For “Supernatural” fans, who are still grieving the loss of our beloved show after 15 years on the air, the premiere of the new CW show “Walker” on Thursday brought a lot of complicated feelings. Many of us weren’t ready (and to be honest, would never have been ready) to say goodbye to Sam Winchester, so seeing Jared Padalecki inhabit a brand new character was exciting but also brought a fresh sense of loss, as though the new character made the loss of Sam finally real.
On the other hand, it was wonderful to have another television show to anticipate, and for Thursday nights at 8 pm EST to be something special once again. In the midst of continuing controversy about the way “Supernatural” ended, and a hashtag campaign to tank “Walker” before it even began, the show itself managed to air with considerable fanfare anyway – making it the CW’s most watched Thursday in three years, even topping NBC’s airing in its time slot!
Walker on the CW?
I was, but that isn’t what we got, and I’m not mad. Did I love the first episode? No. I’m not even sure that I liked it, but I didn’t hate it either. I’m viewing it as what it was an information dump. I can only hope that the threads dangled in this episode end up paying off as the season and series progress.
It’s the first one, so it’s a long one.
The episode opens with Walker greeting his wife Emily, played by Padalecki’s real-life wife, Genevive. Emily’s about to leave to deliver supplies, but it doesn’t sound like a simple charitable donation because Walker gives her a specific route. We all know this isn’t going to end well, which is too bad because we didn’t know this Emily for long, but I liked her. A final kiss, then they go their separate ways.
alker, a reimagining of the long-running series
Walker, Texas Ranger, stars Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two with his own moral code, who returns home to Austin after being undercover only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. Also starring Lindsey Morgan, Keegan Allen, Coby Bell, Violet Brinson, Kale Culley, Molly Hagen, Mitch Pileggi, Jeff Pierre, Odette Annable, and Genevieve Padalecki, the premiere episode is now streaming on The CW app!
Euphoria, Special Episode Part 2: The second special episode, directed by
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and titled “F ck Anyone Who’s Not A Sea Blob,” follows Jules (played by Hunter Schafer) over the Christmas holiday as she reflects on the year. Schafer serves as co-executive producer on the second special episode, which she co-wrote with Levinson. Both special episodes were produced under COVID-19 guidelines. The episode is premiering early on the streamer beginning January 22,
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Jared Padalecki on a CW show about complicated family relationships and an (at least recently) absentee father? After Padalecki spent 15 years on
Supernatural, it does sound a bit familiar. But the good news is that, ultimately,
Walker and
Supernatural each stand on their own. In the new series pilot, Padalecki and company succeed in establishing a completely new character in a completely new world, one where ghosts only exist in Walker s mind.
The pilot begins with the origin story of the aforementioned ghost. In the first scene, Walker says goodbye to his wife, Emily (played by Genevieve Padalecki). She s off on a trip but assures him that she ll take his approved route. As for Walker, his parents and kids are waiting at home for game night to begin.
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