Could Scott Foley Return to Will Trent Season 5 After It’s Not Like That Cancellation?
As the entertainment industry navigates the 2026 television calendar, ABC procedural Will Trent has officially secured a Season 5 renewal for 2027, sparking intense fan speculation over how the series might address the heartbreaking Season 4 finale death of Dr. Seth McDale, played by Scott Foley. With Foley’s Prime Video drama It’s Not Like That recently canceled despite cracking the platform’s Top 10, viewers and social media users are actively debating creative avenues for his return.
The conclusion of Season 4 left fans reeling when Dr. Seth McDale, portrayed by Scott Foley, died in a car crash. The narrative choice seemingly closed the door on the character. However, Foley’s sudden availability following the official cancellation of his Prime Video series It’s Not Like That—which ran its eight-episode first season from January to March before hitting streaming platforms in May—has upended expectations. According to audience discussions across digital platforms, viewers are eager to see the actor back on the procedural, raising questions about how production teams handle character deaths when major talent suddenly opens up their schedules.
Fan Theories and Creative Workarounds for Season 5
Because Seth is canonically dead, bringing Foley back to the Will Trent universe requires distinct narrative gymnastics. Reddit users have floated several imaginative ways the writers’ room could bypass the tragic vehicle crash when the show returns in 2027. One user, rosebudthesled8, suggested that Seth may have been deployed on a top-secret mission, allowing authorities to fake his death. Another user, ZealousWolf1994, proposed that a villain group could have faked the demise and kidnapped him.
Other viewers looked to classic television tropes for inspiration. User sweetnsassy924 pointed to the famous dream sequence format used in the series Dallas when Patrick Duffy came back. Similarly, Winky_Fleck and Butterscotchdiscs argued that Will Trent could simply hallucinate Seth during the upcoming episodes, noting that the psychological strain on Angie as she grieves and raises their daughter opens a natural window for visual manifestations. StormCloudRaineeDay pitched an alternative wherein Angie wakes up from a nightmare, realizing the entire tragic sequence was just a bad dream and that all parties survived the crash unscathed.
What Lies Ahead for Will Trent Season 5
While the writers have not confirmed any plans to reverse Seth’s fate, the sheer volume of audience engagement ensures the topic will remain front and center ahead of the 2027 premiere. Fans looking to catch up on the trajectory of the series can currently stream all previous episodes via a Hulu subscription or the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, with pricing starting at $12.99 a month, which also grants access to other ABC hits like High Potential, 9-1-1, and Abbott Elementary.
*Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.*