Angie Polaski isn’t exactlyWill Trent’s most beloved character, but, if her haters can believe it, her character could have been much worse. The show, created by Karin Slaughter, Liz Heldens, and Daniel T. Thomsen, isbased on Slaughter’s book series of the same name,meaning they share many of the same characters. Angie is one of those who made the jump from the novels to the screen.
Will Trentseason 4 will consist of 18 episodes and is expected to premiere in early 2026, according to a report fromTVLine.
Angie is one ofWill Trent’s many flawed characters. She is quite complex, with her tragic backstory, struggles with addiction, relationship issues, and much more. As such, Angie has made her fair share of mistakes since her introduction in the pilot episode, which hasn’t earned her much favor with the audience. Still,Will Trent’s Angie is a watered-down version of the character from the books.
Why Angie Is Such A Divisive Character In ABC’s Will Trent
Angie Has Made A Few Mistakes Over The Seasons
Since theWill Trentseries premiere, viewers have had mixed opinions of Angie. Some have been frustrated by her choices, whileothers can sympathize with her flaws and self-destructive behavior.Angie has grown over the seasons, of course, but she is still prone to making mistakes (such as relapsing after her mother’stragic death inWill Trentseason 3, episode 15).
Yul Vazquez
Sheriff Caleb Roussard
However, despite Angie’s faults,anyone who watchesWill Trentshould be able to tell how much she cares.She loves her job and helping people — she was even willing to risk everything when Crystal killed Lenny, no matter how infuriating it was. Angie wanted to protect the young girl because no one had been there for her when she was growing up in an abusive household.
Meanwhile, Angie’s back-and-forth regarding her relationship with Will has been one of the most irritating facets of the ABC police procedural series. One day they’re in love, and the next they’re endlessly fighting. Some ofAngie’s other decisions have been a source of frustration among viewers.Consequently, it’s easy to see how some audience members are higher onAngie inWill Trentthan others.
Angie Is Worse In Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent Books (No, Really)
The Show Makes Angie More Likable
Yes, Angie isn’t the most likable main character inWill Trent. However,she could have been a full-blown villain instead,similar to how some readers view her inKarin Slaughter’sWill Trentbooks. If fans of the ABC crime drama TV show hate Erika Christensen’s depiction of Angie, then they would despise the version of her character in the novels.
Angie wasn’t always the most hatedcharacter in theWill Trentbooks. She certainly didn’t start as an angelic figure, but as time went on and as Slaughter wrote and released more works, Angie started regressing. As a result, readers couldn’t help but be turned off by her character. More specifically,many loathe the way that Angie treats Will in the novels.
There is no other way to put it —Angie is emotionally abusive towards Will in Slaughter’s series.She constantly cheats on him, berates him, and is overall just cruel. If one can believe it, somehowWill and Angie’s relationship in theWillTrentbooks is much more toxic than the one that’s depicted onscreen in the ABC police procedural show.
While Angie obviously cares for Will (even though she often doesn’t make the best decisions when it comes to him) in the TV series, it’s difficult to find that same love and affection in Slaughter’s novels.
So, Angie in the books is much worse than she is in ABC’sWill Trent. While Angie obviously cares for Will (even though she often doesn’t make the best decisions when it comes to him) in the TV series, it’s difficult to find that same love and affection in Slaughter’s novels. However,Angie’s onscreen character can still change,seeing as there are many more episodes on the way after season 3.
Will ABC’s Will Trent Follow The Books' Footsteps And Make Angie Worse
Anything Is Possible
Following theevents of theWill Trentseason 3 finale, Angie seems to be on the up and up. She is thrilled to be having a baby with her boyfriend, Seth, and she has her job back.Angie’s future has never seemed brighter,but that is usually when things take a turn for the worse in the crime drama series.
Sara’s arrival in the novels serves as a significant trigger for Angie, and the same could happen in the TV show.
Will Trentseason 4could feature Angie taking a few steps back,whether in her personal life or at work. As such, Angie’s frustrations could push her over the edge, turning her into the person that she is in Slaughter’s novels. It would be a sudden change, but it’s not impossible. Just look at how much Will regressed after he accidentally shot and killed a young teenager in season 3.
It certainly wouldn’t help ifWill Trentseason 4 introduced Will’s other major book love interest, Sara Linton. Sara’s arrival in the novels serves as a significant trigger for Angie, and the same could happen in the TV show.For now, though, Angie is thriving.Only time will tell ifWill Trentdecides to weave more of Angie’s book story into its own.
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.
