Heart, humor, and murder: How Will Trent balances the perfect binge-watch formula

If you're looking for your next television obsession to fill The Lincoln Lawyer-sized void on your watchlist, mark your calendar for Tuesday, Nov. 3, when the first four seasons of ABC's hit crime drama Will Trent drops on Netflix.

The series is loosely based on Karin Slaughter's best-selling novels about a GBI Special Agent with dyslexia who grew up in the Atlanta foster care system. Will Trent differs from standard police procedurals by mixing horrific crime investigations with unexpected comedy and emotional stakes.

What truly sets the series apart is its refusal to follow the traditional cop-show playbook, favoring addictive, character-driven storytelling. These aren't interchangeable detectives who solve a mystery and start the next episode from scratch. Will Trent has created a memorable team who becomes a family, and every case leaves a permanent mark on the characters' souls. We appreciate beautifully flawed and hilariously funny characters. Whether you're watching it for the first time or rewatching Will Trent, this series is the perfect binge.

Will Trent features Ramon Rodriguez as the titular Will Trent and Erika Christensen as Det. Angie Polaski, his oldest friend and sometimes love interest. Iantha Richardson plays Faith Mitchell, Will's GBI partner, and Sonja Sohn portrays GBI Depuy Director Amanda Wagner. Jake McLaughlin and Kevin Daniels round out the APD as Det. Ormewood and Franklin Wilks. This cast is as close off-screen as they are on-screen, and you'll love watching them evolve.

The heart: Found family and a pint-sized chihuahua

At its core, Will Trent thrives on a beautiful "found family" dynamic, where a core group of guarded, deeply traumatized individuals lean on each other to survive. Will Trent and Det. Angie Polaski have known each other since they were kids in the Atlanta foster care system. GBI director Amanda Wagner also knew both Will and his partner Faith and considered them like family.

In many ways, Det. Michael Ormewood was the lone wolf, especially at first, as he was angry and argumentative. But as he evolved, he became that annoying younger brother who they all tolerated and would stand up for anyone in the family.

Circumstances made them a family. Brought together by initial hostility, Special Agent Will Trent and Detective Faith Mitchell build an unbreakable, sibling-like bond. Faith accommodates Will's dyslexia, and Will becomes extremely protective of Faith. It becomes hilarious to watch Amanda with Will and Faith.

Sometimes, it feels like she's mediating bickering siblings or that she's scolding them. Will and Angie are the heart of the series. The pull you in with their long-time friendship and dysfunctional romance, but it's their "found family" dynamic that will cement a place in your heart. They act as each other's "person" in times of crisis, letting go of old wounds and understanding what the other needs.

Will reluctantly adopts Betty, a tiny chihuahua in the pilot. She becomes almost like an emotional support dog for the entire team. While she mainly breaks down Will's walls, she also comforts Angie and Faith. The furry scene-stealer even helps Ormewood solve a mystery. She's one of the best parts about Will Trent. He never had a family, so one of the best parts of the series is watching how he accepts Betty and his friends into his chosen family.

The humor: Chaotic comedy and squad chemistry

What differentiates Will Trent from other procedurals is its witty comedy. The series typically includes a lighter secondary case, led by the APD, and in the last few seasons, the APD and GBI have teamed up on some cases with hilarious results. The APD trio often brings the most laughs because both Det. Ormewood and Franklin bring chaotic energy and humor.

In many ways, Angie, Ormewood, and Franklin are more than partners. They're like siblings that love to annoy one another but always show up, and watching them interfere in each other's love lives is hilarious. One of Franklin's standout lines was, "Go apologize, dum dum. He cute. He cute, cute." But their funniest scenes were group stake-outs, especially when they witnessed two women get into a catfight on top of their car about who was engaged to a serial killer. Talk about drama!

The APD and GBI worked together on several cases, where sprinkles of humor added to it, like watching the entire group re-enact the crime using spy masks. It was also funny that Will Trent incorporated so many dance sequences in the last few years, and the group dance scenes could light up a room.

The murder: High-stakes personal arcs

What makes Will Trent so bingeable is how its most horrific crimes tie into the main characters' pasts, building intricate, multi-episode arcs that permanently affect their lives. Almost every main character witnesses graphic crimes that should put them in therapy for years.

However, Will is probably affected the most because he uses his unique, precise abilities to locate the suspects. At times, he's almost like a profiler. He's most haunted by the serial killer who murdered his biological mother, especially when he learns that man could be related to him. Those revelations push Will to explore his moral compass and emotional well-being.

Other characters like Angie Polaski and Amanda Wagner are explored too. Many of Angie's arcs dealt with the violent cycle of childhood trauma she endured, both in her life and in how she dealt with survivors. She's one of my favorite characters, but sometimes she makes heartfelt, reckless decisions. If you read the books, you'll probably appreciate seeing Amanda's story come to life, both in present day and in 1980s flashbacks in Atlanta, Georgia.

Will has a mix of weekly cases and long arcs, so you won't have to deal with those pesky cliffhangers. You'll know the resolution as soon as you want to.

Will Trent season 5 premieres on ABC in early January, giving you two months to get through all four seasons.

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