Will Trent – Find a New Pond

While the premise of this week’s episode of Will Trent, “Find a New Pond,” was laden with serious overtones—tackling themes of economic inequality and the lethal sins of the wealthy elite—the execution left something to be desired. The show’s creators aimed high, but the end result felt ham-handed. Let me explain.

The episode focused on two crimes that addressed economic disparity. Special Agents Will Trent (Ramon Rodriguez) and Faith Mitchel (Iantha Richardson) sought to solve a poisoning at a family-owned Sovrano company. Immediately, the business presents siblings as unlikeable caricatures. Marcello (David Shae), Sofia (Amanda Fallon Smith), and Rocco Sovrano (Chris Cafero) all suffer poisoning, but only Sofia dies. Did you find the brother’s excessive weeping upon Sofia’s death humorous, or was it just my interpretation? Regardless, Will commented on how he hated working for the rich because they made him feel like the GBI worked for them. This sentiment was repeated later in the episode by Director Amanda Wagner (Sonja Sohn) when two deplorable siblings, Francesca (Sunny Mabrey) and Rocco, descend upon their office to argue. 

‘Rent-a-cop’ Angie Polaski (Erika Christensen), who works in a gated community, is involved in the second case. As Angie patrols, she comes across a dead swan. Someone in the neighborhood tells her in a haughty way to get rid of the bird herself instead of waiting for animal control. She takes off her coat and moves the swan. Angie finally finds a cut thumb stuck in the swan’s throat. She starts to feel like a spy, and she knows that someone has done something wrong. With the help of people she used to work with in the Atlanta Police Department (APD), she discovers the exploitation of immigrant labor at a poultry plant.

Despite the gravity of the subject matter, each character managed to deliver well-timed comedic moments, providing (pretty much) the only entertainment in the episode. My favorite scene was when the weird handyman, John (Dan Gill), joked that Angie suspected “fowl play.” However, the comedic timing couldn’t entirely mask the uneven writing. For instance, John, on parole for the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl, traps Angie in an equipment shed. Yikes. Also, the scene where the cast was sitting around the conference table role-playing drove me a bit crazy. I couldn’t follow it because not enough time was spent differentiating between barely-there characters such as Sophia (Amanda Fallon Smith), Jacinta (Jane Rumbaua), and Olivia (Sabrina Jieafa).

 The fight between Angie and Davis (Will A. Holland), an executive at the forced immigrant labor business, left me scratching my head. Davis is taller, heavier, and had a gun—but Angie got the better of him. The problem is—last season Angie had a back injury. How she didn’t end up back in traction was a mystery to me. Since Angie apprehended the criminal, she, predictably, got her detective job back with the APD.

While this episode’s “Eat the Rich” vibe was undeniably fun to watch, it required a writing overhaul to maintain its believability. The show has always shown potential, but without a punch-up to future scripts, it risks losing its audience’s trust and engagement.

In summary, “Find a New Pond” offers a unique blend of humor and social critique. Still, “Find a New Pond” required a more cohesive narrative to achieve its full potential. Let’s hope the showrunners can polish the rough edges in future episodes. Am I off base? Let me know in the comments.

Overall Rating:

7/10