u/SPFTguy

I am a fan of the TV show but never read the books. After all the discussions here, I finally read Triptych.

It’s safe to say that Karin Slaughter did not have Ramon Rodriguez when she created Will Trent.

For me the best part was not Will Trent or Angie or Ormewood (wow, the TV show certainly changed that character). It was John Shelley. What a great character, a man in a double bind, worthy of a Polanski movie. And Ms. Lam, of course.

Families! So my nephew threw a big lunch in Boston on a weekday for his daughter, who just graduated from college. Lots of family members were attending. I planned to drive up and back from NJ that day.

My niece in SF wanted her kids (ages 16 and 11) to attend. That would require them to land in Boston the night before, which would require them to get a hotel room.

So she tells me (doesn’t ask) to drive up to Boston the night before, meet them at the airport, get a hotel room, etc.

I balk at first, as I had Broadway tickets that night. But I (gay, 70+) gave in. I am the guncle w no kids and thought this would be a good bonding moment between all the cousins. I joked that one of them is gonna have to take me in like 15 years from now.

So I drive up the night before, spend hundreds of dollars on a hotel (hello, Boston around Memorial Day and graduation time and getting a hotel at the last minute). Then meeting the kids at the airport, dinner that night and breakfast the following day. Then getting them to the lunch, and then back to the airport.

All in all, I am glad I did it; the family is scattered, and it was good to see everyone together.

Here’s the thing: niece is complaining to EVERYONE that I didn’t want to do it, that she had to yell at me to act responsibly (her words) and complained about the stress I caused her. All because I initially said no cuz I had B’way tickets that night.

(To add to the theme of no good deed goes unpunished, the friend-of-a-friend who took my seat - for free - was passive aggressive about it, saying it was an imposition to reach out to him last minute and that he only did it as a favor to me. You’re welcome!)

Yeesh. I called her afterwards, one of those making sure the kids got home ok calls. And she lays into me about all the stress I caused. No thanks for babysitting her kids in a strange city.

I just replied that giving up my ticket and getting a hotel room cost me hundreds of dollars - I didn’t even mention the amount of hotel food her kids ate, and the cost. There was no reasoning w her, so I said I’m glad the kids got home ok and left it at that.

As for making sure the family hears my side of the story, I communicated all this to my other niece (her sister). She will make sure everyone knows about her sister’s tantrum (she lives for that stuff). Snarky, maybe, but I wanted my side of the story heard.

Such is life.

I think most people will agree with this, but I haven’t seen it mentioned before, so…

Will Trent gets lumped together with The Rookie, High Potential and RJ Decker, but I think it’s deeper, darker and funnier than the others.

Case in point: the ep where Faith had to wear a tennis dress(!) to investigate a murder was the same one where Angie’s mother tortured her, even while unconscious, about being an addict (“It’s a thirst”). The same ep that had Faith’s mother say about a suspect, “I told you he didn’t do it” (she said it after he was murdered), was the same one where Angie stares hard at the whiskey and says about Mom, “You beat me”. That was scary.

Also: Will Trent beats up his dad for coaching little league. So much to unpack there! You will definitely not see that on The Rookie.

And the eps with young Wilbur, Angie, Faith and Amanda are among the best in all network TV.

Hats off to Will Trent. Looking forward to S5. And continue being different from the lighter fare.

Final note: I love Lisa Gay Hamilton. More, please.