‘This Is Us’ episode 16: Did William die during Memphis trip?

At the center of Tuesday night’s new episode of “This Is Us” entitled “Memphis” was a specter of death, and the possibility that at one point or another, the road trip for William and Randall was going to go south. After all, we knew that William’s health was failing, just as we were also know a thing or two about the show’s reputation. This is a series that does have a tendency to rip out your heart only to then stomp on it later.

What we’re trying to say here is simple: We were VERY much expecting to see William go during this episode. Given that Jack was already dead, this made the idea of this all the more heartbreaking.

The good news was at about the 50-minute mark in the episode, William was at least still alive, and there were many beautiful / happy moments that we got to see throughout his story with his son. Randall met more of his family, understood his roots, and learned more about where William came from and why he made some of the decisions that he made.

There was a part of tonight’s episode that was very much true to life, mostly because sometimes someone is okay at one moment and is gone the next. What made William’s death all the more powerful was probably the fact that it was one that felt so relatable to many people out there. We were experiencing some moments of celebration, and then a few moments later, we were experiencing great loss.

This was not easy — it NEVER would be easy. Yet, we give all of the credit in the world to “This Is Us” and the writers for tackling this subject with grace, power, dignity, and heart. This episode may have been a wonderful reminder to many that this show really is one of the best on all TV, let alone just a major network.

What do you want to see on the next episode of “This Is Us”? Share some of your thoughts now with a comment, and click here to preview further what is coming up next. (Photo: NBC.)