The Big Picture
Walker needs a break from battling his personal demons and obsession with the Jackal case to focus on his own happiness and well-being.
The relationship between Walker and his kids has reached a breaking point in Season 4, with the family dynamics becoming even more complicated.
The cancelation of
Walker
ahead of the intended Season 4 finale is disappointing, leaving fans hoping that the series will provide closure and resolution for the characters.
As we near the end of Walker’s intense fourth (and final) season, one thing has become clear in this CW drama: it needs to give our hero a break. For years now, Cordell Walker (Jared Padalecki) has been battling his own personal demons and wrestling through how to navigate a healthy relationship with his children amid his job as a Texas Ranger. The show, which was inspired by the original Walker, Texas Ranger that starred Chuck Norris, has taken an even darker turn this season with the introduction of the Jackal serial killer. But given how far Walker has come since the pilot episode, it’s about time he gets the happy ending he deserves.
Walker
A widowed father returns to Austin after one year, attempting to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family, and find common ground with his new partner, while growing increasingly suspicious of his wife’s death.
Release Date January 21, 2021
Cast Mitch Pileggi , Molly Hagan , Chris Labadie , Jared Padalecki , Lindsey Morgan , Violet Brinson , Rebekah Graf , Keegan Allen , Odette Annable , Jeff Pierre , Gabriela Flores , Genevieve Padalecki , Coby Bell , Alex Landi , Kale Culley
Seasons 4
Network The CW
‘Walker’ Is Revisiting Cordell Walker’s Darkness, Which Was Left Behind Years Ago
Earlier this season’s episode, “We All Fall Down,” Walker revisited the time when our favorite Texas Ranger went undercover after the death of his wife Emily (Genevieve Padalecki). While the flashbacks were centered on Walker’s old bank robbing buddy Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), there was still a glimpse of Walker’s undercover alias Duke. It had been a while since Duke had shown up on Walker, and his return signaled a stark change in the show’s narrative, as Walker began to throw himself head-first into the Jackal case, revisiting his old obsessive patterns. What’s stranger is that this came after he’d previously helped pull Captain Larry James (Coby Bell) out of that same abyss. Instead of taking his own advice to heart, Walker has effectively traded places with James as the one in dire need of rescuing.
It’s not uncommon for Walker to become erratically obsessed with a case. After he was kidnapped in Season 3, he did just that during Grey Flag plotline, particularly due to the involvement of his former Marine C.O. Clay Cooper (David B. Meadows). In Season 1, he did the same while trying to solve his wife’s murder. But while there’s certainly precedent for this obsessive behavior, it seemed like his long-term relationship with Geri Broussard (Odette Annable) was helping things get better. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite stick, and with Geri out of town on business, Walker has thrown himself even deeper into the Jackal rabbit hole. To make things even worse, he’s beginning to take out his own frustrations on those around him, particularly his kids.
Unsurprisingly, Walker’s intensity regarding the Jackal only doubled after he nearly caught the killer in “Hold Me Now,” only to be clocked by the villain and left for dead. If there’s one thing that Cordell Walker needs right now, it’s a good reality check. Hunting serial killers is a dangerous business, to be sure, but it’s also a task where law enforcement officers need a level head in these intense situations. Without one, it’s possible that the next time Walker encounters the Jackal, he won’t make it out alive. With only a few episodes left this season, it’s easy for us to wonder how this can all be wrapped up in time.
Walker and His Kids Have Been at Odds for Too Long
Image via The CW
Another problem that has arisen over the past few seasons, but has reached an entirely new level in Season 4, is the complicated relationship between Walker and his kids, Stella (Violet Brinson) and August (Kale Culley). Since the end of Season 3, Stella has lied to her father about the break-in that occurred at Geri’s place, where she thought she killed a man, only to discover that she’s now wrapped up in a web of conspiracy that involves a necklace with possible ties back to Walker: Independence. While Auggie has been trying to get Stella to come clean to their father, a literal Texas Ranger who could easily help them out of this mess, her secret coupled with Walker’s insecurities have only forged a greater chasm between them.
It’s clear that, out of everything in his life, Walker cares the most about making sure his kids are safe. Sometimes, his over-protective parenting style comes across as too demanding and intense, while other times he’s struggled to be as involved a parent as he should be. With the Jackal case putting him on edge, Walker was absent from events such as Auggie’s military training camp graduation, but was also irrationally angry with Stella and Auggie for missing a family dinner with himself and Geri. It’s moments like these where we wonder why Cordell Walker seemingly hasn’t learned much about parenting since Emily’s death, and make us question if tracking down serial killers is the right kind of profession for him. Maybe, like James, he too needs to take a few steps back.
For a show that’s seemingly all about family, and the importance of it, Walker is far too often fighting with his kids, and fails to learn to trust them (or at least hear them out first). Walker needs a positive moment with Auggie and Stella to help him make things right with them before the series concludes, and the only way he can honestly do that is by overcoming his obsessive behavior concerning the Jackal case. By letting it go and focusing on the facts rather than his emotional reasons for wanting it solved, Walker might be able to bring just enough of himself back home so that he has something to give to his children besides more frustrated attempts at repairing their connection.
Related ‘The Boys’ Creator Is Gunning for Another ‘Supernatural’ Reunion Now That ‘Walker’ Is Dead With ‘Walker’ cancelled by The CW, the ‘Supernatural’ alum may finally have time to reunite with the showrunner on his diabolical series.
‘Walker’ Won’t Be Returning for Season 5
With all the shakeups occurring over at The CW, we’re saddened to note that Walker has been canceled ahead of the Season 4 finale, “A History of Horrors and Other Tales,” which will serve as the impromptu series finale. Knowing that this might not have been Walker’s intended ending is frustrating, since there’s no guarantee that the series will be wrapped up as neatly as it could have, but our hope is that Walker is able to fix things with his kids before it’s too late. After the prior cancelation of the Western prequel series Walker: Independence, Walker’s own cancelation comes as a major blow, especially with how long series star Jared Padalecki has been involved with the network. Maybe this means a proper Supernatural reunion could happen after all.
Walker’s own darkness is something the character (and the show) has wrestled with since the very first episode. Whether he’s hardened by his time undercover, his abduction, a family feud, or the death of his wife, there’s always something that keeps Cordell Walker from being happy, and sharing that same happiness with his children. If Walker can do anything before the series officially comes to a close, we hope that it will help our hero to move past his own demons and commit to being a more present father, partner, and Texas Ranger going forward. Sure, the story may be ending on television, but these characters will continue on long after the closing credits.
Walker airs Wednesdays on The CW and is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
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