Randall gains a connection on This Is Us Season 5, episode 5

Randall learned some new information about Laurel on This Is Us Season 5, Episode 5

A viral video has surprising implications for Randall on This Is Us Season 5, Episode 5. Will new revelations change the way that Randall views the world and his place in it?

Let’s talk about what happened with Randall on This Is Us Season 5, Episode 5.

Randall receives a message on This Is Us Season 5, Episode 5

Last time, Randall’s community bulletin live stream went awry; when Deja’s boyfriend Malik, who shadowed Randall for the day, stepped away from the computer. As a result, when Randall finished his address and started undressing for a jog, he unknowingly did so in front of thousands of constituents.

Of course, the video ended up going viral, but by far, the most intriguing part of the story is who that video reached.

As the episode closed, and Randall watched the video accumulate views, the scene transitioned to show an older gentleman, who we knew had a connection to Laurel, rewind the stream repeatedly at the mention of William Hill.

Amid his feud with Kevin and the Black Lives Matter protests, Randall’s been on a journey of self-discovery.

He spent his entire childhood feeling out of sorts being the only Black child in an all-white family and having to wrestle with the realities of being a Black person in America, alone. Now, he’s making a conscious choice to confront that part of his identity head-on, starting by seeing a Black therapist. However, as we’ll see, this revelation is one that will be hard to confront.

Upon arriving to work the next day, Randall gets confronted by some gentle-ribbing, pun very much intended, from his co-workers.

However, when Jae-won hands him a letter submitted through the City Council website, Randall’s mood quickly changes, and he heads home early. When he gets there, Beth, of course, is surprised to see him, and it’s not long before she realizes something is up.

Although Randall turns to head upstairs, he ends up turning back around and hands her the letter. It’s from Hai Lang, a man who lives in New Orleans. He claims to have been a friend of Laurel’s who was by her side when she died in May of 2015.

With the letter, he has included a photo of William and Laurel, seemingly confirming his connection to her and leaving Randall with several questions.

One of the biggest ones at the center of the episode is whether or not William intentionally lied to Randall when he told him that Laurel died after giving birth. As we’ve seen in the past, Randall doesn’t take kindly to having secrets kept from him.

Beth suggests that Randall call his therapist, and although he refuses, wishing to put the thoughts racing through his head behind him, in the next scene, he does.

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Taking the plunge

In conversation with Dr. Vance during This Is Us Season 5, Episode 5, he admits that beyond the perceived betrayal of William, he is wrestling with the fact that although he spent a good chunk of his childhood searching for Laurel, she had 35 years to look for him and allegedly never did. To this, Dr. Vance asks him why he always continued to look for her despite coming up short.

When Randall tells him that he wished to find roots in something bigger than himself and agrees that knowing William’s story helped fulfill that wish, Dr. Vance suggests that knowing Laurel’s past may also contribute something of value. However, it’s a conversation with Kevin later that day that allows Randall to take the plunge and give Hai a call with Beth at his side.

When he does, Hai is overjoyed. Right away, we learn that it was breast cancer that ended Laurel’s life, not a drug overdose. Randall then cuts to the chase and asks Hai if William had intentionally lied about Laurel’s fate. To this, Hai tells him that, no, as far as he knew, William told Randall what he believed to be the truth.

Hai tells Randall and Beth that he met Laurel in Orleans Parish when they were in their 20s.

He then apologizes for his shy demeanor, telling them that he did not expect to feel so strange talking about Laurel over the phone. He then makes an offhand comment, saying that he wishes they could meet face-to-face and explore the places where Laurel lived and loved.

However, Randall’s and Beth’s ears perk up, and after a brief pause, they ask Hai if they could come to visit him, to which he agrees, setting up what’s sure to be a trip chock full of emotions.

Although Randall can be frustrating at times, he’s come so far in the past year.

While there are still things that he needs to answer for, he’s starting to heal from four decades worth of scars that have affected his familial relationships.

Rather than bury the pain that this revelation and Wiliam’s perceived betrayal brought, he sought out help to make sense of what he’s feeling. As a result, he decided that the best course of action is to continue through the pain.

While it has yet to be seen whether this trip will give Randall the closure he needs, I hope that it will allow him to find some peace and then make peace with those he’s harbored anger.

Next. This Is Us: Justin Hartley hints at a game-changing moment for the Pearsons. dark

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

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