Kudos to the powers-that-be who bring us Will Trent. This week’s episode, “Breathe with Me,” was a fast-moving crime story that took some uncharacteristic and refreshing approaches to police procedural storytelling—but did not devolve into the ridiculous, like when Cop Rock leaned into musical performances. Let’s review.
“Breathe With Me” took artistic license to incorporate visual storytelling elements unique to this show. For example, the opening shot—blood flowing into water—was jolting yet breathtakingly beautiful. It set the tone for the episode’s innovative and refreshing approach to filming.
Other creative filming and storytelling techniques included inner voice self-talk, flashbacks, and slow-motion action sequences. For example, the body in the tub, Mike Cole (Steven Crane) at the top of the episode, was a flashback to the death that occurred in the condo Special Agent Faith Mitchell (Iantha Richardson) purchased. Faith’s mother, Evelyn Mitchell (LisaGay Hamilton), unexpectedly comes to stay with Faith because of a pickleball injury. But it’s all a façade. Faith’s mom, bored in retirement, wants to spend time with her daughter.
Sparks fly between Faith and Evelyn as they perform a timeless dance between parent and child: “Nothing I do is ever good enough versus mother knows best”—as Evelyn criticizes her daughter’s choice of curtains and her decision to take a dance class rather than additional police training. The show used flashbacks to reveal to the viewers that Faith had a baby at the age of 15. Did I mention that Evelyn is a retired cop? She is, and her former profession turns out to be necessary. Evelyn calls Faith home on a trivial matter, which forces Faith to draw a firm boundary with her mom. She discourages her mom from calling her at work.
“Breathe with Me” – WILL TRENT, Pictured: Andrea Syglowski as Juanita. Photo: Zak Popik/Disney © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
Retired cop Evelyn engages in a distinct ‘Rear Window-esque’ snooping on other tenants in her daughter’s condominium, providing a richer viewing experience. She witnesses the building manager, Juanita (Andrea Syglowski) being attacked by two men. She calls Faith but stops herself because Faith warned her not to call her. Evelyn calls 911 instead. When Faith, Will Trent (Ramon Rodriquez), and the Atlanta Police Department (APD) arrive on the scene, they find Evelyn gone and blood on the premises. Faith also finds that her mother left her a clue on a shirt hanging in the closet, but I couldn’t imagine how this happened. It would have been wonderful if we could have gotten a quick flashback scene showing how she did it.
Flash forward. Juanita and Evelyn find themselves in handcuffs at a storage facility. The showrunners highlight the dual crime-solving brilliance and fierceness of mother and daughter. Evelyn quickly figures out that Juanita is the problem. She possesses some kind of coin worth $4 million. Faith tracks down the antique dealer, Tucker (Terence Rosemore), who knows where Evelyn and Juanita are being held. Evelyn convinced Juanita to use her scarf to slip out of the handcuffs, which she did. Juanita passes the scarf to Evelyn, who’d freed one hand when the guy with the gun, Grant (Brad Brinkley), returned. When Grant turned his back to her, Evelyn stabbed him with an insulin pen. Grant passed out from hypoglycemia. Juanita grabbed his gun and fled.
“Breathe with Me” – WILL TRENT, Pictured (L-R): LisaGay Hamilton as Evelyn Mitchell and Brad Brinkley as Grant. Photo: Zak Popik/Disney © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
Faith is racing to the storage facility. While Will drives, she remembers young Evelyn (Imani Hakim) helping teen Faith (Justice Freedom Jones) give birth to her son, Jeremy, and more. She recalled how her mom intervened to stop the baby’s adoption and pledged to assist Faith in raising him. In the meantime, Evelyn continues to struggle to free her other hand. Grant wakes up and turns his rage toward her.
Evelyn puts up a terrific fight, including a bite and a kick to the family jewels, but he’s younger, bigger, and stronger. Grant begins to strangle her. Will Faith, Will, and the police get there in time? The story editing blends suspense and intrigue seamlessly here. Naturally, the heroes arrive in the nick of time. Will Trent arrest Grant. Faith rushes to her mother’s side and prayerfully repeats the mantra, “Breathe with me.”
“Breathe with Me” – WILL TRENT, Pictured (L-R): LisaGay Hamilton as Evelyn Mitchell and Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell and Ramon Rodriguez as Will Trent. Photo: Zak Popik/Disney © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
Despite these innovative techniques, the episode retained its comic voice and heart. For instance, Faith was seated outside her mother’s hospital room when Will approached and asked her how Evelyn was doing. Faith confessed that she hadn’t checked yet. She was struggling with some guilt since she had forbidden her mother from reaching out to her. Will handed Faith his dog Betty, saying, “It helps me.” Faith cuddled the dog and said, “Thanks.”
The surprising shake-up in how Will Trent, as a police procedural, was presented was welcomed and greatly appreciated. It delved into the bonds of family and friendship, evidenced by mutual acknowledgment and heartfelt apologies between Faith and Evelyn. It brought a fresh perspective to the genre while still maintaining the core elements that fans love, which stood in stark contrast to the petty, shallow criminals who literally killed their loved ones and sold their souls for money—granted, a lot of money.
“Breathe with Me” – WILL TRENT, Pictured (L-R): Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell and Ramon Rodriguez as Will Trent. Photo: Wilford Harewood/Disney © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
Overall, “Breathe with Me” was a standout episode that showcased its ability to evolve and surprise its audience. What did you think of Evelyn’s investigatory skills? Tell me what you thought of the episode in the comments.
Overall Rating
8:10
Lynette Jones
