Will Trent (2023)

### **Review: *Will Trent (2023)***

**Score: 8/10**

*Will Trent* is a refreshing and smart addition to the crowded police procedural landscape, succeeding by placing a uniquely compelling and deeply human character at its centre. Based on Karin Slaughter's bestselling novels, the series follows Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a man with a brilliant, analytical mind for solving crimes—a skill honed by a childhood spent navigating the foster care system and coping with severe dyslexia.

**What Works Brilliantly:**

* **A Truly Unique Protagonist:** **Ramón Rodríguez** is perfectly cast as Will Trent. He brings a captivating blend of sharp intelligence, guarded vulnerability, and a socially awkward, endearing honesty. Watching him decode a crime scene while secretly struggling to read a report makes him one of the most original and empathetic leads on television.
* **Superb Supporting Cast:** The chemistry is electric. **Erika Christensen** is a revelation as the tough, recovering addict detective Angie Polaski, Will’s lifelong, complicated friend. **Iantha Richardson** shines as the sharp, ethical detective Faith Mitchell, who becomes Will's reluctantly admiring partner. Together, they form a dynamic trio that elevates every scene.
* **Character-Driven Cases:** While the weekly mysteries are well-constructed, they primarily serve as a vehicle to explore the characters' past traumas and complex relationships. The show masterfully balances case-of-the-week momentum with a simmering serialised backstory.
* **Atlanta as a Character:** The show makes excellent use of its Southern setting, embracing the locale's distinct texture, from its institutions to its accents, without falling into caricature.

**Why It’s Not a 9 or 10:**

* **Familiar Framework:** Beneath its unique hero, the show sometimes relies on fairly standard procedural beats and network-TV crime-solving rhythms.
* **Occasional Melodrama:** The heavy backstories and traumatic pasts can, on rare occasions, tip into moments of heightened melodrama that feel at odds with the show's generally grounded tone.

**Verdict:**

*Will Trent* is a standout success because it understands that in a genre built on puzzles, the most fascinating mystery is the human heart. It’s a procedural with soul, driven by exceptional performances and a lead character you can’t help but root for. It’s consistently engaging, clever, and packed with more emotional depth than your average crime show.

**Watch if:** You love character-driven dramas, unique protagonists, and crime shows with a strong sense of place and heart.
**Skip if:** You prefer pure, gritty police realism or fast-paced, twist-heavy serial killer sagas.

I don't know where Will Trent is. My wife watches this, I read the novels and I've been looking for Will Trent for a few seasons now and he doesn't seem to show up. They have a character with his name, but that's not Will Trent. He doesn't look like the character readers know and love, and he certainly doesn't act like him.

I think what happened is ABC, and Disney looked at the novels and thought, "Will's too white, scared (literally and figuratively), athletic, and awkwardly loveable.... let's swap him out for someone more diverse and Mr. Beanish"

Credit where credit is due, they really don't drive home **_THE MESSAGE_** like so many other shows that have swapped out lead characters.... but this wasn't exactly your typical Netflix/Disney swap, if it were he would have been an obese lesbian Black woman. But he was still swapped, as were other characters, they still made it almost the opposite of the novels... but they don't constantly scream **_THE MESSAGE_**, and that is a redeaming factor.

It's watchable if you never picked up any of the books, but if you have, it's just insulting.