Tell me you’re struggling with last week’s episode “The Blank Expanse of Nothing” as much as I am. If you’re a Will Trent fan, you have to be. Deputy Director Amanda Wagner‘s death makes no sense. Not emotionally, not even from a storytelling standpoint, and it doesn’t seem like we’re going to get any Scooby Doo magic to fix it. Sonja Sohn‘s dynamic character will be missed.
“Our Last Dance” put some finality on any hopes we might’ve had— in more ways than one. We began with a heart-wrenching scene of Will holding Amanda’s body in the street. The rest of the key cast shows up, and we watch Faith’s crumble inside, too. And I’m mad. The relationship between Will, Faith, and Amanda was something we rarely get on a procedural. They weren’t just found family, but an unconventional one. Amanda was an aunt and mentor to Faith. For Will, she was a mentor, but also the only mom he ever had. At one point, Ormewood reminds Will that Amanda changed Faith’s diapers. That’s true, but the fans out there will recognize that Amanda found Will in a trash can and was determined to raise him herself until the state said otherwise. Will is even named after Amanda’s father. What I’m saying is: Amanda changed Will‘s diapers, too. He is her son. I wish the show had given her a moment where he recognized that and told her so.
Now the cousins, Will and Faith, are enraged. However, they act out very differently. One thing that bothers me about this episode—and in several episodes before it—is the distance growing between Will and Faith. They don’t work together as much. Their camaraderie is not what it used to be. “Our Last Dance” seems to widen the gap. But why? Where is the show going with their relationship? That’s not rhetorical, I’m really asking.
There’s something else special about Amanda and Faith. That’s the fact they were two black women, completely different and well-rounded, but leading a show at the same time. Yes, I know other shows have done this, but none of those procedurals have touched me (and I’m guessing you) like these two Will Trent characters. What happens now? Will Amanda get replaced by Appleyard as Deputy Director of the GBI? Are Faith and Angie going to be our only two leading women? I’m so mad. No one could replace Amanda, but this episode introduces a potential option that might make us much happier than Appleyard. That character is the one who utters the words, “This is our last dance.” We’ll talk more about that later.
So now our squad comes together to work a case that Franklin says, “is as bad as it gets.“ For now, that’s about all I can tell you. Even the Pete sighting in this episode is sad, and justice—if we can call it that—feels hollow.
Central Cast: Ramón Rodríguez as Will Trent, Erika Christensen as Angie, Iantha Richardson as Faith, Jake McLaughlin as Ormewood, Sonja Sohn as Amanda, Scott Foley as Dr. Seth, Kevin Daniels as Franklin, Cora Lu Tran as Nico, Janina Gavankar as Casey, Jason Davis as Bill Appleyard, LisaGay Hamilton as Evelyn Mitchell, and Ilfenesh Hadera as Joanne Drexler
TUESDAY, APRIL 21
8PM ET – Will Trent: “Our Last Dance” (416)
on ABC and Streaming Next Day on Hulu
Reeling yet relentless, the team hunts Adelaide and searches for Antonio. As Adelaide systematically eliminates her own acolytes, Will teeters on the edge, haunted by a grief so strong it could unravel the team.
