TV show. It put a ton of pressure on Randall and helped contribute to his breakdown.

[topanga]

13 minutes ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Yes, he explained his job.. My main question is if he is a partner in the business why was the boss able to take clients away and assign them to the other guy, or even bring the other guy in without Randall knowing? Because I do know the meaning of partner and that boss thing seemed kind of odd.  Obviously, Randall does not have full control of the business, but he should have some say in what goes on with his clients.

 

4 minutes ago, Biggie B said:

Who knows what the terms of the partnership agreement are? There may be provisions that give the senior partners - Randall's boss, for example - the leeway to pick and choose who gets what work. Not all partnerships are equal. I worked at one law firm (and again, we know Randall's not an attorney) in which there were non-equity partners and they had very little say in certain matters. It also makes for better drama on a TV show. It put a ton of pressure on Randall and helped contribute to his breakdown.

I wonder if Randall will stay with that company. I know his family needs his income, but he seemed really happy being away from work, even when sitting in the psychiatrist's office with Beth. And not manic-happy like he was on Thanksgiving. But relaxed and full of joy. 

[Biggie B]

I said in an earlier post that I felt like Randall is now at a crossroads - he just went through something extremely profound. He may now question many aspects of his life. I think he's a different person now. I'm curious to see where the show takes him, and I think (hope) that will be explored next season.

[Duke2801]

16 hours ago, Runningwild said:

Wow. That totally wrecked me. Love this show but sometimes it's hard to watch. I can't go right to bed. I need some comedy or an Ole Miss basketball win to help me recover. 

I legitimately had to watch an old episode of 30 Rock after this ended.  No lie. 

16 hours ago, 17wheatthins said:

That was an absolutely perfect episode, even though it ended with William dying. I also knew it would happen this episode when it started with his birth. How bittersweet and beautiful was the ending, with William dancing with his mother at different ages, seeing Randall's face as he breathed, and then finally seeing his mother again. And then Randall opening the windows.  Oh, I cried but it was such a satisfying cry. I told my son that he (William) died happy and we should all be so lucky, and that final road trip was as much for Randall so he would have those memories to hold onto, as it was for William. 

Wonderful episode. 

Oh man, now I'm even tearing up at the PTV posts about this episode.   Very well said, 17WheatThins.

15 hours ago, luna1122 said:

Well, I'm made of stone, I guess, or i'm a stone cold bitch, cuz no tears were shed. This show has never yet made me cry, and it still didn't. And here's why: I knew, the second that Randall told the story about jack calming him down by placing his hands on either side of his face and telling him to just breathe, that that would be the end of the episode, that Randall would do that as William died. I bet my honey, who came in halfway thru, that that would be what happened. It just always removes me, when a film or tv show telegraphs so hugely and widely and sledgehammer-ly, and it makes me a little resentful. It's a sad story, trust us to get it without the sledgehammer effect. And the ducks were really just overkill. And I love ducks! 

All that said, the acting was superb. I'll miss William. I wish Jesse had been mentioned. Sterling brown is a superior performer; he does tragedy and comedy and tragicomedy better than anyone. I don't quite find Randall and Beth as adorable as the therapist does, or as they do. I liked William 'meeting' jack, that was nice. 

But no tears. And I cried earlier today over a video of a pit bull finally getting a forever home. I'm really not dead inside. This show just leaves me a little cold when it tries so hard to wring tears from me. 

As for the bolded, I completely hear you and I agree.  I've never cried at the funeral scene in Steal Magnolias because I think Sally Field's acting is too over the top.  "The Body" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (an episode that just about all viewers agree is heart wrenching) left me cold (errr no pun intended).  Heck, I didn't even cry at the finale of 6 Feet Under (even though I thought it was superbly well done).

For some reason, though, I don't feel that way about this show, or this last episode.  I thought William's death was handled in a very poignant, but also very realistic way.  No over the top yelling or sobbing (um at least not by the characters.... different story altogether in my living room) Of course, as it's been pointed out, the incredible, yet understated, acting by SKB and RCJ made it a really special, powerful, and heartbreaking scene.

[Cardie]

5 hours ago, Neurochick said:

ETA:  And to think, the first thing I saw SKB in was playing Gordon in "Supernatural

Me too.

[DearEvette]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Hey, its Paper Boi from Atlanta as Williams cousin Rickey! First he shows up as a lawyer over on How to get away with murder, and now here! Also playing the more trouble making musician cousin of a main character (although Ricky seems like WAY less trouble then Paper Boi), but he played it totally differently. He has a great voice and stage presence. If Paper Boi ever wants to leave the rap game, he could easily transition into R&B/Blues.

I love that someone on twitter said Paper Boi -- he's a rapper, a lawyer and a club singer!  For me, Paper Boi was the break out character in Atlanta.  Just the one I walk away from thinking about the  most.  I was tickled to learn that Brian Tyree Henry is a  Yale Drama trained thespian and SKB's best friend and godfather to his child. 

[Divamac]

I was blown away by this episode for so many reasons. I am an adult adoptee and an adoptive mom. I also lost my dad a number of years ago and was holding his hand as he passed. This episode - no, this entire series - is told with such love and respect. All of it feels so real. As I sit here, quietly sobbing for the beauty of this episode, and how it touched the deep emotion I have for my own adoption, my love and hopes for my son, and the deep loss I feel for my father is a testament to the writing and acting. This one's going to stay with me for a long time.

[JudyObscure]

32 minutes ago, Duke2801 said:

I've never cried at the funeral scene in Steal Magnolias because I think Sally Field's acting is too over the top. 

I've never cried at the funeral scene either, but I always cry when Dolly Parton's husband does something nice for her because you can tell she wasn't sure he loved her that much.  (I'm tearing up just typing that.)  Point being, the writers have to sneak up on me a little bit and all Luna said about the sledge hammer effect this show sometimes brings is true for me. Almost anytime I feel like, "Now you're supposed to cry,"  I freeze up.

[luna1122]

32 minutes ago, Duke2801 said:

As for the bolded, I completely hear you and I agree.  I've never cried at the funeral scene in Steal Magnolias because I think Sally Field's acting is too over the top.  "The Body" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (an episode that just about all viewers agree is heart wrenching) left me cold (errr no pun intended).  Heck, I didn't even cry at the finale of 6 Feet Under (even though I thought it was superbly well done).

For some reason, though, I don't feel that way about this show, or this last episode.  I thought William's death was handled in a very poignant, but also very realistic way.  No over the top yelling or sobbing (um at least not by the characters.... different story altogether in my living room) Of course, as it's been pointed out, the incredible, yet understated, acting by SKB and RCJ made it a really special, powerful, and heartbreaking scene.

I disliked the emotional scenes in 'Steel Magnolias' (tho I liked the stage play) for just this reason--so over the top and histrionic. I adored the "Six Feet Under' finale tho I don't recall crying; I just found it immensely, satisfyingly sad, and didn't find it manipulative. I actually cry easily and often over art and entertainment that I love, sometimes even when it's not necessarily a great show, tho more often when it is.  I wept for days over the 'Hannibal' finale, I cried over the deaths of Henry Blake and Glenn Rhee and Gary Shephard and Jin and Sun and Charlie and Jack and Vincent the dog on 'lost', etc, etc. And it could certainly be argued that some of those are manipulative, tho they didn't feel that way to me at the time, which might be the difference.  I'm feeling a little Scrooge-y here, being so unmoved by this episode.  Well, I wasn't actually unmoved, the acting was lovely and the death, tho expected, quite poignant. It was all just so predictable to me tho. Not that he'd die, that was a given, but the way it was handled. All so projected. The very instant Randall told about Jack comforting him, I knew EXACTLY how it would end, and it did. I get that that doesn't bug some people, it just truly does me. And I haven't lost a parent, so those who found it touched upon a real life experience--well, I get that, of course.  But I was taken out of it all as soon as I knew how it would all play out. And don't get me started on the ducks, tho they were adorable. But I'm clearly a minority opinion here.

[AriAu]

Very strong episode and I do agree that it is clear how much stronger SKB is as an actor than his siblings. His ability to show the full range of emotions in this episode was award worthy-there was incredible joy ("you've got a cousin, you've got a cousin, we've all got a cousin") to embarrassment (when his father took apart the chimney) to excitement (walkng into the club) to nurturing (his wife and his father) to profound sorrow was the stuff that you don't see from lesser actors.

Quote

The only thing that slightly dinged this for a point or two off was that William's great love Jesse, who was going to see him through to the end, was nowhere to be seen and never spoken of.  Seems like they really kind of dropped that thread, which is a thing they do on this show.

I was shocked that Randall did not offer to get in touch with Jesse (only get his kids down there), but it is possible that William had already taken care of that, but still would have expected to have had Randall offer.

Liked how there were only 4 ducks to represent what was left of his family-the Peabody famously has a whole parade of ducks.

I cant believe we will see the older William again, except maybe in some dream sequence, UNLESS he somehow had some near contact with Randall or Rebecca, and I would have thought we would have heard about that, OR we see something on how he gets from Pittsburgh to New Jersey. On the other hand, I think we will see young William some more to teach some life lesson.

By the way, wow was young William quite the mama's boy. Not just the way he acted, but the fact that he death had to have some impact on the drug use since he seemed pretty clean before that.

I would not mind a little more back story on why the "cuz" was sooooo pissed. It had to be way more than leaving the band and not coming back. At the very least, Ricky must have known the trouble that William had gotten himself into in the big city.

[saber5055]

I'm joining the "This Show Has Never Made Me Cry But The Pitpull Being Adopted Did" club. Membership is around three so far, I guess. I still like the show, it just doesn't bring the tears from me. Yet anyway.

[Biggie B]

luna1122, I am of the same opinion. No tears from me either, but I did find many moments deeply satisfying. I think the tree scene was the best for me because it was very straight forward. William said what was on his mind in a calm way. No fuss, no muss. Just "thanks for doing what I couldn't do." I even liked the little "Cool," that William said as he walked away from the bench. I think if he'd been able, he would've brushed his hands together in a "that's that" motion. I appreciated the pragmatism of that scene, for lack of a better descriptor.

I think Mark Green's death on 'ER' was the only time I actually had a tear or two run down my face and even that was largely driven by the music that played as he died. Music affects me far, far more deeply than acting. I can barely listen to certain pieces of music without gasping back the sobs.

I for one do not need to see any more William. He's gone. As much as I like cousin Ricky, I am fine if I don't see him again. He, too, served a purpose and served it well. I feel as if I have enough insight into William's past. I want the show to move forward, even though I know the flashbacks to Jack and Rebecca's life together are a driving force of the show. But I gotta say, I sure didn't miss them at all last night.

[Earmuffs Mom]

This episode hit way too close to home for me.  My dad's name was William...he was an addict...I was/am the perfectionist child who took the road with him through terminal lung cancer that was supposed to give us 6-9 more months and gave us only 9 weeks...who sang "You Are My Sunshine" to him during his final days ... and who was there for his final breath on this earth.  All of that happened over 7.5 years ago and  last night took me right back to that time.  That is a testament to the powerful, poignant, and real writing of an exceptional TV show.  I just discovered SKB last year in The People v. OJ Simpson and also found out he is from my hometown.  His FB live post after the show did not lessen my tears.  The respect and care he takes in handling this role is so impressive!

[Clanstarling]

5 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

But isn't that an Oprah phrase?  LOL

It is (was?). I didn't particularly like that (though I liked Oprah). But I LOVED drunk Randall saying it.

4 hours ago, topanga said:

Speaking of minor distractions, it bothered me when Randall said that by making the bed in the motel, it would be one less thing for someone to have to do. But they were checking out that morning. Motels change the sheets (or are supposed to) between guests. If not, then Ewww. A throwaway line from Randall would have satisfied me: "I know the maids are going to change the sheets anyway, but I still like to make the bed."  And thanks whoever posted that SKB likes to make his bed IRL. He can come over to my house and make my bed anytime (in more ways than one. wink-wink).

I know! I cringed at the thought of a bed maybe not getting remade because it didn't look slept in. Ick!

1 minute ago, Earmuffs Mom said:

This episode hit way too close to home for me.  My dad's name was William...he was an addict...I was/am the perfectionist child who took the road with him through terminal lung cancer that was supposed to give us 6-9 more months and gave us only 9 weeks...who sang "You Are My Sunshine" to him during his final days ... and who was there for his final breath on this earth.  All of that happened over 7.5 years ago and  last night took me right back to that time.  That is a testament to the powerful, poignant, and real writing of an exceptional TV show.  I just discovered SKB last year in The People v. OJ Simpson and also found out he is from my hometown.  His FB live post after the show did not lessen my tears.  The respect and care he takes in handling this role is so impressive!

I didn't have as many connections, but I did have some. "You are my Sunshine" was the song my father sang to me (which, when you really listen to the lyrics, is really kind of an odd lullaby, borderline creepy - but it worked for this episode), and my Mom passed within two weeks of her diagnosis, though she was given 3 - 6 months. In that hospital room, I really wanted Randall to play some of William's favorite music (which is what we did for my Mom, she died while hearing songs from her youth).

[topanga]

16 minutes ago, AriAu said:

Very strong episode and I do agree that it is clear how much stronger SKB is as an actor than his siblings. His ability to show the full range of emotions in this episode was award worthy-there was incredible joy ("you've got a cousin, you've got a cousin, we've all got a cousin") to embarrassment (when his father took apart the chimney) to excitement (walkng into the club) to nurturing (his wife and his father) to profound sorrow was the stuff that you don't see from lesser actors.

Quote

The only thing that slightly dinged this for a point or two off was that William's great love Jesse, who was going to see him through to the end, was nowhere to be seen and never spoken of.  Seems like they really kind of dropped that thread, which is a thing they do on this show.

I was shocked that Randall did not offer to get in touch with Jesse (only get his kids down there), but it is possible that William had already taken care of that, but still would have expected to have had Randall offer.

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment. Yes, SKB is great, and he's my favorite cast member by far, but could part of the reason his acting seems better than his siblings' is because Randall has a more complex, compelling storyline than either Kevin or Kate?

And where has Jesse been these past few weeks? Now that William is essentially homebound, I would have expected Jesse to be there, or at least visit occasionally. Maybe they've already said their goodbyes, and William doesn't want Jesse to see him dying. 

[ShadowFacts]

1 minute ago, topanga said:

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment. Yes, SKB is great, and he's my favorite cast member by far, but could part of the reason his acting seems better than his siblings' is because Randall has a more complex, compelling storyline than either Kevin or Kate?

I think that is part of it, yes.  For me Randall's family has been at the heart of the show, and Kate and Kevin's stories of weight and career problems and relationships have been weaker in comparison.  I'm curious to see if Randall recedes a little and the other two become more compelling.  I don't think either one of them are in the same acting league, though. 

[SiobhanJW]

I never cry, but this show finally broke me. Wow Sterling & Ron Cephas Jones what amazing performances. I was talking about the episode with some co-workers earlier, and we all had tears in our eyes just talking about it. 

Wow. What a great episode of Television. 

[topanga]

Catching up from my "list of posts I want to respond to and quote:"

18 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I always forget to credit Jermel Nakia who plays the younger William. He always captures William's sensitivity, vulnerability, and flaws perfectly. I will miss him as much as I will Ron Cephas Jones.

In early episodes, I actually wondered if it was the same actor. Jermel's and Ron's performances made the transition from young William to old William absolutely flawless. 

 

17 hours ago, hovegeta said:

very sad episode, so long william, one complaint i had was when the banana and the chicken being offered to william , it felt like a bad stereotype thrown in, regardless of that flaw good episode

Hmmm. I didn't see it as a stereotype. Randall mentioned that Beth went overboard packing fruits and vegetables for the trip. And since bananas are high in potassium, I figured that's why Randall offered it to William. 

And chicken is traditional long car trip food for people (many black people, anyway) who want something more substantial than sandwiches but healthier than fast food. 

 

16 hours ago, breezy424 said:

What bothered me was the 'jump' from Willy being this great guy and song writer going from that to a drug addict.  Yeah, his mother died and his girlfriend went from this sweet caring person to drug addict because of a neighbor of William's mom?   I get that William's mom dying was a very big deal.  It just was a really big leap for me, for both characters.

Unfortunately, most drug addicts start using under the influence of family or a significant other. Maybe Laura (Lauren?) used drugs casually before she started hanging out with the neighbor, which turned her casual use into a daily habit. And in one scene, Laura and the neighbor were sitting close together on the couch. Maybe they were just sharing drugs. Or maybe she was cheating on William and thought William was too "square." So William could have started using drugs to show Laura how cool he was and worthy of being her boyfriend. 

Edited February 22, 2017 by topanga

[BoogieBurns]

8 minutes ago, topanga said:

Maybe Laura (Lauren?)

I think Laurel is the official name of Randall's birth mom.

[catrox14]

Awww. I thought this was cute. I love Lord Mesa's work

[ShadowFacts]

14 minutes ago, topanga said:

Unfortunately, most drug addicts start using under the influence of family or a significant other. Maybe Laura (Lauren?) used drugs casually before she started hanging out with the neighbor, which turned her casual use into a daily habit. And in one scene, Laura and the neighbor were sitting close together on the couch. Maybe they were just sharing drugs. Or maybe she was cheating on William and thought William was too "square." So William could have started using drugs to show Laura how cool he was and worthy of being her boyfriend. 

For me it seemed that his mother's death was the main trigger.  He resisted all attempts to party and use during the scenes with the cousin and other musicians at the club, and that's pretty much peer pressure.  Laurel being a user and William maybe being insecure about that neighbor played into it, too, but I think the loss of his mom put him over the edge.  He was at a very vulnerable point.  That wasn't a leap to me at all.

[Clanstarling]

48 minutes ago, topanga said:

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment. Yes, SKB is great, and he's my favorite cast member by far, but could part of the reason his acting seems better than his siblings' is because Randall has a more complex, compelling storyline than either Kevin or Kate?

I agree. The actors who play Kevin and Kate certainly seem to do a good job within what their storylines have been so far, but there hasn't been anything truly deep and complicated about them yet.

[topanga]

13 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

Awww. I thought this was cute. I love Lord Mesa's work

Great artwork. He even included Randall's hands. Forgive me, I'm a hands person. And SKB has the sexiest hands. 

 

19 minutes ago, BoogieBurns said:

I think Laurel is the official name of Randall's birth mom.

Thanks!

[camom]

I admit to shedding a couple of tears over this episode, but I think it was mainly due to my memories of being there when my own father died a few years ago.  I'm not one to cry at movies or TV shows (I didn't even cry watching 'Ghost' but have been known to cry at a Hallmark commercial).  But I thought this was so very well done.  One of the best hours of TV I've seen in a very, very long time.  Bravo.

[Clanstarling]

One thing I wanted to mention. I truly appreciate that in this particular episode, neither William or Randall expressed any regret/anger/bitterness over Rebecca's decision to keep William out of his life. They didn't dilute this beautiful piece with rancor or blame.

Edited to say: at least I don't remember any specific comment about it.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Clanstarling

[Court]

19 minutes ago, topanga said:

Great artwork. He even included Randall's hands. Forgive me, I'm a hands person. And SKB has the sexiest hands. 

 

Thanks!

Yes, he does. The man is especially gorgeous when he smiles and laughs. 

[ShadowFacts]

8 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

One thing I wanted to mention. I truly appreciate that in this particular episode, neither William or Randall expressed any regret/anger/bitterness over Rebecca's decision to keep William out of his life. They didn't dilute this beautiful piece with rancor or blame.

Edited to say: at least I don't remember any specific comment about it.

I don't think it was mentioned and I like that writing choice.  It goes back to William's deep connection to his own mother, that he didn't want to disturb that with Randall and Rebecca.  And by the way, I don't see William as a mama's boy, no, he said it out of his own mouth at the end, the best part of his life was who was at the beginning and the end.  Loving one's only parent, when it's been just the two of them, is about as good as it gets.  Familial love is not a lesser type of love than the romantic kind.  I like that they showed that. 

[Crs97]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

And where has Jesse been these past few weeks? Now that William is essentially homebound, I would have expected Jesse to be there, or at least visit occasionally. Maybe they've already said their goodbyes, and William doesn't want Jesse to see him dying. 

I thought when we first met him, Jesse said that he wanted to be with William for whatever time was left.  William said he didn't want Jesse to see him die, and Jesse was mad that he was making the decision for Jesse.  Not having him there bothered me.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

This Is Us Takes William Home To Memphis

And Randall discovers the depth of his roots.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

"Hey, its Paper Boi from Atlanta as Williams cousin Rickey! First he shows up as a lawyer over on How to get away with murder, and now here!"

I've been a fan of Brian Tyree Henry since his understated role as Winston (aka Scrapper), Oscar Boneau's nephew on Boardwalk Empire.  Love that he is getting some love. 

[mbutterfly]

19 hours ago, SimoneS said:

Yes, that was one of moments I forgot to mention. Randall's pure joy that he finally looks like someone. It was like that boy who kept count of every black man he encountered hit the lottery.

I was adopted and found my birth siblings just a few years ago. I had that great joy, too. People who looked like me. It was amazing even though my adoptive family didn't look so different from me. 

[elle]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

Hmmm. I didn't see it as a stereotype. Randall mentioned that Beth went overboard packing fruits and vegetables for the trip. And since bananas are high in potassium, I figured that's why Randall offered it to William. 

I agree.  And it is probably why Beth packed it along with the rest of the produce department.

It was an interesting coincidence that a banana was one of the many things Milo V had stored in his sling (Tonight Show clip).  Even though it was taped earlier than the airing of this show, I took it as a shout out.

Edited February 23, 2017 by elle

[After7Only]

6 hours ago, MelGoLightly said:

I just think the writers will employ more flashbacks of William post-death to continue telling the story. We know all about Jack even though he's never been alive in present day. I don't see why we can't continue to learn more about William & Randall's mother in the same method, set against present day interactions with Rebecca as a 60something woman. 

Yes, I was thinking exactly that.  I'm hoping season 2 or 3 will explore his birth mother's past, while Randall searches and connects with her side of the family.

I also hope there is an episode that fills in the gap about Randall's hospitalization.

 

2 hours ago, topanga said:

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment. Yes, SKB is great, and he's my favorite cast member by far, but could part of the reason his acting seems better than his siblings' is because Randall has a more complex, compelling storyline than either Kevin or Kate?

I agree to some extent.  Kate really hasn't had much of a compelling storyline.    JH has the charming but selfish part of Kevin's character down.  But I think there's a lot more nuance, sensitivity and complexity to the character that JH touches on, but an actor of SKB's quality would knock out the park.    He's supposed to be a lovable scamp.  But's he so far been more scamp than lovable.  

[Cardie]

6 hours ago, luna1122 said:

I did find it absurd that his cousin was just sitting there in the same spot, and that they hadn't spoken in 40 years, for whatever reasons, if that's what the implication was

His cousin owns the club now, so he probably sits there most of the time it's open. I assume William knew this, even if he couldn't muster a phone call all those years ago to say that he was remaining in Pittsburgh and was out of the songwriting business.

[whoknowswho]

This episode--It frigging GUTTED me.  Period. I bawled like a baby, and I don't generally bawl, or sob, or tear up. Although--someone said above--when Mark Green died on ER--that was probably the last time I cried. Having lost both my parents and not getting that deathbed scene, hokey as it was--well...it just killed me.  I absolutely adored William's character. I LOVED that Randall get's some real blood family--second or third cousins--close or far it doesn't matter.  It simply was a great episode for me.

[HeyThere83]

1 hour ago, After7Only said:

I agree to some extent.  Kate really hasn't had much of a compelling storyline.    JH has the charming but selfish part of Kevin's character down.  But I think there's a lot more nuance, sensitivity and complexity to the character that JH touches on, but an actor of SKB's quality would knock out the park.    He's supposed to be a lovable scamp.  But's he so far been more scamp than lovable.  

I thought CM did a good job with her breakup scene with Toby.

I think the Kevin role is pretty lame, but having said that.....this is one of those roles that I would like to see what another actor would do with it because imo Justin is quite limited as an actor, with little to no range. It's like with his role as Patrick on Revenge.....he did nothing with it. Actually, I thought he was simply not good.

Sterling is great.

[tarheel220]

My first post on here. Just watched the episode and at the end, all I could think was he sent Randall the ducks! I was a sobbing mess.

[Linny]

This was beautiful and sad in all the best ways. William's line about wanting Randall's girls to remember looking up at him, not looking down, hit me SO hard. I was 18 when I watched my mom die in a hospital bed, and William's right--it's gutting to see someone mighty be reduced to something small. I'm glad he spared them that pain. 

I also think there's a lot of poignancy in William's statement that he hadn't had an easy, happy life, but that his life hadn't been sad. That's an important distinction. He lived a full life, even if some circumstances were less than ideal. 

Randall grasping William's face, using Jack's breathing technique with him, bridging the gap between his two fathers, turned me into a complete mess. Such a well done moment.