Angelo's doctor told Daphne that death isn't fair. In fact, it's the only thing that is fair, as we're all guaranteed to visit.

Along with Bay and Daphne and their friends, we said goodbye to Angelo Sorrento on Switched at Birth Season 3 Episode 16.

Watch Switched at Birth Season 3 Episode 16 Online

Saying goodbye is never easy. I learned today my friend said goodbye to his mother yesterday morning. People die all the time, and yet saying goodbye is one of the most difficult things we face in life.

Throughout the hour various family members imagined the way things should have gone, not only if he lived, but if they could go back in time and made different choices. 

John refused to give up on Angelo and when Kathryn questioned him about it, he admitted his pleasure when he learned that Angelo was broke and that he refused to give him a loan that he requested. If he could have read the future, his actions would have been very different.

Regina recalled the day Angelo left at the hospital after he learned Daphne wasn't his daughter. In her revised version, the elevator opened up again, he stepped out and they fell into each other's arms, promising to face it all together.

Bay imagined the day she would be giving birth to Angelo's grandchild. He was at her side recalling the first time he held her in his arms after her birth.

Daphne imagined her wedding day, gazing in the mirror at herself in her gown as Angelo walked in. She was the luckiest girl in the world to have two fathers walking her down the aisle. Angelo told her that love, like medicine, is an imperfect science. If she feels cherished, then she's made the right decision.

Kathryn prayed and helped Regina find her way. Emmett discovered Angelo's Last Will and Testament, including a living will, so the decision was made for the family about what to do in the event he ended life in a situation like this.

There is no amount of comfort that can be given to people who have to pull the plug on their loved ones. Regina blasted the doctor for forcing the family to do the hospital's dirty work. While it would be easier to allow a doctor to make the decision, it also takes away our rights as family members to do what is our family's best interests. 

Grasping at straws, pulling up similar cases and hoping scans are wrong are all wonderful examples of handling the incredibly stressful situation brought to us by death.

Angelo's death was portrayed very well. It was set up perfectly in Switched at Birth Season 3 Episode 15. So many arguments prior to his accident, and yet if someone dies suddenly it's often easier to recall the worst moments in your anguish rather than the other, more pleasant memories that surrounded them. 

Bay meeting her grandmother for the first time by making the phone call about Angelo's accident and to give her a chance to say goodbye was bittersweet. Bay needed to hear that Angelo had told his mother everything about his birth daughter. I hope we get to meet her.

If they hadn't decided to donate Angelo's organs, I wonder how long it would have been before the family learned about his aneurysm. While my first thought was that they could rest easy as nobody was at fault, the doctor continued on indicating stress and anger were possible factors in causing it to rupture.

My biggest complaint with this episode is the last 30 seconds. Angelo's memory didn't need to be sullied with Daphne's anger at Regina. That could have waited until next week. Giving Angelo and the family some dignity during his death would have worked better for me.

However, we have what we have. Daphne grasped onto the word anger and blames Regina. She doesn't blame Christie for losing all of Angelo's money and causing him weeks (or months) worth of incredible stress at the thought of losing what he put into the restaurant, and she doesn't blame John for not giving Angelo a loan. 

I know people go through a gamut of emotions when losing a loved one, especially a teenager. I don't even begrudge Daphne her pain (reasons other than Regina's argument are surely to arise as the cause of her deeper grief), but it would have worked better after a somber episode of reflection and loss was allowed to play out.

If you missed the episode or need to otherwise catch up, please watch Switched at Birth online via TV Fanatic.

Are you surprised Angelo died?

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.