‘Will Trent’ Interview: [Spoiler’s] Dying Will Result in Reveal From Will & Rafael’s Previous

ABC’s underrated detective dramedy Will Trent serves up a energetic hour that fills in a couple of blanks about its lead character whereas additionally having a ton of enjoyable with a TV basic. So in case you’ve been sleeping on this one, now’s the prime time to leap in.

All season, tremendous astute Georgia Bureau of Investigations agent Will Trent (Ramón Rodríguez) has been torn over serving to gang chief Rafael Wexford (Antwayn Hopper) escape the crime recreation with out going through an excessive amount of time. Why’s he so protecting? The guys grew up collectively after Rafael’s grandmother (The Jeffersons‘ royalty, Marla Gibbs) took in foster child Will, giving him the household he was trying to find. 

“We knew Will and Angie [Erika Christensen] had been going to have extra distance between them this season, so it felt essential to introduce a personality who may assist us perceive extra about what constructed Will into who he’s as we speak,” explains Daniel Thomsen, who created this adaptation of Karin Slaughter’s crime novels with co-showrunner Liz Heldens. The introduction of somebody from Will’s early days, he notes, supplied the present each a solution to reveal his personal youthful crimes and an opportunity to clarify why he nonetheless struggles with relationships. “The concept that Will fractured a legislation or two rising up, however nonetheless advanced right into a pathologically scrupulous individual — Will’s phrases, not mine! — felt very actual and fascinating to us.” 

“Will’s on a journey of determining learn how to relate to the folks in his life who don’t all the time dwell as much as his excessive expectations, and his arc with Rafael is a part of that journey,” Thomsen continues. “I hoped Rafael would really feel like a long-lost brother to Will, and when Antwayn Hopper introduced the character to life, we knew we’d discovered that particular dynamic. I’d actually like to seek out extra tales to inform with the 2 of them. When Antwayn introduced [Rafael] to life, we knew we’d discovered that particular dynamic.”

It’s a dynamic that’s about to face a significant shift as soon as Rafael visits Will with heartbreaking information: Grandma has died, and they should give their Basic Hospital-loving caretaker a funeral match for the cleaning soap’s former matriarch Lila Quartermaine. “We now have a couple of GH followers on the writing employees,” confesses Heldens. “I used to look at it with my grandmother fairly religiously. We put that concept into the primary episode of the season after which doubled down on the concept on this episode.” Fittingly, the grave flip of occasions triggers a reveal from Will and Rafael’s previous that will make Port Charles proud.

Oh and large FYI, that’s not the one twist the present has in its chamber.

Will Trent, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC