In episode 3 of NBC’s This Is Us, we got an in-depth look into Randall and William’s story. Specifically, we saw how William met Randall’s mother, how his addiction led him to give up his child, and Rebecca’s secret past with William. The episode was filled with heartwarming moments, as usual. We were also given our fair share of tear-jerking moments as well. Here are 10 moments from “Kyle” that will definitely make you misty-eyed.
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1. William’s Drug-Addiction Montage
We’ve already been introduced to William’s drug addiction, which led him to give up Randall at a fire station. But seeing him as a young, strapping poet on the bus really brought home how tragic his story was. We saw him as an aspiring writer who met a beautiful girl and fell in love, and then unfortunately watched as addiction overcame both of them. Randall was left sad and alone, with a child he couldn’t take care of. Seeing all of these vital moments in his life play out on the bus we know he’s so fond of made it that much harder to watch.
2. Kate’s Ballad
When Toby wakes up and nurses a hangover from the Hollywood party he and Kate attended the night before, he hears her singing in the shower. To his (and our) surprise, she has an incredible voice. We’ve only known Kate to be fierce, but incredibly insecure about the spotlight. It was a beautiful surprise to see this gift of hers. But when pressed about why she’s never pursued it, she heartbreakingly says, “When I was really young, Cyndi Lauper was kind of my jam. ‘Time After Time’ cover was … I rocked it. I rocked it like it was my job. But then I grew up … and I grew. And I try to avoid the spotlight.”
3. William Watches His Son Leave the Hospital
When Randall first met William, he basically admits that he has no recollection of leaving him at a fire station. However, a flashback shows us that, not only did he leave him at a fire station, he followed the firefighters to the hospital and watched to make sure his son was left in a good home. It was heartbreaking to realize that he told his son that he has no recollection of leaving him, when in fact, he was very conscious of his selfless decision.
4. He Feels Like a Stranger
Despite the seemingly beautiful moment in which Jack and Rebecca decided to take Randall (aka Kevin) home, things weren’t as easy as they seemed. Though Jack refused to see the negative, Rebecca admitted that their adopted son “felt like a stranger” because he wouldn’t latch on for breastfeeding. It’s a hard truth, but not every adoption will automatically feel like a blood connection.
5. Rebecca’s Relationship with William
While we thought all this time that William had no idea about Jack and Rebecca and vice versa, we found out that Rebecca actually reached out and met William shortly after adopting Randall. She wanted to know her new son’s parents and find out how to better connect with him. Even more sad, it showed that William and Rebecca both had to keep this from Randall, who desperately wanted to know his biological parents all his life.
6. William Realizes His Downfalls
Despite starting a good relationship with his son, the visit from Rebecca reminded William that he was never a father to Randall. As he says, he doesn’t have the right to come in and reap the benefits of someone else’s parenting, so he leaves again.
7. You Can Fix Her, Right?
Poor Jack is desperate to start his happy family, but his wife’s internal struggle to connect with her children stands in the way. He wants so badly for her to be happy that he goes back to the doctor to ask if he can “fix her.” He learns that she’s going to have to get through this with his support, and only time will help her bond with her kids.
8. William’s Results
We knew William was sick, but it still hurt just as badly hearing the news from the doctor. There was a part of us (and probably Randall) hoping that maybe he was getting better or he wasn’t as sick as first described. The doctor told William that they’re in the late stages of his condition, and not much can be done. Randall refuses to let that be the end of it.
9. Playing “Second Banana” to Kate’s Brother
Toby has been probably the most consistently sweet character on This Is Us so far. He cares so much for Kate and wants so badly for her to love herself as much as he clearly loves her. He’s always there to make her (and us) smile, so it was sad to see how Kate constantly prioritizing Kevin over him made him feel. We hadn’t seen Toby upset or have his feelings hurt before.
10. From Kyle to Randall
Learning Randall’s one connection to his birth father hit us all in the feels. His father was a poet who loved the work of Dudley Randall. With Randall (then known as Kyle) not bonding with Rebecca yet, it took changing his name (and giving him that slight connection to his father) for the child to finally latch on to Rebecca. That was the last contribution William made to his son’s life.
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Which moment from “Kyle” did you think was the saddest? Tell us in the comments below!
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(Images courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
