Karin Slaughter’s novels loosely form the basis for theWill Trentseries, but a currently unused storytelling device from the books could still make for an excellent one-off episode.Will Trentseason 3already takes the story in some unique directions, with a surprising portion of one episode dedicated entirely to an upbeat, musical drug hallucination featuring surprisingly serious moments.
Despite this, theWill Trentcasthasn’t played with the more unique ideas from the books. With few exceptions,mostWill Trentepisodes don’t have anything to do with the plotlines of the novels. However, even if following a different storyline, at least oneWill Trentseason 4episode should draw from the first novel’s basic structure.
The First Will Trent Book’s Three-Part Structure Puts Readers In The Mind Of A Convict
A Prime Murder Suspect Is The Main Character For Several Chapters
Due to the manydifferences betweenWill Trentand the books,only a few elements of Karin Slaughter’s firstWill Trentnovel,Triptych,have made it into the show. The first novel’s storyline would be almost entirely too dark for ABC, but it’s the precise manner in which Slaughter tells the story that stands out the most.
Much as the title implies,Triptychis told in three distinct parts. Each section focuses on a different character until their stories combine to paint the full picture, with only the last of these sections centered on Will himself. The first part follows Michael Ormewood, whileTriptych’s second section focuses on the life of suspected child murderer John Shelley.
Convicted at the age of 15, the recently released Shelley can be difficult to follow. He often obsesses over low-stakes yet relatable annoyances, andit can become morally challenging for readers who find at least some of John’s worldview to be sympathetic. It’s a surprisingly compelling sort of discomfort, however, making these chapters some of the hardest to put down.
Why Triptych’s Story Structure Would Make A Great Will Trent Episode
The Series Has Already Played Around With Structure Before
Even if theWill Trentbooks’ dark tonemakes it difficult for the series to feature faithful adaptations,ABC’s take on Slaughter’s novels has experimented with odd twists and non-traditional storytelling structures before. For instance, season 3 largely sidelines the procedural aspects of the show to focus one episode almost entirely on Will’s accidental shooting of a child.
AdoptingTriptych’s structure could make for a more emotionally challenging episode. SeveralWill Trentepisodes have given suspects and killers sizable roles, butTriptych’s structure could allow for the first episode, in which a suspect is the main character for an entire sequence. This would force viewers to humanize them rather than treat them as weekly guests.
This storytelling device could also strengthen any of several possible endings.The suspect’s segment of the story could set up a twisted killer reveal or humanize the true killer’s actions, the latter assuming the suspect does turn out to be guilty. If aiming for a twist, however, one aspect ofTriptych’s ultimate killer reveal could prove difficult to adapt
Will Trent Would Have To Drastically Change Triptych’s Killer Reveal
It Wouldn’t Sit Right With Fans After This Many Seasons
Despite making sense in the novel,Triptych’s most heartbreaking reveal forWill TrentTV fans is that Michael Ormewood turns out to be the killer. The novel sets this up from the very beginning, as one of the murderer’s underage victims also happens to be a girl with whom Ormewood cheats on his wife.
However, while not exactly likable at the series’ outset,Will Trenthas redeemed Ormewood to the point thatfans may not appreciate finding out he had an even darker side the entire time. It would especially come as a blow after theWill Trentseason 3 finaleleft viewers concerned for Michael’s survival as his tumor appears to be worsening.
The series could still pull off this twist with a newer character, but it would require restructuring to figure out how the rest of the cast would factor into the segment following Ormewood inTriptych. Nonetheless, given the writing quality ofWill Trentso far, the show could find a way to adapt this structure for a remarkable episode.
Will Trent
Cast
Will Trent is a crime drama series that follows special agent Will Trent, who was abandoned at birth and raised in Atlanta’s foster care system. He becomes a dedicated agent with the highest clearance rate, driven by his experiences to ensure others do not suffer as he did.
