'Will Trent' finishes up Season 2 knowing Season 3 is coming

ATLANTA — During the production of Season 2 of “Will Trent,” set and shot in Atlanta, the cast and crew got news every TV show wants to hear: ABC had given them a third season.

“I never had that experience before,” said Ramon Rodriguez, who plays Will Trent, the titular Georgia Bureau of Investigations agent with no shortage of quirks and traumas. “We got to announce it in person to everybody. It was a celebratory moment and kind of surreal. We got to thank the crew. Then we had to dive back in and shoot a scene.”

Ratings have risen steadily, giving ABC a police procedural that could potentially last several seasons. ABC said the third episode this season had its best ratings to date. The series, based on a series of books by Atlanta author Karin Slaughter, wrapped Season 2 last month at Eagle Rock Studios in Norcross, where the show shares building space with Paramount+’s “Tulsa King” starring Sylvester Stallone.

“We’re doing something right,” Rodriguez said. “That’s a great feeling. People are tuning in and spreading the word.”

Actress Erika Christensen, who plays Angie Polaski, a hard-nosed Atlanta police detective, enjoyed six seasons of NBC’s “Parenthood” from 2010 to 2016. She said she is an eternal optimist when it comes to a show surviving long term. She even purchased a home in Atlanta before Season 2 was guaranteed.

“But it’s OK,” she said. “Atlanta is dope!”

Jake McLaughlin, who plays Angie’s quip-heavy detective partner Michael Ormewood, is just enjoying the ride.

“It’s kind of like striking gold,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve done a lot of pilots. Some went a season. That’s the nature of the beast. I have five kids and I live in Idaho. I’m very grateful to be here. I’ll never retire!”

“Will Trent” only has 10 episodes this season because of the dual writers and actors strikes last year but should get at least 18 for its third season. The season finale is set to air May 21.

The sixth episode of Season 2, which aired April 9, ended on a happy note as all the key players gathered for a potluck dinner party. Will, a foster child who only recently learned details about his mother, introduced his affable uncle Antonio (John Ortiz), a family member he had just met a few days earlier.

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