Gina Rodriguez Breaks Down Marion’s Decision to Break Up With Will

[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for Will Trent Season 3 Episode 12, “You’re the Worst Person in the World.”]

Will Trent (Ramon Rodriguez) is still reeling from the officer-involved shooting that ended the life of a 14-year-old boy, and it’s costing him not just his mental well-being but also his relationships. In this week’s episode, the GBI team works with Atlanta PD to investigate a cult-related murder, and even though he’s supposed to be on desk duty, Will takes matters into his own hands to do some in-person reconnaissance, and the messaging of these meetings resonates with him — he even echoes a sentiment shared by someone who’s also grieving when they say they don’t want to hear that they’re still a good person, but rather, they want to be told, “You’re the worst person in the world.”

Will’s style of coping causes a major rift with Marion Alba (Gina Rodriguez) — and just as they’ve started to get serious, too. Marion previously said that it was a “clean shot” after Will was cleared of any wrongdoing, and Will completely rejected that phrasing. Ever since then, he has shut Marion out; the person who could and does comfort him at that moment, it seems, is his ex Angie (Erika Christensen), who knows his history and also what it means to do this line of work. So when Will and Marion finally do have a face-to-face meeting, she makes her feelings clear by telling him she loves him, and his reaction is muted to the point that she decides to break things off with him — at least for now. We’ll have to wait and see whether his undercover operation at Olas is going to help him heal…

So is there any chance for Will and Marion to reconcile? And does she even understand what’s really going wrong between them right now? TV Insider caught up with Gina Rodriguez via email to get inside Marion Alba’s mindset a bit more and find out!

In this week’s episode, Marion decides to call it off with Will after he dodges her for a while. What is the final straw, for her?

Gina Rodriguez: Marion has had a very different journey from Will. Her last relationship with her ex ended amicably, and she is looking for similar — if not better — communication and respect in this relationship. Will processes differently, and because of their approach at dealing with grief, they hit a crossroads. Marion tries her best to open a pathway of communication, and it doesn’t seem to work, so she isn’t going to push something she doesn’t see working. Her self-worth and respect allow her to give him space and time without dragging her along for a ride. His response to her saying she loves him was all the clarity she needed to be the last straw.

What did it do to her to tell him she loves him and get the response that she does?

It was the clarification she needed. Once she allowed herself to be vulnerable and his response wasn’t inviting, she decided she needed to set a boundary because she respects herself. She also knows that is not a situation or relationship she desires for herself.

Does she realize that what she said about a “clean shot” is haunting Will so much?

I don’t believe she was ever given clarity that she triggered him in such a way that pushed him so far from her so quickly. And I believe her confusion is what devastates her the most. She so badly wanted to be able to be there for him, but he refused to let her in. That’s where she draws the line because she believes she isn’t deserving of this behavior.

Do you think she also perceives that Will is turning back to Angie for comfort as he grapples with the shooting?

I don’t think she entertains that thought very much. She is very self-assured, and truly what matters most is how he is behaving with her, and it’s not one of openness or respect for their relationship thus far.

She also has a bit of a confrontation with Faith (Iantha Richardson) over the CI — is she at all aware that the confidential informant is Jeremy, and if not, would that change her feelings about Will?

Marion is under no suspicion that it’s Jeremy. She doesn’t know it’s him nor does she know much about Faith’s family life. Would that change her feelings about Will? 100% because she would find it to be conflicting of their friendship and partnership, and she would definitely be disappointed.

Does she generally understand how much trauma he has endured before the two met, or if not, is she going to put that together? 

I believe when they first began their relationship, she accepted that his scars held stories. When she saw he wasn’t in a place to share she respected that. I’m sure over the course of their relationship he has shared some but the ways in which he grieves, processes, and deals with relationships truly comes to light after his incident and it’s very telling to her. It’s not something she desires to be in a relationship with especially when the person has no desire to work on it or even approach any of it with her.

She leaves and tells him he knows where to find her. Do you think the door really is open for if and when he’s ready?

I believe she left it all on the table, and when she said, “You know where to find me,” that’s indication that if, or when, he is ready to step up, she would of course speak with him. The last conversation with him was extremely heartbreaking, and Marion respects herself too much to wait for someone who can so quickly close the door on her.

Disney / Nino Munoz

What else can we expect from Marion as the season progresses?

You will have to ask Will…

Is there anything you’d like to explore about Marion’s backstory and mindset as the show continues?

What is beautiful about the character is in her actions, she has very much clarified who she is and what she is looking for and that’s a strong woman who wants to be respected and loved and communicated with.

Will Trent, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC