"This Is Us" once again made fans reach for the tissues on Tuesday night, but the newest episode was so gut-wrenching that the creator of the show took to Twitter to explain that script.
Warning, there are spoilers below.
In the newest episode of the NBC show, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) drives his dying biological father William (Ron Cephas Jones) to Memphis to revisit his past. The trip takes a turn for the sad when William succumbs to stage 4 cancer toward the end of the episode, all while Randall touches his father. William, it turns out, knew his death was imminent and knew he would die in Memphis, where he was from.
Creator Dan Fogelman penned the emotional episode and knew the impact that William's death would have on the cast and crew. Dan actually attached a note to the script. After the show aired, he shared the note on Twitter.
"A note to the reader from Dan, and particularly to Mr. Ron Cephas Jones:," it read.
"It's never easy writing the death scene of one of your favorite characters (and actors). I hope we've done you proud—you certainly always deliver for us.
And if anyone is extra sad about the ending, I'd urge you to remember the words of a wise young actor named Justin Hartley who once said:
People will die in our lives, people that we love. But it's kind of beautiful if you think about it, the fact that just because someone died, it doesn't mean they're still not in the paining."
The quote is in reference to a previous episode in which Randall's brother, Kevin, played by Justin Hartley, explained death to Randall's kids.
Dan live tweeted during the episode once, as well, simply writing,
"I know.
Breathe.
#ThisIsUs"
Although the episode was filmed months ago, Sterling even weeped about Tuesday's episode in a Facebook Live chat.
"I've seen this episode a few times now and it still gets me. Proud of this show. Proud of the work. So happy to be a part of something like this," he said.
"Nobody knew that this show was going to be what it has become. We knew that it was something that we were proud of and we felt that it could be something that moved people and touched people, but to see the way in which you all are responding and feeling," he continued. "It's not my goal to bring you to tears. That happens to be the byproduct of what we do. Tears do happen to come, but I want you to feel connected and recognize that we're all in this together and that no man or woman is on an island unto themselves."
Sterling wasn't the only one who got emotional from the episode. Breakout star Chrissy Metz, who didn't appear in Tuesday's episode, tweeted her thoughts late Tuesday night.
"I couldn't tweet through the tears," she said. "I have no words just love & admiration. @sterlingkb1 #roncephasjones @Dan_Fogelman."