The 'This Is Us' Episode 6 Promo Promises All The Answers About Randall's Mom

This Is Us has always been about Randall Pearson above all others. Though the show follows his adopted siblings, Kate and Kevin, as well as their parents, Randall's story has always been the most compelling. In Season 1, he finally meets his biological father, only to lose him to cancer. Now, in Season 5, he's going to learn about his birth mother. The This Is Us Season 5, Episode 6 promo promises Randall's journey to his mother's world in New Orleans will be as enlightening as his trip to his father's hometown of Memphis was.

Speaking of Randall's previous trips to explore his background, actor Sterling K. Brown has hinted since the end of Season 4 that this year's trip to New Orleans will be a similarly emotional journey. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly back in May 2020, he described the then-unknown Season 5 arc about his mom as: "In a similar way in which we went to Memphis to find out things about where he came from, his father's family, etc., it's going to be something very much akin to that."

As for what Hai has to tell Randall about Laurel, it seems there's much to discuss. The trailer for Season 5, Episode 6 shows Laurel never forgot about the baby she lost:

Next week's episode is appropriately titled "Birth Mother." Here's the (very brief) synopsis:

Randall uncovers new truths about his past.

What is not clear about next week is whether this will be a solo Randall episode or not. Brown's comparison of this episode to "Memphis" suggests it may very well be, as that Season 1 episode was solely focused on his and William's story. Fans should also note that the show has nearly 40 years of Laurel's history to cover, from how she went from William's apartment to Louisiana in the first place to whether or not she ever did figure out where Randall was.

With so much ground to cover, it seems likely Kate and Kevin will be put on the back burner until Episode 7. At least Kate is already in a good place emotionally, having found peace with her past in Episode 5. On the other hand, Kevin will have to chill in Canada until the show is ready to get back to him.

This Is Us continues Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.