The Will Trent book adaptations have been a huge success because the ABC show has kept Karin Slaughter’s most important work
While Will Trent has made many changes to Karin Slaughter’s series, the show’s enduring success is entirely down to the author. Season 4 of Will Trent will premiere in 2026, and the fourth season of the series on ABC is already one of the most anticipated TV returns next year.
The show’s success is largely due to author Karin Slaughter. Slaughter’s novels have sold more than 40 million copies since her debut Blindsighted in 2001, and while 2015’s Pretty Girls is Slaughter’s most successful book, the Will Trent series is still a close second. In terms of book sales and reviews, the series is extremely popular.
Will Trent, however, took some bold steps away from the original novel series. Trent’s appearance was completely changed, as was the level of violence and intensity. The books were much more explicit than the streamlined TV version, and characters like Michael Ormewood changed radically throughout their journey from page to screen.
Will Trent’s success stems from the protagonist’s tenacity
Because Will Trent made so many changes to Slaughter’s book, viewers could be forgiven for thinking the show was a standalone. Indeed, Slaughter herself encouraged viewers to view the show this way, telling TVGuide that she enjoyed the changes to the show because they made it clear that ABC’s version of Will Trent had its own style, plot, and personality.
However, Karin Slaughter is entirely responsible for Will Trent’s most beloved plot element, despite the show’s extensive changes to the source material. What’s more, the creators are aware of this. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-creator Daniel Thomsen said that it’s Will’s resilience that makes him endearing to audiences.
According to Thomsen, “Will is someone who’s been through real ups and downs, has the scars to prove it, and he’s not going to give up. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get up every morning. I think people like that.” Indeed, it’s this tenacity that makes Will worthy of rooting for, and it’s borrowed directly from Slaughter’s novel.
Will Trent’s personality is taken directly from Karin Slaughter’s book
In the Will Trent books, Will has endured a number of traumas before audiences meet him. Interestingly, despite all the changes in the show, everything from his dyslexia to his backstory remains the same in both the book and ABC’s Will Trent series. Recognizing that this was a key part of the character’s appeal, the creators focused on capturing Will’s essence.
Rather than staying true to Trent’s casual physical description, the creators of the series made sure that the show felt true to the characters in the books. Will’s resilience and resilience are evident in both the TV and book versions, and this is a key part of the series’ success.
Slaughter’s books are much more violent and traumatic than the TV show, but this is not an issue thanks to Will’s consistent character.
As a result, Will Trent is able to transform Ormewood from a monstrous villain into a complex, surprisingly likable supporting star while still maintaining the tone of the book. Slaughter’s books are also filled with more violence and trauma than the show, but that’s not a problem thanks to Will’s consistent character.
While the show has toned down the horrors of his past and work, viewers still feel everything that Ramon Rodriquez’s protagonist has gone through over the years. As a result, viewers don’t have to witness the worst violence in the original novel for the show to capture its dark, gritty tone.
Will Trent’s changes diminish the character’s best qualities
Similar to how the show toned down the horror in the novel, Will has gone through less in the world of the ABC show than he did in the novel. That’s saying something, considering Will shot a child in season 3 and the event haunted him for months afterward. However, Slaughter’s world is even darker.
Rodriguez’s sympathetic view of Will is still influenced by the darker aspects of his work, where someone more familiar with trauma might simply be numb to the horrors they face.
This inevitably means that the ABC show’s version of Will is a little less traumatized, since this means he can still undergo meaningful character development within the show.
Will Trent’s Best Episodes Highlight Will’s Vulnerability
However, in Will Trent season 3, the jarring musical interlude felt earned and well-judged precisely because the series has consistently given viewers an insight into Will’s mind. From his relationship with Betty to his struggles with dyslexia, Will is a deeply sympathetic, human protagonist. This makes his grief and horror over the accidental killing all the more tragic.
While Slaughter’s take on Will is far from heartless, the sheer amount of inhumanity he has witnessed has had a profound effect on him. The ABC show’s Will is a little lighter and quirkier than his book counterpart and, conversely, this means he still has some innocence left to lose despite all he has seen.
Slaughter deserves credit for creating the character that viewers grew to love, while the show’s creators deserve credit for making Will’s story more palatable for a bigger audience.
This is what made it so moving when Will was left brokenhearted by shooting a child, and it is the reason his season 3 arc was so poignant. By taking the characterization of Will from Slaughter’s novels and giving the show a slightly lighter tone, Will Trent season 3 managed to make some incredibly bleak material accessible.
As such, Slaughter deserves credit for creating the character that viewers grew to love, while the show’s creators deserve credit for making Will’s story more palatable for a bigger audience. The outcome is that Will Trent brings the complex, human hero of the novels to an increasingly large new audience.
