Will Trent has quickly become one of 2023’s favorite new TV shows, and it’s easy to see why.
There aren’t many television shows with a dyslexic male lead, but that made Will enjoyable. Learning about Will’s reading struggles and his time in foster care made him a complex and compassionate character.
Angie’s teenage sexual assault and confronting her abuser, Amanda and Evelyn’s time as 1980s cops, and Will fostering an abandoned young boy were some of the high points of Will Trent Season 1.
We’ve discussed our thoughts on what Will Trent excelled on and a few things they could improve on before Season 2.
Check out our thoughts below:
Best Episode: Will Trent Season 1 Episode 12 & Will Trent Season 1 Season 13
Will Trent excelled when it paralleled Amanda and Evelyn’s experiences as beat cops in the 1980s trying to save prostitutes with the current serial killer.
This storyline showed how different times were in the 1980s for female cops, and if people had listened to Amanda and Evelyn, many lives could have been different.
One of the best things about this storyline was that it explored Amanda’s past and Will’s origin story and focused on how they intertwined. Amanda had always considered Will like family, but she had considered adopting him if times were different.
Using the entire ensemble for cases works best for Will Trent. Watching Faith, Will, and Ormewood team up to interview Percy and eat takeout on their stakeout was entertaining. Adding Paul to the mix made it even more fun.
Best Flashback-Angie and Will’s Backstory
Watching Will and Angie go through their on-again, off-again relationship in the first few episodes of Will Trent Season 1 was annoying. It seemed like Angie always ran at the first sign of conflict.
Seeing Angie’s story of sexual assault by her former foster father and Will taking her for an abortion in Will Trent Season 1 Episode 7 helped audiences realize why Angie was so afraid to trust people.
The actors that portrayed teen Angie and Will gave layered performances and even looked similar and used similar mannerisms to Ramon Rodriguez and Erika Christensen.
Will and Angie were trauma bonded and had been for so long because of what happened during foster care.
Best Case-Why Theo’s Grandma Orchestrated Murder
After a mass shooting at a trailer park, Will found an abandoned young boy huddled in one of them on Will Trent Season 1 Episode 10.
Theo was so traumatized that he didn’t speak at first, so Will used chicken nuggets and fries to get him to describe the crime scene. That’s how he learned there was a third shooter that the GBI was unaware of.
Initially, Theo’s grandma seemed loving, but Theo seemed afraid of her and his uncles the minute they entered the hardware store. Thankfully, Will trusted the kid’s instincts and believed him since Grandma wanted to steal him.
I hoped Will would regain custody since he and young Theo were adorable, but Theo’s mom resurfaced, and Theo wished for that.
Most Annoying Case-Death of the Magician
Few people cared about the side cases that Angie and Ormewood worked on, especially the murder of a magician at a nearby senior center on Will Trent Season 1 Episode 8.
While unexpected, it wasn’t appealing that the manager and the magician stole money from the residents.
Angie and Ormewood’s cases felt very isolated until Will Trent Season 1 Episode 9 when Ormewood helped Will search for evidence to clear Faith from murder and rescue her.
The series improved when Will, Faith, Angie, and Ormewood worked on a case together and were not isolated or working against each other.
Best Recurring Character: Paul Campano
Paul Campano started as an annoying jerk in Will Trent Season 1 Episode 1 and Will Trent Season 1 Episode 2. We tried to give him a break since his daughter was missing, but the way he taunted Will and called him “trash can” was annoying.
However, Paul, Will, and Angie had a curious dynamic, and the first two episodes only scratched the surface of their time in the group home.
Since Will and Paul parted on friendly terms, we were delighted to see him return on Will Trent Season 1 Episode 12. He added some levity to the serious serial killer storyline and became a support system for Will. That awkward hug was the best.
Hopefully, Paul will return again, and the series will delve more into Will, Angie, and Paul’s time in foster care. It’s bonded them and made them a family, where Paul is like that annoying brother, yet he cares about them.
Most Improved Character: Michael Ormewood
Det. Michael Ormewood was initially more annoying than Paul Campano. He always had to be correct, fought with Will constantly, and had a violent temper.
On Will Trent Season 1 Episode 7, he lost his temper with Angie and admitted his anger was getting him in trouble on the job. He revealed that he had PTSD from serving in the war, which was the first time they fleshed out his character.
Ormewood soon learned the importance of partners when he helped Will find Faith and supported Angie when her former foster father returned.
When Faith told Ormewood that partners always show up, he took that advice to heart and recreated the crime scene of Lenny’s murder to protect her. Ormewood has proven that he has a soul, so hopefully, he’ll be involved with the GBI again.
Best Relationship: Will Trent and Faith Mitchell
Will and Faith have the best type of partnership. They couldn’t stand each other at first, and then they became best friends.
Their relationship was complicated because he investigated her mother, but she couldn’t deny he had different instincts about cases.
They gradually let the other in as Faith discovered Will had dyslexia, and Will learned Faith developed diabetes. Neither wanted to be treated differently, which Will struggled with for years.
Both Will and Faith were kidnapped in Will Trent Season 1, and the other instinctively knew something was wrong. That is the premise of a good partnership.
Overall Grade: A-
For the most part, Will Trent Season 1 was enjoyable. Once I stopped expecting the cases to match the books, I enjoyed the TV series more since it still captured the heart of the novels and the characters.
The series delved into the backstories of Will, Angie, and Amanda. We also learned a great deal about Faith and her mom, Evelyn.
The series excels at character-driven arcs and ensemble episodes when the team solves cases together. Hopefully, as Angie heals, Ormewood will join the GBI in solving cases and not be isolated.
Over to you, Will Trent Fanatics. What were your favorite moments of the season? Comment below:
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
