What follows is Part 2 of my conversation with co-showrunners Liz Heldens, Daniel Thomsen, and Karine Rosenthal, who unpack Ulster’s final words, what Will did (or did not) actually intend to do, and how Angie’s decisions — and a certain someone in her life — could impact her relationship with Seth.
TVLINE | Will comes dangerously close to crossing a moral line with Ulster. He even says he would’ve killed him — but if he’d actually gotten the chance, do you think he would have gone through with it?
ROSENTHAL | I don’t think so…
HELDENS | I think the season is about whether he has that in him. Would he have killed him in cold blood when Ulster was tied up? Maybe not… but maybe! That tension — what Will is capable of — is what we’re playing this season.
TVLINE | Ulster’s final words to Will are “see you soon.” How does Will interpret that?
THOMSEN | Will probably interprets it as being haunted by him. When he’s home with Caleb afterward, you see Will is haunted. But there’s a dimension to what Ulster means that Will is not anticipating, which we haven’t talked about on this call.
TVLINE | Caleb clearly senses Will isn’t telling him the full truth about what happened when Ulster was in the back of his car, but he chooses patience over confrontation. Is Caleb, in that moment, able to justify what Will nearly did? If not, what’s going through his mind as he lets Will off the hook?
ROSENTHAL | Caleb understood Will’s choice. By asking but not pressing, he’s letting Will know, “I’m someone you can talk to if you need to, because I get it.” It’s supportive and loving.
HELDENS | They’re both men of few words. It’s an honest scene of, “You’ll tell me when you’re ready… or you won’t.”
ROSENTHAL | The not talking is everything. He asks, Will doesn’t answer, and now they know where they stand. No judgment. No need to talk about it again.
THOMSEN | And Will and Caleb never finished their conversation about shooting Reid either. They’re choosing to be with each other rather than force the other to see the world their way.
HELDENS | What’s unsaid is as important as what’s said. We don’t have to put subtext in everyone’s mouth. Silence can be more moving.
Lynsey Weatherspoon/Disney
TVLINE | Angie wants Seth to trust that she can keep their daughter safe — but is that something she can realistically promise? And on Seth’s side, moving forward, how much will his past loss complicate his ability to trust a partner whose job comes with inherent risk?
THOMSEN | Another great thematic pickup. I don’t know that it’s my question to answer, but as a fella, I found it moving. Ultimately, she’s in charge of that person — they’re physically embodying the same space. You just have to trust. It’s not something people write songs about, but it’s part of it.
TVLINE | On lesser shows, the storyline would be that the new guy in Angie’s life is jealous of Will. That’s not what you’re doing with Seth, right?
HELDENS | Right. Seth is a very confident person. He’s not easily threatened. What Angie has gotten is a gift: a mature man who loves her, understands her past, doesn’t judge her, has been through his own trauma. Saying yes to that is scary because she never thought she’d have it. Deep down, she thought Will was the only one who could love her because he’s the only one who really knows her. We’ll see her relationship with Seth deepen, and Will is still her family. There’s tension — but not in a super TV, romantic‑triangle way.