Before streaming platforms disrupted the market, traditional TV was where we consumed all our favourite shows.
Yes, there was a fair amount of frustration in having to wait a whole week for an episode but we did.
One of the shows I followed religiously was “Monk”, which aired circa 2002 for eight seasons, with Tony Shalhoub as the eponymous lead of the crime drama.
Adrian Monk’s obsessive-compulsive disorder and a litany of phobias heightened the appeal of the crime-solving character.
So when I stumbled across “Will Trent”, which is based on Karin Slaughter’s series of novels of the same title, on Disney+, I couldn’t help but hark back to “Monk”.
Will Trent, played by a very easy on the eye Ramón Rodríguez, is a special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
Abandoned by his parents, he grew up in the foster care system. He’s considered a bit of a loner, barring his newly-acquired fur baby. Despite his dyslexia, he has a knack for reading a crime scene like a book.
His eye for detail is something his boss Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn) values most about him but it is not shared by his peers at the Atlanta Police Department (APD), which is where his childhood friend and on-again-off-again lover Detective Angie Polaski (Erika Christensen) works with Detective Michael Ormewood (Jake McLaughlin).
During an investigation into the kidnapping of another childhood friend’s daughter, Will is partnered with a feisty and hard-nosed Faith Mitchell (Iantha Richardson).
Although he doesn’t welcome working with someone, the idea – and Faith – grows on him.
This 12-episode series is bolstered by a talented cast doing justice to their respective characters. As a crime drama, the cases are compelling, for sure.
But it is how the protagonist solves it that leaves the streamer glued to the screen.
The story arc is underpinned by powerful emotions of pain and rejection as the characters juggle work and their personal lives.
Also, Rodríguez ends up growing on you the same way Shalhoub did.