AlthoughWill Trenthas strayed from the novels since the beginning,the TV show switched up a significant aspect of Will’s life in season 3,and it’s the best change so far. The ABC police procedural is based on Karin Slaughter’s book series of the same name. They both feature (most of) the same characters and revolve aroundWill Trent, a highly skilled GBI agentwho has had a tough life, starting in his childhood.
Quickly after Will was born, his mother died. So, he was put into the foster care system, where he would remain until he was 18 years old. Once he was an adult, Will made a name for himself and eventually became the GBI’s best agent. Unfortunately, Will’s life certainly hasn’t gotten much easier. His on-and-off relationship with his childhood best friend, Angie Polaski, is a constant source of conflict for the protagonist. Meanwhile, Will faces various challenges and traumas, thanks to his job. It also doesn’t help that, followingtheWill Trentpremiere,Will is just now learning about his biological family.
Will’s Biological Father In The Books Isn’t Sheriff Caleb Roussard
Since theWill Trentpilot, Will has slowly been discovering more about his biological family. In season 1, he learned his mother’s identity — Lucy Morales, who died after giving birth to Will. A serial killer named James Ulster had abducted Lucy and refused to give her any kind of medical assistance during labor, resulting in her death. James abandoned Will, but Amanda Wagner (who was a beat cop at the time) found him. Decades later, James was finally caught for his crimes.While speaking with Will, the murderer suggested that he could be his father,and in the books, he is.
Following James' tease that he could be Will’s biological father inWill Trent, many believed that he was right. James is the GBI agent’s dad in the books. So, it would make sense if he were one of Will’s birth parents in the TV show. However, as the audience learned towards theend ofWill Trentseason 3, Will isn’t related to James in the slightest. Instead,a rural sheriff named Caleb Roussard is Will’s biological father,much to his and the protagonist’s surprise.
Yul Vazquez
Sheriff Caleb Roussard
SinceWill Trentdidn’t introduce Yul Vazquez’s Calebuntil season 3’s end, we don’t know much about him ahead of season 4. However, what we do know is that Caleb is a sheriff (with somewhat sketchy methods), who was madly in love with Lucy and wanted to marry her. Unfortunately, he lost contact with her, andhe never knew that she had given birth to their son.Flash forward a few decades, and Will and Caleb come face-to-face while working together to solve a case.
Why Will Trent Changed The Identity Of Will’s Father
The Writers Wanted To Do Something Different
The reveal thatCaleb was Will’s father was a surpriseto many. For starters, Caleb isn’t Will’s father in Karin Slaughter’s book series; he’s not even a character from the novels. Instead,Caleb is a completely new entity, created just for the TV show.During an interview withTVLinefollowing theWill Trentseason 3 finale, co-showrunners Liz Heldens and Daniel T. Thomsen discussed why they decided against following the books regarding the identity of Will’s father. Heldens said:
“Well, I think it felt a little bit like it was just laying there, you know? It was a maybe [that Ulster was his father]. I think the last time we talked about it was season 2, episode 2, and it was a maybe — maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but Will didn’t want to take a test because he didn’t want to know — and then it seemed like, to make that guy his father was kind of like… [shrugs]. And so we thought, well, let’s just do something completely different and go in a completely different direction, make him law enforcement, and make him a different kind of cop than Will is. It seemed like creating a character with a little bit more gray area than James Ulster, who was just a really bad guy — I mean, [Greg Germann is] fun to write for, and he’s fun to put in scenes, for sure, and I hope we have not seen the last of him — but it seemed like there was opportunity in giving Will a father that could be positive and could also have really negative qualities that we could explore in season 4.”
Thomsen added:
“Adding Caleb provides so many story opportunities that we’re excited about exploring. But also, as Liz was alluding to, James Ulster is somebody who is going to have a point of view on Will’s father coming into the picture. Even though he’s not Will’s father, he clearly feels a sense of connection to Will — a sense of possessiveness — so it kind of feels like you get to add somebody without subtracting Ulster, so… more ingredients in the pot!”
Essentially, the Powers That Be wanted to go in a different direction concerningWill’s father inWill Trent. The writers and producers have never shied away from making changes when adapting the books for the screen. They like to explore new storylines. So,revealing that Will’s dad isn’t James givesWill Trentmore space to develop unique character arcs,while also allowing the serial killer to be a part of the narrative.
Caleb As Will’s Father Is Much Better Than James
Caleb Is A More Interesting Choice
As Heldens alluded to during the interview withTVLine,asserting that James is Will’s father inWill Trentwould just be downright cruel.Will has already experienced a lot of trauma in his life. The writers don’t need to throw a serial killer dad into the mix to make his character any more complex.
Will Trentseason 4 will premiere in early 2026.
However,choosing Caleb as Will’s father isn’t taking the easy route, either.The two men clearly clash when it comes to how they do their jobs, and they didn’t exactly get off on the right foot during their first meeting. As a result, introducing Caleb as Will’s father opens up a world of possibilities for the GBI agent’sstory inWill Trentseason 4, but it also allows him a bit of a breather, knowing that James isn’t his dad.
