This Is Us Review: Memphis (Season 1 Episode 16)

The episode we have all been collectively dreading has arrived.

On This Is Us Season 1 Episode 16, “Memphis,”a self-contained episode that follows Randall and William as they take a road trip, ends with William’s tragic and inevitable death.

“Memphis” is an extraordinary and painful hour that demonstrates how the show uses flashbacks to its advantage.

What I love about this episode is that this entire time we have mostly looked at William through Randall’s perspective, but this time the focus is mainly on William and his life, his death, and in a sense, his legacy.

Throughout the episode, we travel to a time we haven’t gone before – William’s childhood.

We learn that fittingly, William grew up fatherless. His mother raised him alone after his father died in war, and she was his constant growing up.

Spliced between William’s youth are present day scenes of William and Randall on their journey to Memphis. Their first pit stop is a park where some of Jack’s ashes were buried, and it’s truly a special scene.

To see William thank Jack for raising Randall is a heartfelt moment that feels sincere, and drives in the idea that Randall is about to lose yet another father.

Later, the two find William’s childhood home where William digs up some old toys he had hidden away in a hiding spot. There is a sense of nostalgia and innocence in the episode, especially in the way the past is recounted.

Another cool thing we learn about is how William fell into drugs. We revisit the cute montage of him on the bus where he met Randall’s mother.

However, this time we go in a little deeper.

Around this time, William is playing with a band and has some direction and purpose in his life. But, then his mother, who has been his support system and the most important person in his life, becomes terminally ill.

Once she passes away, he falls into a depression and starts using, ruining his plans with the band.

As William’s story has always been about forgiveness, another pit stop is the bar club he used to play at.  He reunites with his old friend, gets to apologize for the wrong he has done in the past, and for the last time, William gets on stage and plays his heart out.

William passes away the next morning, but not before sharing a beautiful scene with Randall. It’s as excruciating as one would think, but feels like a perfect end to a well-told story.

To tell some part of William’s origin story in the same episode he dies may seem like a trick played by the writers. It may seem like the writers are using cheap manipulation to make an already emotional circumstance even more sentimental and brutal.

But instead, learning about William and his crucial relationship with his mom commemorates his life.

It is an example of how the show verges on being to mawkish, but is able to reel itself back and be dignified in discussing heavy subject matters.

I’m not sure what William’s death means for the rest of the series. So much of Randall’s arc was about creating a relationship with his birth father. Now that he had one and subsequently lost it, it’s hard to imagine where he goes from here, especially in terms of next season.

But it’s worth noting that the episode successfully concluded a story that was all about forgiveness, catharsis, and second chances.

In that, William’s death serves a huge purpose in fulfilling and completing one of the better told arcs on the show.

Other final thoughts:

• I’m really impressed with some of the dialogue in this episode. One of my favorites is when William tells Randall he wants the girls to remember looking up at him, not looking down.
• Shout out to Milo Ventimiglia’s laugh! Seriously, his whole-hearted, belly laugh alone will make anyone fall in love with him.
• I’m really going to miss Ron Cephas Jones. This actor brought such a quiet tenderness to his character. I was really touched by his sweet and honest portrayal.  (I suspect we will still see young William sporadically through Jermel Nakia, or at least I hope so, because he’s also terrific.)

What did you think of this episode of This Is Us? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

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