Will Trent Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Two Hundred Dollars and a Bus Pass

Once again, Will leads with his heart to solve a case. Will Trent Season 1 Episode 8, “Two Hundred Dollars and a Bus Pass,” proves that Will just doesn’t follow the rules.

It’s a constant that seems to have no consequences for him professionally. The TV world has plenty of law enforcement professionals who play by their own rules. Therefore, Will isn’t unique in that aspect, but he seems to be unconventional in how his empathy overpowers his code of conduct.

He sees too much of himself in this victim, so he takes everything personally and feels her loss. His end could have matched Alison’s end if things went differently for him.

Alison has no one who truly cares about her, so Will tries to become that person. His sentimental nature makes him a good guy but it may make him a questionable detective.

Yes, the GBI regards Will as one of the best in his field. However, recklessness at a job like this can lead to lawsuits, dismissal of cases, and even putting victims in more danger.

Will Trent is a fictional show that also plays by its own rules. Therefore, Will gets to continue to make questionable decisions at work, such as intimidating suspects. However, hopefully, one day we see an episode where someone will at least give him a more intense warning for his behavior, not just a casual one from Amanda.

“Two Hundred Dollars and a Bus Pass” makes some very interesting narrative choices. Will speaking directly to his version of Alison’s ghost allows him to reflect on his own past decisions to survive. It leads to one of the episode’s best reveals.

Finally, we learn how Will meets Amanda. She helps him and probably becomes his mentor. Learning the importance of Amanda in Will’s life gives us a clearer picture of their relationship, and it helps us to start to see how Will becomes part of the GBI.

Will Trent balances the seriousness of the main case with two very funny subplots. Angie and Michael also have a murder case this week. It takes a funny approach that you would expect on a sitcom.

The entire murderer reveal plays for laughs. It works because Angie and Mike get so much amusement from watching the cellphone camera footage.

They are absolutely terrible people for having fun watching the video, and so am I for finding the entire scene so funny.

The lighter funny moment comes with Faith failing to act smoothly around a hot doctor. Obviously, he seems to like her oversharing because he’s itching to go on a date with her.

It’s a who can be the least smooth-off as he earns not-smooth points by trying to use her diabetes as a segway to ask her out.

It’s a very cringey move that likely only works because he’s good-looking.

I look forward to seeing how Faith and this doctor’s relationship progresses. It’s a development that I didn’t see coming from their previous interaction. However, now my interest is completely piqued by them and their future.

Darla may be the best Will Trent villain of the week thus far. She’s just a very entertaining criminal, especially when she fakes sympathy and declares that she plans to devote her life to Alison’s memory.

It’s a truly villainous act that you can’t help but slow clap for.

Stray Thoughts

• Will Trent tries to change things up this week by taking longer to show the true culprit at the start of the episode. However, it does seem obvious that it’s Darla the moment she appears.
• I really enjoy the final moments of Will, Angie, Niko, and Betty honoring Alison. It shows that even if she has no family, she matters to someone.
• At least Michael and Angie are self-aware about their horrible reaction to murder — even if he’s a kind of terrible person as well.

What did you think of this episode of Will Trent? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Will Trent airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC. 

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