Will Trent addressed a shocking death — but why did the show kill off a main character?
During the Tuesday, April 21, episode of the hit ABC series, Amanda (Sonja Sohn)’s murderer was found while the team grieved her death. Will (Ramón Rodríguez) was able to take down Adelaide (Mallory Jansen) — and find Uncle Antonio (John Ortiz) – but his mentor was still deceased.
Evelyn Mitchell (LisaGay Hamilton) returned to pay tribute to Amanda and Captain Heller (Todd Allen Durkin) eulogized her, saying, “Most of you know Deputy Director Amanda Wagner as strict, intimidating, badass. But for some of us old-timers, she was Wags. We came up through the ranks together, and I can confirm that even back then, she was a badass.”
Faith (Iantha Richardson), meanwhile, reflected on her bond with Amanda.
“Well, Amanda had more faith in me than I did. She would always tell me to do better, to be better. She saw potential,” she shared. “She had this really great gift of meeting you where you were, seeing who you could be, and pushing you down that path no matter how stubborn you were.”
Will, who wasn’t at the gathering, was seen trying to share his thoughts into his recorder — but failing to find the right words. Earlier this month, viewers were shocked when Will Trent killed off Amanda.
Sohn’s exit received backlash, which she addressed in several social media posts. The actress, 61, took to Instagram on Saturday, April 18, to reflect on how “surprised by the response to Amanda’s death” she was.
“Once you get the pink slip, it’s just a job. I got a job like you got a job. It’s just a job,” she explained. “Actors are really low people on the totem pole when it comes down to the big structure. When you get a pink slip, you don’t ask about it. You just say goodbye.”
While reflecting on her departure, Sohn promised to share more insight on having to “say goodbye to” characters she played in the past.
“[In my upcoming memoir, I get to talk about] the ins and outs of that and what comes with the business and all that,” she shared. “It’s not always time to talk about the details because one of the things I was taught through this experience of being Amanda and of being in this situation is she’s a much more thoughtful, reserved character than I am. When I engage with characters, we give each other aspects of ourselves.”
Sohn noted she is going to be “a little more reserved in [her] expressions” for now. “The best years are yet to come,” she concluded. “Here’s to Will Trent. Here’s to Amanda. My god. What a character. What an honor and a privilege. So just hold tight. We’re gonna be alright. There’s plenty of Sonja Sohn coming up.”
Sohn captioned the post: “I cannot adequately express the overwhelming gratitude I feel for the @willtrentabc fans who have poured their hearts out on my page.”
She added: “I did my best to to [sic] respond to each one of you but the comments kept growing & I had some life on deck to live. Please know I am receiving & grateful for your precious attention and support. I promise to honor that by giving you something you can sink your teeth into & celebrate with me in the not so distant future.”
Will Trent airs on ABC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.
