Will Trent Returns In Peak Form As Ramón Rodríguez Directs A Tense Season 4 Premiere (Review)

When TVLine named "Will Trent" one of the 25 Best Shows of 2025, it wasn't because the ABC crime drama reinvented the broadcast procedural — but because it elevated the formula. Across three seasons, the Karin Slaughter adaptation — developed for television by Liz Heldens and Daniel Thomsen — has continued to reel in new viewers, building a reputation for prioritizing character over case-of-the-week mechanics, a choice that continues to buoy the series as it enters Season 4.

Because it's network television, there are certain decisions I'm willing to overlook — like putting Ormewood (Jake McLaughlin) and Amanda (Sonja Sohn) in grave danger at the end of last season, only for them to return largely unscathed. That's not to say their rehabilitation isn't still a work in progress; both characters are bearing visible scars.

Where the show departs from stock network fare — and distinguishes itself in the process — is by allowing the emotional wear and tear to linger. That's a credit not only to the writing, but to the performers, who continue to demonstrate remarkable range.

One of the smartest — and most unexpected — pivots "Will Trent" ever made was set in motion at the end of Season 2, when Will, scrupulous to a fault, chose strict adherence to the law over a chance at a happily-ever-after with his one true love, Angie (played by Erika Christensen). The decision resulted in her arrest — and the dismantling of their relationship.

Season 3 followed with a move that felt, at first, more conventional: both were given new romantic partners. Will was paired with ADA Marion Alba (Gina Rodriguez), while Angie found stability with Dr. Seth McDale (Scott Foley). In a lesser show, those relationships would have quietly fizzled by season's end, clearing the runway for a Will-and-Angie reunion. Instead, only Will's did. Angie ended the season pregnant — with Seth's baby.

And while Will is, understandably, heartbroken that his soulmate is building a new life that largely excludes him, he's also contending with the formation of a family of his own, following the late–Season 3 introduction of his biological father, Sheriff Caleb Roussard (a perfectly cast Yul Vazquez).

Season 4 picks up five months later, with Will — now a reluctant but newly committed therapy-goer — struggling to accept his new normal. There's a part of him that's genuinely happy for Angie, but that feeling exists alongside the quiet grief of realizing their paths have truly diverged. And while Will has finally found blood relatives of his own, he's overwhelmed by the fullness of their embrace.

"You've been surviving on crumbs, but now you have the whole cake," Margaret Cho's Dr. Roach tells him — to which Will replies, "Yes, but it is a carrot cake. With raisins."

Meanwhile — as the Season 4 trailer has already spoiled — Episode 1 marks the return of serial killer James Ulster, the man who murdered Will's mother and, in doing so, set him on the turbulent — and deeply traumatic — path that led to the life he's now trying to make sense of.

Leading man Ramón Rodríguez — who also serves as an executive producer — steps behind the camera for Part 1 and makes a meal of Ulster's return, both in how he portrays the killer's lingering hold over Will and, as a director, in how quickly and efficiently he reminds us just how dangerous Ulster is. (Greg Germann, meanwhile, is no slouch, giving a fully committed performance as one of TV's most disturbing villains.)

Early in the hour, Will tells Dr. Roach that he's "seen the damage a man's temper can do in this world, and I really try not to go there." But once Ulster successfully flees prison, that restraint begins to dissolve — pushing Rodríguez to go deeper than he ever has before, revealing new layers to an already richly drawn character.

Angie, too, finds herself navigating yet another unforeseen life change, one that arrives on the heels of her pregnancy. It's a testament to Christensen that she's able to mine so much internal conflict from such an understated performance.

Despite the darkness, "Will Trent" remains one of television's funniest hours, anchored in the premiere by welcome bursts of levity involving desk-bound Ormewood and Det. Franklin, with newly promoted series regular Kevin Daniels once again proving what an asset he is to the ensemble.

Amanda and Faith have less to do in the season opener, but the show uses their limited screen time wisely. A moment of emotional honesty between the two — rooted in concern for Will's well-being and Amanda's uncertain future with the GBI — gives Sohn and Iantha Richardson a welcome chance to shine.

"Will Trent" Season 4 premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 8 p.m. on ABC and streams next day on Hulu.