Iantha Richardson, known for her role as Faith Mitchell in Will Trent, took on directing duties for season 4, episode 9, an emotionally intense installment focusing on Detective Michael Ormewood's efforts to prevent an execution. The episode also features a lighter storyline involving Will Trent and Ava chasing a stolen jewel linked to rock legend Meat Loaf's ashes. In an interview, Richardson discussed the challenges of directing, her rapport with the cast, and Faith's evolving personal life.
Iantha Richardson stepped behind the camera for the first time on Will Trent to direct season 4, episode 9, titled "It Was a Meat Cute," which aired on ABC. The episode centers on Ormewood, played by Jake McLaughlin, racing against time to save George Long, a man he once wrongly arrested for murder, from execution on death row. A flashback depicts Ormewood's initial pursuit of Long, emphasizing the theme of ignorance and the need for personal growth. Richardson highlighted the importance of portraying Ormewood as genuinely chased rather than fleeing, stating, "I wanted it to feel like somebody is chasing this man, not that he's running."
The storyline contrasts heavy emotional moments with levity, including Will Trent and Ava's lunch date turning into a quest for a stolen jewel hidden in an urn containing Meat Loaf's ashes. This leads them to a silent disco, a complex sequence Richardson described as requiring detailed choreography and camera setups. She noted the technical demands, including syncing a specific song chosen by showrunner Liz Heldens to key beats via actors' headphones.
Directing McLaughlin through Ormewood's arc was rewarding due to their established trust. Richardson praised his openness, saying, "He immediately was so receptive to the script... and emotionally, you haven't seen that [performance] from him before." She lingered on a scene of Ormewood praying, aiming to convey his compassion, fear, and the weight of past actions: "I wanted people to see the culmination of his entire life coming down on him."
The episode introduces Joanne Drexel, played by Ilfenesh Hadera, as a potential romantic interest for Ormewood post-divorce. Regarding Faith's perspective, Richardson explained, "She's happy for him... giving a lending hand in the graceful way that she does." On Faith and Ormewood's dynamic, she affirmed its platonic nature: "I think there's something really dope about her being able to hold both him and Will as platonic men in her life."
Faith, portrayed by Richardson, is processing recent relationships with Luke and Malcolm but remains open to future love as a young single mother and empty nester. Looking ahead, Richardson teased episode 15, where Faith finds renewed purpose in her work after setbacks in romance and career.
