The latest trip to Puerto Rico for Will Trent was supposed to be about keeping his family safe, but it quickly turned into a nightmare that dragged his darkest traumas back to the surface. The March 17 episode of the ABC drama, titled “He Lives!” , took viewers on a wild ride through the jungles of the island as Will searched for his missing uncle. What he found instead was a clever and vicious new adversary who knows exactly how to hurt him.
Directed by star Ramón Rodríguez, who is also Puerto Rican, this episode brought Will back to the island for the first time since Season 2. But this was no vacation. The hour delivered shocking betrayals, poisonous spiders, and a cliffhanger that leaves Will’s life—and his sanity—hanging in the balance.
A Copycat Killing Sends Will to Puerto Rico
The trouble started back in Atlanta when a man was murdered in a way that perfectly copied the killing style of James Ulster (Greg Germann), the serial killer who has haunted Will for years. The victim shared the same name as Will’s beloved Uncle Antonio (John Ortiz), sending Will into a panic.
Taking the advice of his therapist Dr. Roach (Margaret Cho) to heart, Will tried to deal with the Ulster ghost in his head by dressing him down in ridiculous outfits. It was a rare moment of dark humor, with Will imagining Ulster as a Keebler elf at one point. Rodríguez explained that this was Will finally gaining a bit of power over the man who tormented him for so long.
But the fun stopped when Will arrived in San Juan and found that his uncle was safe—at first. Antonio was enjoying life as a ladies’ man, showing off a playful side of the character that fans had not seen before. The relief was short-lived, however, because Antonio suddenly went missing, forcing Will to team up with a sharp and charming FBI agent named Elkie (Mallory Jansen).
The Charming New Love Interest Was a Trap
Elkie seemed like the perfect package. She was smart, attractive, and clearly interested in Will. The two shared a connection that had Will daydreaming about something more than just a work partnership. The chemistry was so strong that viewers started hoping Will might finally have found a lasting romance.
That hope was crushed in the worst way. As Will and Elkie tracked Antonio’s movements through the Puerto Rican rainforest, they stumbled upon a horrifying scene. Someone had recreated the exact circumstances of his mother Lucy’s death, complete with the sound of a baby crying coming from a trash can. It was a cruel and deliberate attempt to break Will emotionally.
Then came the reveal. Elkie was not an FBI agent at all. She was Adelaide, the daughter of James Ulster, and she had been playing Will from the very start. The woman he was starting to trust was the child of his worst enemy, and she had come to finish what her father started.
Will Faces Death and Sees His Mother
The betrayal left Will trapped in a remote part of the jungle, bitten multiple times by a poisonous spider. With the venom spreading through his body and no help in sight, Will found himself face to face with the ghost of his mother Lucy (Raiany Silva).
In his moment of near-death, Will confessed what was really in his heart. He told his mother that he wanted “more than this.” Rodríguez revealed that he personally added that line to the script because it felt true to the character.
“I think in that moment when he’s with Lucy and he’s facing death, he thinks he realizes he never got it. And that’s heartbreaking. It’s absolutely heartbreaking for someone whose sole desire was to create some form of a family because they never had it.”
The vision of his mother encouraged him to survive, giving Will the strength to let out one final scream that finally caught the attention of Faith (Iantha Richardson) and Michael (Jake McLaughlin), who had arrived in Puerto Rico to help. Will collapsed as they found him, but not before Adelaide had escaped, and Antonio remained missing.
What This Episode Means for the Rest of Season 4
This was not just a standalone adventure. Rodríguez made it clear that “He Lives!” is the launching point for everything that follows in Season 4. The introduction of Adelaide as a recurring villain opens up a whole new chapter of pain for Will.
She is not just copying her father. She is improving on his methods, using psychological warfare to target Will’s deepest wounds. The fact that she got away means she will be back, and she still has Antonio somewhere. Rodríguez confirmed that fans should be very worried about Antonio’s fate.
The episode also pushed Will’s mental health struggles to the forefront. Dr. Roach’s therapy sessions have been helping him, but facing a real-life threat connected to Ulster is a different battle entirely. Rodríguez explained that Will’s mental state “is going to be a real thing that we’ll continue to explore the rest of this season.”
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A Personal Project for Ramón Rodríguez
For Rodríguez, directing this episode was about more than just work. As a Puerto Rican filmmaker, getting to bring Will Trent back to the island and showcase its beauty—from the streets of San Juan to the dense rainforest—was deeply meaningful.
“It was a real honor and a privilege. The crew, the AD, when they announced the first day, ‘Hey, welcome our director from Puerto Rico,’ it’s hard not to be filled with pride.”
He also praised the crew members he worked with during the Season 2 shoot, calling the experience of returning as a director “very, very special.” The episode was the biggest one yet in terms of scope, with location shoots and stunts that pushed the production to new levels.
Will Trent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. New episodes are available for streaming the next day on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. With seven episodes left in the season, the hunt for Antonio and the pursuit of Adelaide are just getting started.
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