At first glance, Will Trent’s season arc about Rafael Wexford had all the makings of a gripping crime saga—a decades-old murder, two childhood friends divided by fate, and the pursuit of justice. But as the episode, “A Funeral Fit for a Quartermaine,” unfolds, it reaffirms that this show isn’t just about cops and criminals. It’s a police procedural that evolved into a heartfelt family drama. And honestly? It was a triumph. Let’s dive in!
“A Funeral Fit for a Quartermaine” is largely told through flashbacks, brought to life by the exceptionally cast and acted younger versions of Will Trent (Ramon Rodriguez) and Rafael Wexford (Antwayn Hopper). These flashbacks reveal that Will and Rafael are more than friends, they are family. Brothers in all but blood, bound by their shared past where Rafael’s choice to kill to save Will’s life, put them on opposite sides of the law.
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“A Funeral Fit for a Quartermaine” – WILL TRENT,
Pictured (L-R): Andres Velez as Young Will Trent, Yannick Haynes as
Young Rafael Wexford. Photo: Zac Popik/Disney © 2025
Disney. All rights reserved. |
This foundation made watching the tension between them all season absolutely gut-wrenching. As a viewer, you can’t help but like Rafael and want Will to save him—not just for Rafael’s sake, but for his daughter’s, Sunny (Kyrie Mcalpin).
The writers found an incredibly believable and deeply emotional way to illustrate love, loyalty, and the duo’s unbreakable bond: they killed off Rafael’s grandmother, Pearl. The woman who had seen the best in both boys was gone. And when Rafael needed support, he didn’t turn to his gang—he turned to his oldest friend, asking Will to help him plan her funeral.
And despite everything between them, Will did. They mourned together, planned together, leaned on each other in their grief. In one of the episode’s most powerful moments, Antwayn Hopper delivered a stunning performance as Rafael. He teared up while eulogizing his grandmother. He recites the Lord’s Prayer, and as the camera pushes in, he says, “He restoreth my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
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“A Funeral Fit for a Quartermaine” – WILL TRENT, Pictured: Antwayn Hopper
as Rafael Wexford. Photo: Daniel Delgado Jr./Disney © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved. |
This moment is everything. Rafael is signaling recognition of his own moral failings, his desire to be restored, and led onto a better path. The funeral setting itself adds layers of emotion and introspection. It’s a time when people confront mortality, legacy, and longing for change. What do you think this moment meant for Rafael?
Kudos to the writers for their nod to General Hospital (GH)! This iconic soap has been on the air for 62 years—a legacy built on family drama, romance, and, of course, unforgettable Quartermaine chaos. When Will and Rafael talk about needing a funeral befitting Lila Quartermaine—Port Charles matriarch, wife of Edward, mother of Alan, grandmother of Jason and Drew—I couldn’t help but cheer. Whew! It’s all a little inside baseball, but if you were ever President of the GH fan club like I was, well—then—you were delighted!
Even in the midst of grief, reality couldn’t be ignored. Rafael, caught between the police closing in and his enemies hunting him down, found himself trapped—or was he? His gang, The Grove Park Boys, wanted their turf back. Special Agent Faith Mitchell’s son, Jeremy (Deion Smith), provided enough intel to unravel it all.
Jeremy’s evidence confirmed that Rafael’s operation was falling apart. His “money man” had been tortured and killed. And Rafael had stashed $4 million in a casket at the funeral home—a striking metaphor for the life he was trying to bury.
Then came the inevitable showdown. At the funeral. Because of course…
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“A Funeral Fit for a Quartermaine” – WILL TRENT,
Pictured (L-R): Antwayn Hopper as Rafael Wexford, Ramon Rodriguez as Will
Trent. Photo: Daniel Delgado Jr./Disney ©
2025 Disney. All rights reserved. |
The attack came from Rafael’s Wall Street guy, Emil. Will does what only a true brother would—he protects Rafael, handcuffing himself to him. The two men survive the shootout by ducking behind the cash casket before Faith arrives with SWAT in the nick of time. Who knew caskets were so bulletproof?
The resolution is just shy of perfect. Rafael enters witness protection alongside his daughter, freeing himself from a future of crime and punishment. And in one of the most poignant moments of the series, he reminds Will—his oldest friend—that he was the one who brought him back to town. Rafael had been planning his redemption arc all along.
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“A Funeral Fit for a Quartermaine” – WILL TRENT,
Pictured: Chadwick Farley as Emil.
Photo: Daniel Delgado Jr./Disney © 2025
Disney. All rights reserved |
Will Trent delivered a story about family, redemption, and the resilience of brotherly love. The procedural framework was merely the backdrop for something real. And if you thought Rafael’s story hit hard, Detective Michael Ormewood’s (Jake McLaughlin) subplot delivered an even stronger gut punch.
Michael, who has spent the season balancing duty and fatherhood, is diagnosed with a brain tumor. His revelation forces him to confront painful echoes of his past—his own father, gone too soon, leaving wounds that never healed. With divorce reshaping his relationship with his children, he savors every fleeting moment, every connection, knowing the weight of what comes next.
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“A Funeral Fit for a Quartermaine” – WILL TRENT, Pictured
(L-R): Jophielle Love as Cooper Ormewood, Jake McLaughlin as Detective
Michael Ormewood. Photo: Daniel Delgado Jr./Disney ©
2025 Disney. All rights reserved. |
It’s in these deeply human reckonings—the quiet moments—that the show transcends its procedural framework. Will Trent isn’t just about cops and criminals. It’s about family. The choices made, the regrets carried, and the love that binds even when time threatens to break those ties.
For a crime drama, Will Trent sure knows how to hit you right in the heart. And I loved that.
Did you think the episode was ‘feel-good’ TV? Do you think we’ve seen the last of Rafael and Sunny? Let me know in the comments.
Overall Rating:
9:10
Lynette Jones
I am a self-identified ‘woke boomer’ who hails from an era bathed in the comforting glow of a TV, not a computer screen. Navigating the digital world can sometimes leave me feeling a bit unsure, but I approach it with curiosity and a willingness to learn. Patience and kindness in this new landscape are truly valued. Let’s embrace the journey together with appreciation and a touch of humor!
Lynette Jones
