‘Will Trent’: A character set to leave, Jake McLaughlin reveals what happens next in season 3

[Warning: The following post contains spoilers for Will Trent Season 3 Episode 10, “Regarding the Death of Whitney McAdams.”] 

It’s an atypical work week for all of the detectives on Will Trent‘s latest episode. While Will (Ramon Rodriguez) joins forces with a dead woman to solve her murder case (and restore her sullied reputation), Michael Ormewood (Jake McLaughlin) is busy being outfoxed by his own child in an investigation.

That’s right; as it turns out, the littlest Ormewood, Cooper, has some superior sleuthing skills, as she single-handedly pieces together multiple clues to solve a murder. (Turns out, some sandwiches really are to die for.) Michael has to navigate an impromptu bring your kids to work day after they have an unfortunate brush with poison ivy, but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise because he gets closer to both Cooper and Max, even helping the latter prepare for a drama club audition for Romeo and Juliet he was nervous to tell his dad about. It’s a heartwarming moment indeed as Michael turns on the drama during their practice session, and it’s part of a pattern for the character.

Overall, Season 3 has been a markedly brighter one for Michael as he moves on from his divorce. He’s roomies with Faith (Iantha Richardson) now, and he had a fun flirtmance with Ariana Madix. Plus, his partnership with Angie (Erika Christensen) is going as smoothly as it can be, and, now, he’s getting a chance to really embrace fatherhood. To dig into this sunnier new stretch of circumstances for Michael, TV Insider caught up with Jake McLaughlin via email to discuss Tuesday’s (March 18) episode and more!

This season has been bringing out some fun new colors in Michael so far, after his divorce. What’s it been like to see him breaking out of his shell a little bit more?

Jake McLaughlin: I think perhaps, it’s partially due to his divorce and having what he feels is a bit more freedom in a sense. But honestly, I just think it was time to change the trajectory of the character and really tap into the humorous side of him. I’ve always said that the best way to ground something in reality, no matter the severity of the situation, is to add humor to it. Luckily for me, Liz [Heldens], Dan [Thomsen], and the entire writers’ room saw that I was marginally capable of doing humor and afforded me the opportunity to lean into it and allow more of myself to come through in the character. I’ve always done super serious roles for the most part, and it’s nice to portray someone who has a true character arc that’s more of a slow burn over the course of a few seasons rather than a couple episodes. He’s also a combat vet, like myself, and anyone that knows us knows that our sense of humor is definitely…. How do they say it? NSFW?

What was it like for you to work with Ariana Madix in Episode 8?

Ariana was just an absolute treat! I wasn’t sure what to expect given that I don’t really watch TV, and I’ve got to say, she blew me away. I had so much fun with her, and she was a real trooper when it came to matching my silliness and her over-the-top self portrayal. She was very down to earth, and I am just very grateful for her personality and work ethic. She also made a “happy birthday” video for my daughter Reagan, who is a fan of VPR, and that really meant a lot to me. I didn’t want to ask, but hey, she was a good sport about it at 4 in the morning! Thanks, Ariana!

Michael had a bit of romance with her in that episode, but when will he be ready for something more serious?

As far as Ormewood’s relationship status, I don’t know. Personally, I like being single on the show. I’m not one of those people who thinks that everyone in the cast needs to be in a tumultuous relationship or even a relationship at all. I think you can learn more about a character in a quick 30-second scene of them alone, in a private moment, than you ever can with how a character navigates a relationship. Besides, I like the idea of Ormewood putting all of his effort into his children and really trying to be a good father. I like the idea of him genuinely trying to flip the script on who he was and trying to become a better person. After all, that’s really all any of us can do.

Is there any chance he’ll ever see Faith and/or Angie as something more than platonic?

I don’t know. That’s not really my choice. I don’t know how the audience feels about that, but personally, I like that Ormewood has great friendships with both Angie and Faith. They’re both different in how they interact, but what I love most is Ormewood’s loyalty to both of them. I think it’s a very endearing attribute about him that I personally relate to. But nah, I’d like us keep it the way it is. No need to ruin a perfectly good thing. The Trifecta is a good storyline with them teaming up on Ormewood. Ormewood can be that single crazy uncle we all have!

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In this week’s episode, we get to see Michael leaning into full dad mode when he helps Max prepare for the audition. Can you talk about that Romeo & Juliet moment and what it means for him to get so much closer to his kids?

I think that even though he loves his family, Ormewood has put them on the back burner for some time and has now come to realize the error of his ways. There was a pivotal shift in him somewhere along his path and he genuinely wants to atone for his wrongdoings. I think that the more time he spends with his children, the more he realizes what he’s been missing. He seems willing to step out of his own comfort zone in order to connect with Max, and if that means doing Shakespeare, then what the hell? Let’s do some Shakespeare! Plus, I think he kind of likes it!

Cooper is an unsung hero of the sandwich killer investigation — how does Michael feel about her helping to solve crimes like that?

There’s no doubt that Ormewood is a bit surprised, yet undoubtedly proud of Cooper’s hidden talents. Her observational skills probably exceed her dad’s. I think it’s neat to see Ormewood have these little moments of discovering little nuances about his children now that he’s spending more time with them.

What else can we look forward to from Michael in the episodes ahead?

You can expect to get a few more laughs in the episodes ahead, but there’s also something big coming down the pipeline that floors Ormewood as much as I think it will floor the audience. I like to think of our fans as part of the team, so I’m anxious to see what their reactions will be.

Will Trent, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC