ABC’s Will Trent brings a fresh pulse to the crime procedural by pairing twisty investigations with deeply human storytelling. Adapted from Karin Slaughter’s best-selling novels, the series follows Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent Will Trent as he navigates high-stakes cases in and around Atlanta—armed with a razor-sharp eye for detail and a personal history that cuts through the noise. It’s a show about solving crimes, yes, but just as importantly, it’s a show about why people do what they do and who stands beside them when it counts.
At the center of that support system is Amanda Wagner, the GBI’s Deputy Director, portrayed by Sonja Sohn. Tough, strategic, and unflinching, Amanda is the rare leader who sees beyond the obvious. In an exclusive conversation with Distractify, Sohn shared how Amanda functions as both protector and mentor to Will, and why Will Trent is built differently from the police dramas you think you know.
Amanda Wagner Recognizes a Rare Talent in Will Trent
From the jump, Amanda understands something many colleagues overlook: Will Trent is, as Sohn puts it, the GBI’s secret weapon. His advantage is not brute force or swagger—it’s perception. Will notices what others miss, reconstructing narratives from the smallest cues. That hyper-observant mind makes him a formidable investigator, even when his methods challenge convention or ruffle feathers inside the department.
Sohn explains that Amanda intuitively grasps how Will’s background shapes his instincts. Raised in the foster care system, Will developed an ability to read rooms, anticipate danger, and piece together truths from fragmentary clues. Those survival skills now propel his investigative work. Amanda doesn’t just tolerate this; she actively backs it, creating space for Will to operate on his own wavelength.
The Strength of Seeing What Others Miss
Will’s power lies in attention—observing mannerisms, contradictions, and patterns most people skim past. That attentiveness is not merely a parlor trick; it’s the fulcrum of the series’ investigative engine. Amanda recognizes that when Will trusts his read of a situation, the case often breaks open. Her leadership, then, is not about imposing one playbook but about amplifying the strengths of the people who serve under her—especially Will.
Dyslexia, Stigma, and a Boss Who Has His Back
The pilot reveals that Will lives with dyslexia, a fact that sometimes puts him at odds with bureaucratic expectations and misinformed judgments from peers. Rather than allowing that to define him, the show frames dyslexia as one facet of a complex character whose gifts outshine any limitation. Amanda’s stance is clear: she is protective of Will, not out of pity but out of respect. She understands the disconnect between who he is and how some in the department perceive him—and she counters it with trust, responsibility, and cover when necessary.
Sohn hints that Will and Amanda share history that predates the events of the series. While details remain under wraps, it’s clear that their paths crossed long before viewers met them, and that the bond forged then informs Amanda’s loyalty now. Their dynamic feels lived-in: a mix of mentorship, accountability, and mutual understanding that gives the show its emotional ballast.
Leadership With Purpose: Justice, Truth, and Representation
Amanda Wagner isn’t simply a commanding officer; she’s a symbol of purposeful authority. As a woman and a person of color in a top GBI role, she embodies progress in a space that has not always been inclusive. Sohn notes that Amanda’s mission is rooted in justice and truth, and that she is keenly aware of the ripple effect her decisions can have—on her agents, on victims seeking answers, and on communities looking for fairness in how cases are handled.
Her leadership style balances steel and empathy. She can be tough when the job demands it, but she is also the person who can discern when an unconventional talent like Will needs advocacy rather than scrutiny. That tension—between institutional discipline and individualized support—gives Amanda depth and grounds the show’s portrayal of law enforcement in nuance rather than cliché.
What Sets Will Trent Apart From Other Police Dramas
Plenty of procedural series hinge on the riddle of the week. Will Trent, while still delivering satisfying casework, pushes beyond that formula. As Sohn emphasizes, the storytelling is character-driven: each member of the ensemble arrives with a backstory that connects, collides, and evolves across episodes. The crimes matter, but they primarily serve as prisms through which we see who these people are, what they’ve survived, and what they’re willing to risk.
That design invites viewers to invest in the protagonists not merely as detectives but as human beings—flawed, striving, and capable of change. Solving the case is never the sole objective; understanding how each character experiences the case is equally vital. The result is a series in which revelations land with more weight because they’re tethered to growth, memory, and consequence.
Cases as Windows Into Character
In Will Trent, the facts of a crime do not exist in a vacuum. The investigation illuminates personal histories, unspoken loyalties, and the quiet burdens characters carry. Whether it’s Will parsing an errant detail no one else clocked or Amanda calculating how best to navigate departmental politics, these choices reveal layers. You don’t just learn who did it; you learn why the team chooses to do what they do, day after day.
Relationships That Evolve, Not Reset
Unlike procedurals that reset character arcs at episode’s end, Will Trent embraces continuity. Connections deepen, conflicts simmer, and alliances shift with time. As Sohn notes, the goal is that viewers come to know—and maybe even fall in love with—the characters as fully as they relish the mystery. That balance keeps the show’s stakes emotional as well as intellectual.
Rooted in Karin Slaughter’s Best-Selling Universe
Drawing from Karin Slaughter’s acclaimed novels, the series anchors its cases and characters in a world that feels specific to Atlanta and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The adaptation honors the spirit of the books—tough, propulsive, and character-first—while giving television audiences a fresh entry point. That literary backbone enriches the show’s textures: the sense of place, the moral complexity, and the lived-in relationships that predate the pilot.
Why This Matters
Will Trent stands out because it treats crime-solving as only half the story. The other half is mentorship, resilience, and identity—how a brilliant but misunderstood agent finds his way in a system that doesn’t always know what to do with brilliance, and how a principled leader chooses to protect and challenge him in equal measure. Sonja Sohn’s Amanda Wagner anchors that promise, reminding viewers that the best shows about justice are also shows about people.
For fans of crime television craving sharp plotting with authentic heart, Will Trent offers a compelling new blueprint: one where character development is not a detour from the case, but the path through it.