Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s Shocking Return to Will Trent Sets Up a Complex New Chapter

Will Trent season 4 has the rare chance to bring back a guest star who would re-ignite the show’s messiest, most complicated story from an entirely new perspective, and if it’s in the cards, they should take it. While Will Trent tends to divulge information about titular Will’s (Ramon Rodriguez) past in small doses, there have been some larger pieces of the puzzle.

Early on in the series, Will’s former foster brother Paul Campano (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), crashed back into his life with a shocking case for the GBI to solve. While Paul, who’d spent his formative years picking on Will and his adulthood becoming no less abrasive, needed Will’s help, the emotions it brought up for him and Angie Polaski (Erika Christensen) were tough.

While Paul hasn’t appeared on Will Trent in years, bringing him back could be the exact right move for the series. Paul, a representation of Will’s tough upbringing, crash-banging into the present would create a fascinating dissonance. Will Trent season 3 left off with lives hanging in the balance, which means Will’s going to be navigating a new world next season.

With Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn) and Michael Ormewood (Jake McLaughlin) fighting for their lives, Angie & Dr. Seth McDale (Scott Foley) preparing for their first child, and Will getting to know his birth father Sheriff Caleb Roussard (Yul Vazquez), things are going to change during Will Trent season 4 regardless. Bringing Paul into the mix could add an interesting layer of tension.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Could Return To Will Trent To Stir Up Past Memories

His Character Was A Big Part Of Will’s Childhood

Throughout Will Trent season 1, viewers were uncovering Will’s traumatic past and learning more about what made him who he is. Paul, who was in the first two episodes of the series after his daughter was kidnapped, brought up a lot of emotional trauma for Will about his childhood. Having grown up in a foster home with Will, Paul led a vastly different life.

Will’s perception of Paul changed over the course of the first episodes. While Paul was initially seen as a bully who’d given Will the nickname “trash can” in their youth and continually used it in their adulthood, he quickly became a humanized, three-dimensional character. Paul’s return in later episodes of Will Trent’s inaugural season saw seeds for a friendship with his former foster brother.

While Will Trent season 2 and season 3 didn’t see Paul’s return, he’s been referenced on the show from time to time in the subsequent seasons, and a lot has shifted for the show’s main characters. Will and Angie, who found themselves in the on-again phase of their on-again, off-again relationship for nearly a season, had their biggest falling out ever.

With the dust settling on Will’s romantic life throughout Will Trent season 3, his family life has shifted throughout the series as well. After learning about his mother’s identity and solving her murder, Will went on to find out more about other relatives, including an uncle. At the end of Will Trent season 3, his biological father came into the picture.

Knowing how much has changed for Will in recent years, it’s clear that his childhood is still something that takes its toll on the GBI agent. Will’s difficult upbringing and the uncertainty of his childhood could be explored from a new perspective if Gosselaar returns to Will Trent. Bringing the character from the past back could provide a new perspective.

Will’s Difficult Past Will Be Colored In A Whole New Light Amid Angie’s Pregnancy

Will & Angie May Be Considering Their Upbringing

The final episodes of Will Trent season 3 presented viewers with a shift in the narrative that will change the trajectory of the series. After the passing of Angie’s mother, she struggled with her sobriety and ultimately relapsed in her alcoholism, but discovered she was pregnant after an altercation at a bar. Changing her character’s trajectory, Angie’s story will impact Will’s.

With Angie diving into a new phase of her life as she takes on a new relationship and motherhood, Will is finally going to have genuinely reconcile with the fact that his romantic relationship with Angie is over. While he did grapple with it throughout the last season, things will continue to shift for Will as the show moves forward.

Angie’s path may be changing in a different way, but her bringing a child into the world will likely see her considering her own upbringing, which could trickle into Will thinking about his past. As the characters are more estranged than entangled, Will being able to talk to someone else from his past like Paul could be a good consolation.

Will’s Relationship With His Biological Father Could Change His Perspective

His Past May Take On An Even Darker Tone

On top of Will having to deal with the fact that Angie’s having a baby, which will stir up a ton of feelings for him, his biological father coming into his life will have a massive impact on him. While the extent of how much we’ll see Will’s biological father Caleb during Will Trent season 4, meeting him at all was huge.

Moving into a new phase with his childhood on his mind, Will having his biological father around will surely push him to think about his childhood. While he may be be considering what he missed out on more than anything else, Will having someone from a similar background to lean on would be interesting, and Paul being that person would be unexpected.

Bringing Back Gosselaar Would Allow For A Richer Path To The Past

Will Would Have The Chance To Explore Another Perspective

As someone who’s appeared on Will Trent during pivotal early moments, Paul could bring out a different side of Will in order to finally really reconcile with his difficult past. In getting the chance to explore those moments with someone who understands, but isn’t necessarily invested, the series could create a rich, unexpected past connection on Will Trent’s upcoming season.