‘Will Trent’ Fans Have an Intriguing Theory About Will’s Therapist

Is Will’s (Ramón Rodríguez) therapist even a real person? That’s what some Will Trent fans are wondering, after the character returned multiple times in Season 4 but was only ever seen or heard by Will himself… and, possibly, his dog Betty.

Dr. Roach (Margaret Cho) was first introduced in Season 3’s “Push, Jump, Fall,” as she tried to help Will grapple with his guilt over the death of a child by ricochet during his officer-involved shooting by using healing therapy in her office.

She returned in a big way in Season 4, starting with the premiere, as she helped Will express his anger over his chaotic childhood in a spirited tennis match.

She also appeared in Season 4’s “The Man From Nowhere,” listening to Will’s revelations about his mother and his relationship to Puerto Rico — though, curiously, only one drink glass was on the table during their chat.

Then, in “He Lives!” Roach was present as Will pondered whether he was “crazy” for seeing visions of James Ulster (Greg Germann) while on a walk with Betty, and she told him, “We all hear voices in our head, and sometimes they’re annoying, downright destructive, but usually, they’re just trying to help in their own misguided way.” Roach advised him to “rebrand” Ulster to appear less frightening the next time he showed up in a vision.

Finally, in Episode 15, “The Blank Expanse of Nothing,” Roach appeared in Will’s living room to talk about his pursuit of Adelaide (Mallory Jansen) and the pathology of Ulster’s daughter. She sat by Betty but didn’t touch the dog as she offered Will a chart of Adelaide’s possible moves. (She did spin the pen on the table.)

The lack of contact between Roach and other characters in the show has left some fans wondering if she is, like Ulster and even young Amanda (portrayed by Sydney Park), merely a figment of Will’s imagination.

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“Will started seeing a psychiatrist this season. However only he has interacted with her, even though they have sessions in public places. Even Betty ignores her! Is she real or am I over thinking this,” one fan wrote to start a Reddit thread on the show’s fanpage.

One fan responded to agree, saying, “I’ve thought about this too. I think Will probably met her one time, and the rest of their time together is just in his mind.”

Another agreed, writing, “Without spoiling anything, you’re definitely noticing something the show wants viewers to question. If only Will is interacting with her and other characters seem to ignore her presence, it’s worth paying attention to those details rather than dismissing them as a filming choice.”

Some fans weren’t so sure she wasn’t real, though. Some fans pointed out that Faith (Iantha Richardson) talked about Will being in therapy and that she was referred by Nico (Cora Lu Tran). “I think you may be overthinking it. I think if she were actually meant to be a hallucination, there would have been more obvious hints and it would have been revealed at some point during the season when his mental state was deteriorating.”

However, other fans thought the fact that she only appeared to Will and wasn’t in contact with other people from the show was a big clue.

What do you think? Is Dr. Roach real, or is Will imagining their timely therapy sessions? Hit the comments below to let us know your thoughts!

Will Trent, Season 5, Premiere Date TBA, ABC