Warning: This post contains spoilers about last night's episode of This Is Us.
Writing off a fan-favorite TV character is never easy. But for someone with Stage IV cancer, like William (Ron Cephas Jones), we were always on borrowed time.
And in yesterdays' emotional episode, William and Randall's (Sterling K. Brown) time together came to an end. Randall drove William to his hometown, Memphis, where William passed away at a local hospital.
The episode was just as emotional for the actors as it was for viewers. So This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman tried to ease the pain for the show's cast members by adding a sweet note to the script.
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#ThisIsUs SPOILER ALERT!
— Dan Fogelman (@Dan_Fogelman) February 22, 2017
Here's the note I wrote for cast and crew at end of script for tonight's episode. Here it is for our great fans. pic.twitter.com/HLUxhxrRJq
Fogelman shared a photo of his note on Twitter, and it hearkens back to a powerful scene earlier in the season. Remember when Kevin (Justin Hartley) told Randall's kids that just because someone might not be around anymore, their memory still lives on (as in the case of his painting)? His quote puts William's death in perspective. Randall is grieving, but he got to know his father in his last days, and he was able to form a bond with him that he won't forget. William may not be on screen anymore in This Is Us, but he'll always be a part of the painting.