After a pilot that caught my interest in some surprising ways, the second episode of the new CW show “Walker” managed to sustain that interest, mostly by continuing to explore the characters’ psychological reactions to loss as well as give us more insight into their relationships. There was also a case-of-the-week, which gave us some fun moments, and a little progress on the main mystery of what happened to Walker’s wife, Emily, but what sticks with me most are the emotional beats.
Before we get to those, a brief case-of-the-week synopsis:
A man is killed by a falling beam in a raging horse barn fire, along with some hapless horses, which Micki is assigned to investigate (interrupting her romantic interlude with boyfriend Trey, alas). She pulls her partner in, though we quickly find out from Captain James that Walker is technically not a Texas Ranger at the moment, since he needs to be recertified.
I am fickle. I am also consistent. Those two things are contradictory. For instance, last week, I thought Captain James was a good friend and that Geri was suspicious. I still think Geri is suspicious, but Captain James is, at best, unpleasant.
So, we start with the case of the week, but how much attention it will get? Security cameras near a stable start turning off, and I’m immediately tense because I despise animal cruelty. It’s fire, but the ranch hands come together to save the horses. No! One horse is still in the stable, but Matt Harmon goes to his rescue only to be crushed by a flaming beam from the ceiling. That’s awful. Did the horse make it?
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“Sometimes we get things wrong,” Walker says to his former-partner-turned-boss Captain James as an explanation for continuing to investigate his wife Emily’s death despite a man named Carlos Mendoza already admitting to the crime. Walker is convinced there’s something more happening here, despite every single person in his life doubting him James, his brother Liam, Emily’s friend Geri, and even Walker’s own children and parents. They’ve all moved on, or are trying to move on. Why can’t Walker just… focus on equine crimes, and get on with it?
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But look, there’s no way this show isn’t acting in service of a larger mystery, right? Because, well, these episodic plots are not really cutting it so far, and I refuse to believe