Will Trent Season 4 Episode 18 Review: Be Of Service

Knowing something is to come doesn’t make it less devastating. Will Trent Season 4 Episode 18, “Be of Service, “ ends the season with another death. However, we see this one coming a mile away.

Because we know Seth will eventually die, the question becomes: Did the series do his death justice?

Results are mixed.

Seth earns a hero’s death. He dies saving Angie and his child, which allows us to feel good before we mourn a very likable character. Additionally, Will Trent almost tricks us into thinking he won’t die during “Be of Service.”

Nonetheless, his death feels rushed. It almost makes his purpose seem like it is only to give Angie a child and allow Will and her to play parents to this baby. He’s almost immediately erased because now Will is the pseudo-father.

It all feels a little disrespectful to Seth as a character. He is more than just Angie’s dead husband. Obviously, the series is about Will, and it makes sense for the show to feature him bonding with and loving this child, but it all feels a little cold.

The series could have just focused on Angie’s mourning and grief without the montages of Nico and Will taking over the parenting duties.

Also, clearly, this is done to highlight how strong Angie’s grief is, and that Will must step up in these months as she tries to heal. You can understand the purpose, but still feel like there could have been a better approach to transitioning to life with the new baby and without Seth, without making it so heavily filtered through Will’s lens.

We understand the rush through this because next season has bigger plans in store. It’s tackling a version of The Epstein Files.

The show spends half of “Be of Service” setting up next season by circling back to the sex trafficking and network of powerful pedophiles. We knew Will Trent wasn’t done with the story when it was introduced in Will Trent Season 4 Episode 15, “The Blank Expanse of Nothing.”We just didn’t expect it to be a view into next season.

The series excels at setting up the plot because we care where this all goes, and whether it causes trouble for Will and crew. However, it needs a bit more development. It almost feels too ripped from the headlines, where it’s too easy to spot the real-life source material.

We still have a lot of faith in the show, so let’s see how it goes, but cautiously skeptical about this upcoming season arc.

Season 4 has not been one of the show’s strongest. It has kept its charm but has gone through periods of very strong storylines (Adelaide’s introduction and terror), and then has not been completely satisfying with the payoff.

Her death, Ulster’s death, and even Seth’s death all feel disappointing in how they don’t quite live up to the potential of these characters. The show also drops a few storylines without much explanation – his brewing anger never truly comes out.

I have loved Will Trent from the first episode. Seasons 1 through 3 have all been very strong. Season 4 still shows how good the show can be at its best, but it may need some work to maintain the high standards it set for itself. Nevertheless, we are really looking forward to the next season.

Stray Thoughts

• I am looking forward to seeing Ormewood and Will work together next year.
• The opening baseball scene is a lot of fun.
• I missed reviewing last week, but I think that episode is a lot stronger than this one. Also wish we get a little bit more of Amanda’s presence in this one.
• I am curious about the new person in charge.
• The show went from no major deaths to four in one season. Be careful what you wish for, because I will miss all these characters.

What did you think of this episode of Will Trent? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

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Will Trent is available to stream on Hulu. 

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