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.
When I first moved to the United States in 1994, I managed to secure an agent who got me two small parts on the TV show “Walker, Texas Ranger,” starring Chuck Norris as the titular character. They weren’t anything to brag about but I did get to meet Mr. Norris briefly and add the credits to my resume. The show itself, however, was nothing to brag about. There was no real character development or story exposition and the only reason people watched it was to see Chuck Norris kick ass every week. And kick ass he did very well. The show was a hit and ran from 1993 to 2001 and spawned a 2005 television film titled “Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire.”
I honestly can’t remember any of my friends who admitted to watching the series, it was regarded as more of a guilty pleasure, something people watched alone but would never confess publicly. I watched a few episodes here and there but it never held my attention long enough because of its lack of character evolution, it was all about the fighting, gunplay, and explosions and for me, I need something more significant.
When it was announced in September of 2019 that The CW would be rebooting the show and it would star “Supernatural” actor Jared Padalecki, it piqued my interest, slightly, but not enough to watch it once it began airing. When I was sent a DVD review copy, I somewhat unenthusiastically sat down to watch it but as season one progressed, I actually found myself enjoying it. A lot. Gone is the cheese factor from the original series and while the new iteration is grounded more in reality, it also gives the central actors their own individual character arcs, allowing them to evolve over the show’s 18-episode first season. Padalecki’s Cordell Walker is not a martial artist like his predecessor, he is more of a street fighter and is well versed in gunplay.
As we are introduced to Walker and his family, we learn that his wife Emily (Genevieve Padalecki) was murdered at the border while on a humanitarian mission. To hide his grief, Walker volunteers for an assignment that will require him to go undercover for almost a year, giving him an excuse to avoid his two children, Stella and August (Violet Brinson and Kale Culley), and his parents, Abeline and Bonham (Molly Hagan and Mitch Pileggi), allowing him to cope with the grief of losing Emily.
Once he returns, he is partnered with Micki Ramirez (Lindsey Morgan), a former State Highway Patrol officer who is new to the Texas Rangers. Walker must also try to rebuild his relationship with his family, especially his estranged daughter Stella. Gradually, Walker demonstrates that he dealt with his grief the wrong way, avoiding his family instead of turning to them and being there for them, and asks for forgiveness as he proves that he has become a better person after a lot of soul-searching. As the family begins to heal and start over, Walker receives the devastating news that a close family friend may have been involved in his wife’s murder and now he must try to outsmart them and get them to confess if they truly are responsible.
Throughout its eighteen episodes, “Walker: Season One” managed to keep my attention with its interesting storylines, filled with contemporary, multi-layered issues, ranging from immigration to bereavement to cancer to police corruption. While I enjoyed the show, overall, I honestly didn’t think it would get a renewal but I was pleasantly surprised when The CW picked it up for a second season. I also like that the title is simply “Walker,” unlike its predecessor, this iteration concentrates not just on Cordell Walker but on his family as well. And in this day and age, family has never been more important.
Now available on DVD
