Biggest Differences Between the ‘Will Trent’ Books and Show

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 of Will Trent

The big picture

• The
  Will Trent
  The TV series has a high rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and introduces new storylines for Will's character.
• The show features more diversity with black actors portraying characters originally described as white in the books.
• Will Trent
  maintains a lighter tone with less violence compared to the books, adapting the story to network television standards.

when Will Trent had been slated for release in January 2023, fans of the book series were wary; How closely would the ABC series stick to the books? Now that the show has reached its second season, it's easy to see where the series has stayed true to the original books by Karin Slaughter (i which aspects have deviated from the source material). It can be tricky to successfully adapt a book for the screen, but the production team is behind it Will Trent they commit to doing well. The stories included in the series have proven that the show has its own staying powerbut there are still some pretty obvious differences between the series and the books.

The Origins of “Will Trent”

The first book of Will Trent it was called a series triptych, and was published throughout 2006. At first, the book series seemed to focus on a veteran detective named Michael Ormewood and his colleague, Angie Polaski, but it was just a way to introduce Slaughter's protagonist, Will (a but effective special agent working for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation). Will had even more prominence in the second book of the series, which was titled fractured. Bestsellers continue to gain fans, largely because of Will's character, but also because of Slaughter's exciting and suspenseful mysteries that take place in each novel. So far, there are 11 books in the Will Trent series, with a new title to be released in August 2024.

Will Trent, the TV show, has earned an impressive 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes since it debuted last year. It has set itself apart from the books with an impressive cast and a much more cheerful tone than the text. This season alone has seen major plot developments for Will's character, as he lost his love interest in a bombing, met his first family member (after growing up in foster care), and discovered a big secret about the his mentor and mother figure, Amanda. , in episode 5.

“Will Trent” offers more diversity but lacks a main character from the books

One of the most obvious differences between the Will Trent books and the TV show has to do with a lot of the physical representations of the charactersas in Slaughter's books, Will is described as white, tall, long and blonde. Ramon Rodríguez's doesn't fit that description, which has created some intriguing drama in the series, as Will is seen as more of an outsider (which a tall, blond guy wouldn't necessarily experience). In the books, Amanda and Will's partner, Faith, are also white, but in the TV show they are played by two black actors (Sonja Sohn i Iantha Richardsonrespectively).

One thing fans of the books have talked about is the lack of a main character in the novels. Sara Linton first appeared in Book 3 of the Will Trent series (undone) as Will's long-term girlfriend, a coroner who often helps solve crimes in the area and remains an important part of Will's life throughout the book series. Despite this, it has been completely left out of the program. Rodriguez addressed his absence in a recent interview with TVLinesaying, “We've talked about it. You know, it's a big deal. We don't take it lightly. He's such a big character in the books, and he would potentially be a big character on the show, so we want to be really aware [about how we do that.]”

He also noted that now that the team is starting to discuss what to bring into season 3 and the conversation about how to insert Sara into the Will Trent world has been important. Rodriguez added, “There are people who are fans of the books who want to see this and there are people who have joined the show who have never read the books, and now they might read them. I know there's a lot of chatter about it. , But”.

The TV series “Will Trent” uses a different tone than the books

While it's still up for debate how and when Sara will appear, there is another character who has inspired a lot of discussion between them Will Trent fans: Michael Ormewood. He is incredibly violent and corrupt, even murdering his own wife in the first book. When fans saw Ormewood's character (Jake McLaughlin) in the TV series, they were ready for a pretty dark and twisted cop. However, many people were surprised to discover that Ormewood is actually a pretty decent guy on the show; he might be cool with roughing up a few suspects and cheating on his wife, Angie, but other than that, he's always on the right side of things.

In keeping with Ormewood's character, many fans of the book series note how different the overall tone is between the two projects. The Will Trent the books don't shy away from gruesome violence and bloodshed, and while there are plenty of murders and crime scenes in the show, there have been very few truly graphic scenes. The tone of the series tends to be lighter with a lot more humorwhich makes sense since it airs on network television.

Now that the TV show is about to end its second season, it's easier for fans to notice the differences between the books and the series. There will always be plenty of source material for the show's writers to pull from, but they've also made it clear that they're just as comfortable charting their own path, allowing the show's characters to grow and change as entities separated from the series. original source material. Fans of the books may still be drawn to the darker, thriller vibes on the page devotees of the show can revel in Will's stylish attire and clever banter. Both versions of Will Trent offers something for everyone to love.

Will Trent is available to stream on Hulu in the US

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