The long-awaited Will Trent Season 4 premiere, titled Speaking of Sharks, delivered on every dark promise. When a figure from the past escapes, Special Agent Will Trent is forced into a deadly game that threatens the new family he is just beginning to trust.
The ABC crime drama returned for its fourth season with a tense, emotional episode. Picking up five months after the violent events that closed Season 3, the story found Will struggling with major life changes just as his most personal villain, the serial killer James Ulster, orchestrates a bloody prison escape. The hour ended with a cliffhanger that left Will’s life in question, sending fans into a frenzy.
The Premiere’s Tense Opening and Major Character Updates
The episode opened with Will Trent standing outside the Holy Grace Orphans Home, the place that shaped his traumatic childhood. In a moment of raw anger, he threw a brick through a window. This act, however, was part of a therapy session with his new therapist, Dr. Roach, played by Margaret Cho. The two were playing pickleball, a method Dr. Roach uses to help Will connect with his suppressed emotions.
โI can repress my feelings under any circumstances,โ Will told his therapist, highlighting his lifelong struggle to manage the anger and pain from his past.
Dr. Roach challenged him on the big changes in his life. Will is trying to build a relationship with his biological father, Sheriff Caleb Roussard, and his loud, boisterous family. He is also processing the news that his childhood friend and former love, Angie Polaski, is pregnant and in a stable relationship with Dr. Seth McDale.
Meanwhile, other members of the GBI and APD teams were dealing with their own fallout. Amanda Wagner was back on the job but still recovering from a gunshot wound. Michael Ormewood was undergoing chemotherapy for a brain tumor and reassigned to desk duty, supported by his colleagues Faith and Franklin.
James Ulster’s Bloody Prison Escape and Immediate Aftermath
The calm was shattered when news broke that James Ulster had escaped from prison. Ulster, the charming and ruthless serial killer who murdered Will’s mother, executed a clever and violent plan. He manipulated a young, impressionable inmate named Reid Hobbs, convincing Reid he was his father.
During a prison food club, Reid stabbed a guard, and Ulster killed another officer with a baton. The two then disguised themselves as officers and drove away in an unmarked police car. Upon learning of the escape, a furious Will was ordered off the case by Amanda, who believed he was too personally connected to think clearly.
Defying orders, Will and his partner, Faith Mitchell, began an unofficial investigation. They discovered Ulster had murdered a former client and then everyone inside a crowded city steakhouse. At the gruesome crime scene, Will’s trauma manifested visually. He began seeing a vision of Ulster, dressed like him, who taunted him about the rage he keeps buried.
โYou think people canโt tell what you are? Just a scared, abused little boy who canโt read,โ the vision of Ulster mocked Will.
A Father’s Intervention and a Nephew in Peril
Will’s unofficial investigation led him to Reid Hobbs. At a nursing home where Reid’s grandmother lived, Will managed to corner the scared young man. Using his understanding of Ulster’s manipulation, Will connected with Reid, almost talking him into surrendering.
However, Sheriff Caleb Roussard, who was leading the official manhunt, arrived on the scene. Believing Reid was a direct threat to his son, Caleb shot and killed Reid. This decision infuriated Will and Faith, as Reid was their best lead to finding Ulster. It also created immediate tension between Will and the father he is still getting to know.
The situation escalated to a personal crisis when Ulster, seeking revenge and a final confrontation, kidnapped Calvin, Caleb’s young grandson and Will’s nephew. Calvin is a shark-obsessed boy with whom Will had formed a quiet, meaningful bond. Ulster called Will, using the boy as leverage.
Knowing the extreme danger, Will agreed to trade his own life for Calvin’s safety. He met Ulster at a riverside location, sent Calvin away with Faith’s phone number, and placed zip-ties on his own wrists, surrendering to the killer.
The Shocking Cliffhanger: A Burnt Car and a Presumed Death
The episode built to a devastating conclusion. After Calvin was returned safely, authorities received a call about a burning vehicle. Faith, Amanda, and Caleb arrived at the scene to find a torched car containing two male bodies.
Inside the car, investigators found Will’s personal tape recorder. With his recorder at the scene and no sign of him, the characters were led to believe Will had been killed in the explosion, presumably by Ulster. The premiere ended on this stark cliffhanger, leaving viewers to wonder about the fate of the show’s main character.
Showrunner Liz Heldens explained the narrative choice, noting that the show has always had to find creative ways to express Will’s inner thoughts because he is not a character who talks openly about his feelings. The manifestation of Ulster in Will’s mind is an extension of that, representing the internal tug-of-war Will faces.
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Where to Watch and What Comes Next
Will Trent Season 4 premiered on ABC on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 8/7c. The episode is available to stream the next day on Hulu.
The next episode, titled Love Takes Time, will continue the story directly from this cliffhanger. While the characters believe Will is dead, the show’s creators and star have hinted that things are not as they seem. Ulster is a master manipulator, and staging a scene to fake Will’s death would be entirely in character for him.
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