Tuesday’s Will Trent brought #AllTheFeels as the titular GBI agent came face to face with his long-lost uncle, Antonio Miranda (played by American Fiction’s John Ortiz).
Lucy Morales’ younger brother, a professor by trade, was as warm and charismatic as promised. At first it seemed like he and Will had nothing in common — that was, until it was revealed that Antonio is dyslexic, just like his nephew.
After bonding over their shared learning disability, Will and Antonio (and their respective canine companions, Betty and Portia) sat down for shrimp tacos, where Antonio agreed to answer all of Will’s questions. They used it as an opportunity for Will to practice his Spanish.
Antonio revealed to Will that Lucy was his older sister — two years older, to be exact. “I worshipped her,” he said. “Seriously, coolest girl I ever knew.” They grew up together and bonded over music. At one point, Lucy took Antonio to see R.E.M.
When he found out she died, it broke his heart. He moved to Puerto Rico soon after, “lived a whole life, then came back after Hurricane Maria.”
“It’s home,” Antonio said of the island. “We’ll go.”
“I’d love that,” Will answered.
Their conversation would continue a few days later, over coffee at Antonio’s go-to watering hole. That’s where Antonio told Will about how Lucy wound up in Atlanta. “She came here with a boyfriend,” he said. “I know how that sounds, but she had dreams.… Before we lost touch, she told me she was looking for a job at Emory, because they would let her take classes if she worked there.”
Their conversation was cut short when two of Antonio’s buddies showed up, and one of them expressed disdain for cops. Antonio would later visit Will at his home and offer a mea culpa in the form of one of Lucy’s favorite records: Nick Lowe’s “Jesus of Cool.” In turn, Will, with a push from Nico, invited Antonio to a potluck at Ormewood’s house, where Antonio had a chance to meet Amanda, Faith and Angie.
As previously reported, Ortiz will recur as Uncle Antonio throughout Will Trent Season 2. New episodes air Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC (and stream next day on Hulu).
