The song “Everybody Mad” isn’t on the soundtrack for the 2-part premiere of Will Trent – Season 3, but the title is thematic. Everybody’s mad at Will. His work mama, Amanda, is disappointed. His work cousin, Faith, is ready to hand out slaps. The APD (Atlanta Police Department) thinks he’s a traitor. And a new-to-us old friend is carrying a grudge. The only person who doesn’t want to smack the back of his head with an open palm, stapler, or motor vehicle is his will-they-won’t-they-lover, Angie. She has problems that go back further than Trent.
When Season 2 ended, we had different opinions about his decision to put the clank-clink [handcuff sound] on Angie. After that shock, you’ll be surprised that Season 3 starts with Ormwood (Jake McLaughlin) and his kids at an APD family pool party. The camaraderie and summertime fun are the first clues that events are about to turn tragic. The second clue is that we’re watching Will Trent. A tragedy pops off—ending the idyllic afternoon—now the APD and GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) are at the boiling point. The gang colors worn by the perpetrators lead Faith (Iantha Richardson) and her new partner Lurch aka Agent Moss (Douglas Smith) to Rafael Wexford (Antwayn Hopper). Rafael, who rocks a tangerine manicure like a true gentleman, demands, “GET ME WILL TRENT.”
And that’s how we know we’re back.
When we finally see Will, played by Ramón Rodríguez who also directs, the soundtrack blesses us with “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”—get it? Because Will arrested Angie (Erika Christensen) and left the entire state of Georgia. The Will Trent creative team is so cleverly cheeky and I’m blowing kisses at them for it. Will’s life away from home should be made into an AU (alternate universe) series, set in Tennessee with a different actor embodying the alternate version of Will—because we need Ramón Rodríguez to stay right where he is. You’ll see what I mean when you get there.
“I’m a Guest Here” is a steady—sometimes comedic, sometimes volatile—build-up to a cliffhanger that makes you want to fast forward through the week to get to next Tuesday. Will left a lot of resentment behind, likewise, the case is linked to the betrayals of his and Atlanta’s past. Will Trent never fails to get us giddy. How can a show fueled by crime and wounded people be such a delight? It’s the writing, it’s the performances, and it’s the twists—but more than any of these it’s the details.
Little things like finding out Faith and Ormwood have developed more than rapport, it’s an affinity—they’re vibing. We saw the foreshadowing at the end of S2, but their care for each other is unexpected and welcomed. Watching Amanda (Sonja Sohn) be the mother she always wanted to be for Will, while he fights it, is a lower lip trembler. Why won’t he fall into her arms and call her mom? Other things, like the women and non-binaries in Will’s life throwing stuff at him, are hilarious because he deserves it—and he knows it. Or the clever parallels in Angie dealing with dog poop, while she’s feeling like sh!t, shouldn’t be as funny as it is. There’s also the symbolism of Will coming home to face Nico (Cora Lu Tran), and in the background, there’s a huge flatscreen that says: GAME OVER.
It’s the little things that make this show spectacular.
“I’m a Guest Here” continues the Will Trent tradition of featuring a phenomenal range of queer characters. Antwayn Hopper’s Rafael is as bejeweled as Denzel’s Macrinus and just as willing to resort to fisticuffs. Another tradition is showing Georgia in the full range of its diversity. Gina Rodriguez shows up as a DA/prosecutor, Marion Alba, and it’s clear she’s about to up the ante on this series with more laughs and hard times.
Did I mention Will Trent never fails to get us giddy? “I’m a Guest Here” proves it once again.
More guests, little things, and quotes to look for: Marla Gibbs, cat box, wet willy, “I’m a pathologically scrupulous person,” golf cart dune bashing, and “Girl, get”
Central Cast: Ramón Rodríguez as Will Trent, Erika Christensen as Angie, Iantha Richardson as Faith, Jake McLaughlin as Ormewood, Sonja Sohn as Amanda, and Douglas Smith as Special Agent Gross aka “Lurch,” and Gina Rodriguez as Marion Alba
I’ll be back next week with an Appetizer for the second part of this two-episode arc.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2025
8PM ET – Will Trent: “I’m a Guest Here” (301) * Season Premiere *
on ABC and Streaming Next Day on Hulu
When two off-duty cops are wounded, the GBI must track down Special Agent Will Trent, who recently fled town to help solve the case. As the investigation unfolds, Will is drawn into his past to clear a friend’s name amid rivalries and corruption.
—xxoo—
BONUS:
Over on Instagram, Rodríguez said Angie is the love of Will’s life. That may be true but that’s not what I want from them. For me, the familial bonds of friendship define their relationship. I want them to heal while supporting each other. Rodríguez also tried to convince us there are only three important women in Will’s life: Betty, Angie, and Amanda, but if Cousin Faith isn’t a huge part of his life and growth, then I’m watching a different show. I say that with a smile, because I know the makers of this series know that. They just want us to keep watching these relationships grow. And in the words of The Roots, Jill Scott, and Atlanta’s own Erykah Badu: “Baby, don’t worry, you know that you’ve got me.”
