Will Trent joins the list of greatest TV detectives with his great back story and complex crimes. Based on a novel series of the same name by Karin Slaughter, the series follows the titular GBI Special Agent as he solves some very dark and disturbing crimes but being dyslexic makes that a bit hard. Will Trent has a very troubled past which still haunts him to this day. Will Trent stars Ramon Rodriguez in the titular role with Erika Christensen, Jake McLaughlin, Sonja Sohn, and Iantha Richardson starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved Will Trent here are some similar shows you could watch after finishing the series.
The Mentalist (Max & Prime Video Add-On)
One of the best procedurals ever made which also had a highly intelligent protagonist like Will Trent is The Mentalist. Created by Bruno Heller, the CBS series follows the story of Patrick Jane, a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation. Before he joined the CBI, he was a fake psychic with a keen sense of observation and now he uses that skill for hunting killers but his main motivation for joining the CBI is taking revenge on a notorious serial killer Red John for killing his family. The Mentalist stars Simon Baker in the lead role with Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Amanda Righetti, and Owain Yeoman starring in supporting roles.
Monk (Netflix, Prime Video & Peacock)
With sh*t tons of psychological issues and crippling phobias, Monk is one of a kind who solves cases with his intelligence and that’s the similarity between Monk and Will Trent. Created by Andy Breckman, the USA Network procedural series follows the story of the titular character Adrian Monk, who has a genius mind but is bogged down with several phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder. With all these hurdles Monk works as a consulting investigator for the San Francisco Police Department to help solve intricate murder cases with the help of his trusty nurse and assistant. Monk stars two-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner Tony Shalhoub in the lead role with Bitty Schram, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford starring in supporting roles.
Elementary (Hulu, Pluto TV & Rent on Prime Video)
Elementary is the Americanized version of the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes. Based on the characters by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the CBS procedural series is set in New York and revolves around Sherlock Holmes as he solves twisted murder cases while working as a consulting detective for the NYPD with the help of a gender-swapped Dr. Joan Watson. Elementary stars Jonny Lee Miller in the lead role with Lucy Liu, Jon Michael Hill, Aidan Quinn, John Noble, Ophelia Lovibond, and Natalie Dormer starring in supporting roles.
Perception (Prime Video)
Perception and Will Trent both have protagonists with high intelligence who are dealing with some serious psychological issues and illness. The TNT procedural series follows the story of an eccentric neuroscience professor with paranoid schizophrenia Dr. Daniel Pierce, who works with the FBI to solve intricate murder cases. He mainly collaborates with his former student FBI agent Kate Moretti. Perception stars Eric McCormack in the lead role with Rachael Leigh Cook, Kelly Rowan, Arjay Smith, and Scott Wolf starring in supporting roles.
Prodigal Son (Max & Prime Video Add-On)
We all love protagonists with tragic backstories and complex psychological issues, and that is what is common between Will Trent and the protagonist in Fox’s Prodigal Son. Created by Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver, Prodigal Son revolves around Malcolm Bright the son of a notorious serial killer who was caught because Malcolm helped the police in his childhood. Now, struggling with a host of psychological issues and after getting fired from the FBI because of them he works as a consultant for the NYPD to solve some gruesome and complex murder cases with the help of his incarcerated father. Prodigal Son stars Tom Payne and Michael Sheen in the lead roles with Halston Sage, Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Aurora Perrineau, Keiko Agena, and Frank Harts starring in supporting roles.
Lie To Me (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video)
If you liked the clinical approach of Will Trent toward the investigations, then Lie To Me’s Cal Lightman is going to be your cup of tea. Created by Samuel Baum, Lie To Me is a crime procedural series and it follows the story of Cal Lightman, who can tell if people are lying or not through his mastery of applied psychology. He uses this skill to take on complex cases for multiple government agencies including the FBI, and he is helped by a highly intelligent team.
Numbers (Prime Video & Pluto TV)
Numbers (also known as NUMB3RS) is a procedural crime thriller series created by Nicholas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton. The CBS series follows the story of two brothers, FBI agent Don Eppes and Professor Charlie Eppes as they team up to solve crime unusually as Charlie Eppes uses his mathematical prowess to determine certain things about the investigations. Numbers stars Rob Morrow and David Krumholtz in the lead roles of the Eppes brothers with Judd Hirsch, Alimi Ballard, and Sabrina Lloyd starring in supporting roles.