After Will Trent’s Latest Big Decision, I Need To Talk About Why I Think This One Relationship Is The Key To That & Why It Matters

Will Trent is one of the few network television shows that I watch every week. It’s one of the best procedural TV shows. One of the reasons why I love this series so much is the characters. The writers know how to create dynamic characters. I also enjoy the relationships between them. That’s why I have been finding Will’s relationship with one new character very fascinating.

I think it might be the key to why Season 3 has been so compelling. Episode 9, “This Kid’s Gonna Be Alright,” adds a layer of complication that makes Will’s relationship even more fractured and intriguing with this character.

I need to discuss it.

Warning Will Trent Season 3 Episodes 1-9 spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

Will and Rafael's Relationship Is A Major Driving Force For The Season, And That Makes It Compelling

In “This Kid’s Gonna Be Alright,” Faith’s (Iantha Richardson) son Jeremy (Deion Smith) finds himself in trouble. He calls Will for help when he is busted for drug possession. This leads to Will (Ramon Rodriguez) deciding to turn him into an informant so that he can watch Rafael Wexford (Antwayn Hooper).

Now, we know that Will does this to protect and help Jeremy. However, I believe he also does it because he’s a little obsessed with Rafael. He knows Rafael has done many crimes and wants to bring him down. By making Jeremy an informant, he can achieve this. This situation feels as much about taking down Rafael as it does about helping Jeremy.

Will could have easily said Jeremy was an informant this one time and then let him just learn from his mistake and go home. Now he’s almost sacrificing Jeremy to ensure he can take down Rafael. There is no way this won’t end badly for Will. This could lead to another devastating finale.

Will might lose Faith’s trust and put Jeremy in great danger. He likely knows this but his Rafael obsession may be clouding his judgment. This need to bring him down is likely what the show plans to focus on for the few episodes left in the season. If it is, I think that’s the right path because Rafael and Will’s dynamic has been fun to watch and also one of the best things about the season.

The Little Tidbits We Get About Their Past Together Make Me Want To Know More

We know from Will Trent Season 3 Episode 1, “I’m a Guest Here” that Rafael and Will used to have a close relationship. Will even lived with him and his grandmother. The fact that Will knew nothing about Rafael’s daughter implies that they haven’t had much contact in a while ( we also know Rafael kept her a secret). However, they both knew about each other’s professions.

This shows that they may have had some interactions more recently but not to the same level as a real friendship. I hope at some point, Will Trent shows flashbacks of Will and Rafael's younger days because I want to know more about the origins of their friendship.

In many Season 3 episodes, we hear a little bit of new information about Rafael and Will’s history. Their relationship has seemingly replaced the Angie (Erika Christensen) and Will friendship in terms of us learning some new fascinating details every once in a while. This is especially true with Angie and Will’s new complications. Most of the stuff we hear about Rafael and Will’s friendship seems fun but layered.

Rafael has resentment towards Will, and the feeling seems mutual. However, his resentment seems based on the fact that Rafael is a lowlife criminal. We need to learn a lot more about how they grew apart. I trust that Will Trent will continue to explore their past. It’s really such a key to this season.

They Have A Truly Complicated Relationship That's Both Antagonistic And Supportive

We have seen genuine moments between them. Will seemed so happy when he discovered Rafael had a daughter. He was also a little confused (since Rafael is gay), but he was happy for him. We often see Rafael and Will work together because they’re enemies but also have a complicated history that bonds them.

They also seem to love each other maybe more than two people on opposite sides of the law should. This goes against the rules of many great crime shows. Will was even willing to house Rafael’s daughter. It didn’t seem the craziest option for either of them — just maybe technically impossible.

Will and Rafael also argue and fight a lot. For the most part, their fighting is brotherly, but there is a dark layer to it. Rafael is a pretty serious criminal, and Will takes his job seriously. Will clearly wants Rafael to change, but Rafael has no plans to do this and might be too deep to change paths anyway. Therefore, no matter how much they love each other, they’re enemies.

That’s such a fascinating element to their relationship. Spiritual brothers who can never truly be united because they have different codes of ethics. That’s poetic.

Their Past Makes Me Want Will Trent To Add More Characters From Will's Past

In the last three seasons, we have met several characters from Will’s past. Angie is the most consistent character from his past, but Paul Campano (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Rafael are the most interesting. Will’s relationship with Rafael is even more fascinating than his past with Paul.

Paul, Angie, and Rafael just make me want to know more about other characters from Will’s past. We know most of it is dark and unhappy but there may be bonds he formed along the way, like with Angie and Rafael. We need to meet more people from his past that are complicated. One of my favorite things about this show is how much it incorporates Will’s life into it, not just his present but past. I hope the show continues to lean into that.

Rafael Adds A New Spin On Will Trent By Being A Season-Long Villain

Will Trent has had multiple villains but hasn’t really had a season-long one like Rafael. The serial killer in Season 2 may argue that that could have been considered a season-long one but that doesn’t technically fit. It was more of a season-long mystery. Rafael is the first antagonist introduced at the beginning of the season who continues to interact with Will and tie into some of the weekly cases.

I like this change and hope it continues going forward. It makes the show feel a bit gritty. It is also really fascinating that we essentially are growing to really like Rafael but he’s technically a “bad guy.” That adds a great dimension to the season.

Will Trent airs on Tuesdays on ABC.