Will Trent Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Find a New Pond

This season of Will Trent already feels transformative. It’s like the new evolution of the show but not a change that feels abnormal. Will Trent Season 3 Episode 3, “Find a New Pond” subtly highlights these evolving aspects. Will arresting Angie seems to have catalyzed a new chapter of the hit ABC series.

It’s a more confident and mature chapter.

The maturity shows itself in spending more time at the precinct and less on fieldwork. The feuding siblings’ case feels very white-collar compared to some cases that feel a little grunge, a little street, a little rough.

We see the corrupt corporate elite in “Find a New Pond.”

Obviously, this isn’t a huge change because Will Trent Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot, and Will Trent Season 1 Episode 2, “I’m a Pretty Observant Guy” starts the series with a case involving wealthy people.

However, something about this case seems to demonstrate that we may see more like this in the near future. This also seems like a possibility because of Angie’s opening storylines. She finds herself rubbing elbows with the wealthy, but not in a fun way.

“Find a New Pond” puts Angie and Will against criminals who exploit their power and take advantage of the poor.

The first two episodes of the season also seem to have some underlining tones of classism and class wars. That may become a major theme of Will Trent Season 3.

These topics are important and interesting through the series’ lens. However, most of the fun of this episode comes with the attempts to solve these cases.

This GBI team has way too much fun at their jobs.

Will having everyone play out the case like a soap opera is such an entertaining touch. It becomes more interesting because of how everyone adapts and plays with it.

The same happens when Angie gathers Ormewood, Pete, and Franklin to help. Their interactions are some of the most amusing parts of “Find a New Pond.”

Will’s case starts serious and becomes increasingly sillier, then circles back around to serious. Then Angie’s case starts silly and becomes increasingly more dramatic. This play on serious and silly works  well because Will Trent seems to lean into these tonal contrasts quite often.

There are many whacky moments in “Find a New Pond that showcase that a cop drama doesn’t simply have to be dramatic. It can be lighthearted and not take itself too seriously.

However, Angie is the soul of this episode. It works as a reintroduction and highlights her as a character and integral piece of the TV show. It’s almost a redemption because she proves why she’s such a good GBI agent.

It also enforces why Angie must return to the squad. However, we could have been interested to see her work at the country club a little longer. It is a nice change of scenery that could have continued on for at least a few more episodes.

Her time at the country club almost feels rushed. It had the potential to become more important and play out longer so that the viewers really savor Angie’s return.

Instead, the impact of her absence doesn’t make much of a punch.

Initially, when we see the finger, this seems like the start of another season-long murder mystery. That could have been entertaining. However, it’s more clever of Will Trent to not play into the expected outcome.

Despite its rushed nature, Angie’s journey at the country club feels important. It helps convince viewers of the finality of the past Will and Angie relationship.

The writers want us to believe they cannot reconcile.

Most likely their friendship will return in a new form, but their romance seems over.

This makes sense because the show may want to introduce Angie and Will to new love interests. For the audience to invest in these new relationships, we must believe that their romance is over.

It’s still unclear if they are because Will Trent has played this game before. It made us think they were done as a couple but then restored their complex friend-lovers dynamic.

However, this may officially mean the end of their romantic relationship. This opens their lives to some exciting romantic complications and explorations. It could be a fun new chapter for the series.

Overall, “Find a New Pond” is a fine episode but doesn’t quite land as well as the first two episodes of Season 3. This is likely because the cases of the week just don’t seem that interesting, despite both on paper seeming very intriguing.

However, they still mark a major demonstration of the change for Will Trent.

Stray Thoughts

• Am I tripping or is the show really setting up Faith and Ormewood for a romance?
• Lucas’s absence being explained seems telling…
• The maintenance guy being a creep surprised me. So he’s definitely not Angie’s new love interest.
• Motherhood is about to be complicated for Amanda.
• I love Pete.
• The writers really love action scenes now.

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 8/7 c on ABC.

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