Will Trent keeps raising the bar for itself with every passing episode, and that was certainly the case with the season 2 finale, which featured Angie Polaski, played by Erika Christensen, finding herself in a lot of trouble, jeopardizing her season 3 status. The ABC police procedural crime drama television series, created by Liz Heldens, Karin Slaughter, and Daniel T. Thomsen, is based on Slaughter’s Will Trent book series. However, the show takes many creative liberties and doesn’t religiously follow the novels, allowing it to frequently surprise the audience as it did in the last episode of season 2.
Christensen’s Angie is Ramón Rodríguez’s Will Trent’s oldest friend (and on-again, off-again girlfriend) in the ABC series. Will and Angie met when they were children in foster care, and from then on, they were each other’s safe space. As they grew up, Will and Angie’s dynamic turned romantic, but with their individual issues and trauma bond, it has been difficult for them to maintain a healthy relationship. Toward the end of Will Trent season 2, it seemed like Will and Angie had finally figured out how to make their relationship work until everything came crashing down around them.
Will Trent Season 2 Finale’s Angie Twist Explained
Will Arrested Angie During Will Trent Season 2’s Ending
During Will Trent season 2’s ending, Will, Faith Mitchell (Will’s partner at the GBI), and Michael Ormewood (Angie’s partner at the APD) were investigating a serial killer who was murdering pedophiles of sex offenders. By using his expert investigative skills, Will deduced that the killer they were looking for was female, and one of her signatures was leaving a little toy in her victims’ mouths. When Angie swung by the GBI for an interview, she saw the case board and realized the murderer was likely Crystal, a teenager whom she helped cover up Lenny’s murder in season 1.
Ultimately, Will knew he couldn’t continue covering up Angie’s lies (because of his status in law enforcement and his morals), so, he arrested Angie and skipped town at the end of the Will Trent season 2 finale.
Crystal murdered Lenny (Angie’s abuser when she was a teenager who later moved on to Crystal) in Will Trent season 1, and Angie took the blame and claimed she killed Lenny in self-defense. Unfortunately, Crystal’s killer instinct never went away, and she began murdering men who reminded her of her mom’s dead boyfriend. Angie tried confronting Crystal during the season 2 finale, but the teenager ran away from her, slipped and fell on a rock, fatally hit her head, and tumbled into the river. Once Angie caught up with her body, it was too late — Crystal had bled out and died.
Angie explained what happened to Will and Faith, who were curious as to why the APD detective would think Crystal was capable of murder. Consequently, Will took a second look at Lenny’s case and discovered the truth. He had an impossible decision to make — do nothing about his new revelation or arrest Angie for tampering with evidence (which would break his heart). Ultimately, Will knew he couldn’t continue covering up Angie’s lies (because of his status in law enforcement and his morals), so, he arrested Angie and skipped town at the end of the Will Trent season 2 finale.
Erika Christensen’s Angie Is Not Expected To Leave Will Trent After Season 3
Angie Is A Part Of The Writers’ Season 3 Plans
Although Will Trent season 2 concluded with Angie under arrest for lying about Lenny’s death, Erika Christensen is expected to return in season 3. After all, the viewers must see how Angie’s arrest (and perhaps her subsequent trial) plays out and if Will can make amends with Angie. The season 2 finale didn’t give her character any closure, which she deserves, especially given Angie’s importance in the ABC series and Will’s story. Plus, Will Trent co-showrunners Liz Heldens and Daniel Thomsen teased their season 3 plans for Angie while speaking with TVLine. Thomsen explained:
“One of the things that I’m very interested in examining is that, in real life, the way that cops go through the judicial system is different from normal people, especially when there’s righteous behavior involved. I think we want to spend some time and try and figure out what this would look like for somebody [like Angie] who was in this kind of situation [involving Lenny]. I mean, Liz, you can tell me if I’m wrong, but I don’t know that it would be like a long court trial. That’s probably not the area that we want to mine. But I think that this is going to mark a very significant departure in Angie’s life.”
Heldens added:
“Yeah, I agree with that… I think that might be a different show [if we put Angie on trial], but we’re going to see what the consequences are for her.”
Additionally, Heldens said that the writers were keeping their options open regarding Angie’s law enforcement future, whether she has a viable path back to working at the APD, or if Angie could pursue a career as a private investigator if she can’t return. Whatever the case, fans can expect to see Christensen reprise her role as Angie when Will Trent season 3 releases in 2025. But the character’s circumstances, including her career, personal life, and mental state, will certainly be different in the upcoming episodes.
| Will Trent Cast | Character |
|---|---|
| Ramón Rodríguez | Will Trent |
| Erika Christensen | Angie Polaski |
| Iantha Richardson | Faith Mitchell |
| Sonja Sohn | Amanda Wagner |
| Jake McLaughlin | Michael Ormewood |
| John Ortiz | Antonio Miranda |
| Cora Lu Tran | Nico |
| Sara Antonio | Gina Ormewood |
| Ser’Darius Blain | Luke |
Is Angie & Will’s Relationship Over For Good In Will Trent?
Angie’s Arrest Likely Signals The (Permanent) End Of Her Relationship With Will
It’s probably safe to say that the events of the Will Trent season 2 finale seemingly broke Will and Angie up for good. They have had a turbulent relationship since they were teenagers, and they were never able to maintain a healthy romance for very long. Nevertheless, Will and Angie always managed to find a reason to reconcile, but her arrest might have finally killed any possibility of them having a future together. As Liz Heldens said during her TVLine interview, “I mean, I’ve never arrested a romantic partner before, but it does seem pretty hard to come back from.”
For all those who were rooting for Will and Angie as a couple, any hope of them ending up together was seemingly crushed at the end of the Will Trent season 2 finale.
When Will Trent season 3 premieres, viewers should brace themselves for the inevitable tension between Will and Angie. A romantic relationship might not be a viable option for them anymore, but Will and Angie could potentially find a way to be friends again, even if it takes a long time for Angie to forgive Will and for Will to accept his heartbreaking decision. At any rate, for all those who were rooting for Will and Angie as a couple, any hope of them ending up together was seemingly crushed at the end of the Will Trent season 2 finale.
What Will Happen To Angie In Will Trent Season 3 After Her Arrest?
Will Angie Have To Serve Time In Prison?
Based on the co-showrunners’ comments, it sounds like they don’t want to go down the road that leads to Angie serving time in prison. Instead, they will likely examine how Angie’s arrest in Will Trent season 2 affects season 3’s plot and what her future in law enforcement will look like (if she has one). It might be rather unbelievable if Angie is able to return to her APD job in Will Trent season 3, so, perhaps the writers will explore Angie pursuing a PI career (or something else that keeps her involved in the other characters’ stories).