WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the Season 5, Episode 6, of This Is Us, "Birth Mother," which aired Tuesday on NBC.
In This Is Us Season 5, Episode 6, "Birth Mother," Randall finally learns his full birth story and all about his birth mother Laurel. Randall and Beth travel to New Orleans to meet with Laurel's friend Hai, who was close with her prior to her death of breast cancer. Until recently, Randall believed Laurel died of a heroin overdose just after his birth. In reality, though, Laurel survived and was sent to prison on drug possession charges, severing her connection to both William and Randall. Yet, while Laurel died before reconnecting with Randall, in "Birth Mother," she still manages to teach him how to let go of his pain and anxiety.
Randall has always struggled with anxiety issues and the series has shown the impact this has had on his life and relationships. Recently, he has started therapy to help him face his issues and the challenges of being a Black man in a White family. Yet, learning about Laurel's life seems to have delivered a catharsis he couldn't get anywhere else. In hearing her life story, Randall learns Laurel had demons of her own that she had to battle, just like him. He also discovered that her preferred method of releasing her pain was to go for a swim in a nearby lake and scream as loud as she could at the sky.
Laurel started this practice after the tragic death of her beloved older brother, Jackson, who was killed in action during the Vietnam War. Her Aunt May helped her manage her grief by encouraging her to scream in the lake. In fact, Laurel and Hai met because of this. Laurel was in the lake screaming one day when Hai heard her from his fishing boat. He thought she was drowning and attempted to rescue her, unaware that she was releasing emotional tension and wasn't physically in any danger.
Randall finds himself using this same technique after the emotional turmoil caused by learning Laurel's story causes him to take a drive late at night. Soon he finds himself at the lake his mother used to swim in and runs into it himself. Out in the water, her interacts with the spirit of his mother, who apologizes for what happened and tells him she loves him. She also can see he's in pain and encourages him to let go of the pain as she once did, leading him to scream at the sky.
The catharsis of screaming in the lake coupled with learning the complete truth about his imperfect yet loving birth parents allows Randall to let go of much of the pain and trauma he's carried with him his entire life. Furthermore, Randall takes the lesson of letting go from his birth mother and puts it to use at the end of the episode when he calls Kevin with the intention of finally clearing the air between them so they can both move on.
Randall has struggled with anxiety and trauma for most of his life, and This Is Us has never shied away from the difficult reality of his emotional turmoil. Now, though, thanks to lessons imparted by the story of his birth mother, Randall has started to heal. He found strength from hearing his birth story and liberation by learning about a mother he never knew but now knows loved him.
Created by Dan Fogelman, This Is Us stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Chris Sullivan and Susan Kelechi Watson. New episodes air Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT on NBC.