Will Trent’s 10 Best Episodes So Far (Number 8 Is Criminally Underrated)

Throughout Will Trent‘s three seasons, the show has produced 41 episodes, and while many have been outstanding, there are 10 that stand out among the rest. The series revolves around GBI Special Agent Will Trent, a man with a tragic past (and present, if we’re being honest). He spends his days solving crimes and enduring various traumas, resulting in complex, spectacular episodes.

Many Will Trent episodes have left viewers shocked, on the edge of their seats, heartbroken, and/or desperate for more. As such, it was difficult to narrow down the best to 10 episodes. Multiple other Will Trent hours should get honorable mentions (like “Mariachi Shelly’s Frankenstein” or “Residente o Visitante”), as they almost made the list. Nevertheless, there can only be 10.

10

Manhunt

Season 1, Episode 9

Will Trent needs more Faith Mitchell-centric episodes, and “Manhunt” in season 1 proves that. Perhaps the episode isn’t as crucial to the overarching story as others on this list, but it contains a highly memorable case that will raise viewers’ heartbeats, desperate to know how it ends. As such, “Manhunt” is among the best of the best.

In Will Trent season 1, episode 9, a convicted killer escapes custody and takes Faith hostage. He insists that he’s innocent, and he wants Faith to help him prove it. Consequently, Will tirelessly searches for Faith. Will’s efforts show how much he cares for Faith (in a platonic way, of course) and the importance of their partnership, which is another highlight of “Manhunt.”

9

Capt. Duke Wagner’s Daughter

Season 2, Episode 5

Will Trent season 2, episode 5, is certainly a difficult watch, but it’s a necessary one that will leave viewers stunned. We very rarely get an Amanda Wagner-centric episode (just like Faith). In fact, “Capt. Duke Wagner’s Daughter” is arguably the only one, and it’s a standout in Will Trent‘s lengthy catalog of great episodes.

During the hour, the audience learns a lot more about Amanda’s past, and it’s much more tragic than anyone could have ever thought. In the present, the Will Trent main character starts receiving threats from an unknown source. Meanwhile, in the past (1995, to be exact), Amanda works as a beat cop and endures a horrific incident while on the job.

8

Why Is Jack’s Arm Bleeding?

Season 2, Episode 8

For one reason or another, Will Trent season 2, episode 8, “Why Is Jack’s Arm Bleeding?” isn’t one of the show’s top-rated episodes. It’s an utter shame, given how much its story sticks with viewers. The hour also contains one of Ramón Rodríguez’s best performances in Will Trent, which says a lot because of his incredible talent and numerous memorable scenes.

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“Why Is Jack’s Arm Bleeding?” is Will Trent‘s most underrated episode. It should be among the show’s highest-rated episodes on IMDb. Instead, it sits at 27. Still, Will Trent season 2, episode 8 is absolutely gut-wrenching as it explores one of Will’s repressed memories from his childhood, and Rodríguez does a marvelous job of conveying Will’s devastation once he remembers.

7

Pterodactyls Can Fly

Season 1, Episode 10

Will has always had a soft spot for kids, especially those whom he can relate to, as showcased in “Pterodactyls Can Fly.” And once again, Will Trent season 1, episode 10 is one of Rodríguez’s best outings in the show. The hour features Will looking after a young boy, Theo, whom he finds alone in a trailer park after a mass shooting.

The relationship between Will and Theo is the central reason why Will Trent season 1, episode 10 is one of the series’ best episodes. Their heartwarming interactions clue the audience in on Will’s dynamic with kids and demonstrate his desire to be a father. Elsewhere, Angie Polaski comes face-to-face with her former abuser, sending her into a tailspin that shapes the season’s ending.

6

Me Llamo Will Trent

Season 2, Episode 1

Will Trent has perfected the art of premieres and finales, and season 2’s first episode is certainly the ABC crime drama’s best premiere (so far). Its ending will shock viewers. Unfortunately, it does conclude on a cliffhanger, meaning fans will want to watch episode 2 quickly after, but “It’s the Work I Signed Up For” is also a standout hour.

Will Trent season 2, episode 1 begins with Will investigating a series of car bombings. The case takes many surprising turns, which is why the premiere is so captivating and one of the show’s best episodes. It also helps that the wonderful and talented Susan Kelechi Watson from This Is Us guest stars as Cricket, a bomb technician, in “Me Llamo Will Trent.”

5

Why Hello, Sheriff

Season 3, Episode 17

Every season of Will Trent is better than the rest, and season 3 proved that with its intense two-part ending. Directed by series star Erika Christensen, Will Trent season 3, episode 17 features jaw-dropping twists that will forever change the ABC TV show and its characters. Plus, the hour sets up one of the crime drama’s most intriguing cases yet.

Despite being full of surprises and transformative developments, “Why Hello, Sheriff” juggles all its subject material with ease. It never feels like Will Trent was doing too much. Instead, every second of Will Trent season 3, episode 17 is used with purpose, making it difficult to look away for just one second. And it was only the season’s penultimate episode.

4

Do You See The Vision?

Season 2, Episode 10

The ending of Will Trent season 2 is just made up of surprises, and it’s an episode that fans will never forget. Season 2’s finale is kind of a two-parter, with the hour beginning with the characters investigating a case first introduced in the previous episode. They’re trying to find a female serial killer, and the mystery’s answers are shocking, but also believable.

Oftentimes, shows add twists just for the sake of it. These twists come out of the blue and don’t make sense regarding the overarching plot. Meanwhile, Will Trent season 2’s finale is the perfect example of how a series should introduce surprising developments that make viewers look back on older episodes and see how the writers were teasing the twist all along.

3

Listening To A Heartbeat

Season 3, Episode 18

Speaking of finales, Will Trent season 3’s ending is one for the books. One will likely want to watch the previous episode to fully understand “Listening to a Heartbeat,” but it’s more than worth it, trust me. Each character gets a standout moment, demonstrating how Will Trent is truly an ensemble show. Meanwhile, the world is falling apart around them.

The Will Trent season 3 characters take on a dangerous bioterrorist group in the finale. Outside that, though, Angie has a big decision to make, and Will faces someone he never expected to meet. Overall, Will Trent season 3, episode 18 is intense from the first scene to the very last, showcasing why it’s one of the best police procedurals on TV.

2

Best Of Your Recollection

Season 3, Episode 11

Nothing could prepare viewers for “Best of Your Recollection,” an episode that will completely crush you from beginning to end. It’s, without a doubt, Rodríguez’s magnum opus. If Will Trent were to submit an episode to the Emmys in consideration of an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nomination for Rodríguez​​​​​​, it should be season 3, episode 11.

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Without spoiling the hour’s events, a traumatic event affects Will like nothing else has in the history of Will Trent in “Best of Your Recollection.” If one thought Will had hit rock bottom before, they would be wrong. Will Trent season 3, episode 11 completely changes Will, and therefore, utterly alters the series.

1

A Bad Temper And A Hard Heart

Season 1, Episode 13

The best Will Trent episode is indisputable; it’s just too good. Season 1’s finale illustrates why the ABC crime drama is heavily acclaimed and why so many people love it. During the hour (which is technically the second half of a two-part finale), the characters hunt for a serial killer who was responsible for Will’s mother’s death and who kidnaps Angie.

“A Bad Temper and a Hard Heart” is heartbreaking, staggering, and will endear the audience to Will Trent‘s relationships. There are surprises left and right, and its ending scene is one of the ABC crime drama’s most poignant moments. Ultimately, the season 1 finale sets Will Trent apart from other shows on network TV, which is why it’s the best.

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Will Trent

Release Date

January 3, 2023

Directors

Howard Deutch, Eric Dean Seaton, Holly Dale, Lea Thompson, Patricia Cardoso, Sheree Folkson, Bille Woodruff, Erika Christensen, Gail Mancuso, Geary McLeod, Jason Ensler, Mark Tonderai, Paul McGuigan

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  Ramón Rodríguez

  Will Trent

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  Erika Christensen

  Angie Polaski

Source: IMDb