IR TV Review: WILL TRENT - EPISODE 1 [ABC]

Will Trent as a character follows the same integration that made Tony Shahloub's Monk engaging but with a little more "Castle" thrown into the mix. Like even "The Lincoln Lawyer", Trent is an investigator for the department on his own, having investigated his own and paying the pariah price. He is a complex character, very black and white in certain areas but decidedly gray in others. What tends to balance him (though we need her to be flushed out a little more) is Angie Polaski, played by Erica Christensen. There is both a gravitas and knowing that Christensen brings to the role that we really haven't seen her do in other outlays in recent memory. Her The character is flawed but feeling and matches Ramon Rodriguez's Trent with aplomb.

Rodriguez's Trent is tough but in a different way than perhaps is normally seen because his character hides his hurt of being ostracized but you know he feels it right below the surface. The humor, like with something like "Psyche" comes from Trent's subtle quirks which Rodriguez underplays well. Aintha Richardson as Trent's boss Faith Mitchell helps bring in the humor because she keeps him in line (to a point), plays out protecting him but also knows how good his instincts are in solving mysteries. It is a delicate balance but the show does have the possibility of simply a good character show (like "The Good Doctor" though that drama has gotten meddled in its own plot drama at times versus its exceptional character work). Time will tell but "Will Trent" is off to a good starts. B+

By Tim Wassberg