A few years ago, I wrote an article talking about my reservations on the new CW show, Walker. My main reason for being excited about the project was because the creator, Jared Padalecki, was from another famous CW show, Supernatural. Ultimately, I was disappointed by most of the acting, story telling, and music choices for the show. Despite this disappointment, I somehow always get sucked back in at the beginning of each season.
The first season, I was mainly interested because of Jared Padalecki. For the second season, I was sucked back in because of a plot to kill Walker. And this season, like clockwork, I returned to watch the season 3 premier of Walker solely because I saw that Cordell Walker, Padalecki’s character, had been kidnapped. Only watching the first few episodes of each season makes me a fake fan—if I even count as one at all—but the plot definitely flattens once the middle of the season hits. Three years later, I’m going to talk about the best and worst things about the first episode of season three. This is your official spoiler warning, so continue at your own risk.
There were some things I really enjoyed. My favorite thing was probably the return of Padalecki’s wife—Genevieve Padalecki—as his on screen wife, Emily. The two actors first met on the set of Supernatural, and proceeded to fall in love. Their chemistry definitely carries the show. In the first season of Walker, the mystery surrounds the death of Emily. It dove into his familial relationships after being undercover for months immediately following her murder. Emily shows up periodically throughout the show for flashbacks or to watch down happily on her family. But, in the premiere of season three, Emily plays a bigger role. She returns as a figment of Walker’s imagination while he’s being held captive by enemies he made towards the end of the previous season. She appears as a representation of his thoughts, as well as a manifestation of his hope, in order for him to talk through problems. They’re dynamic is interesting because, instead of being the original Emily Walker character, she is affected by Walker’s harsher demeanor, and is therefore a blunter and more aggressive version. Genevieve Padalecki plays into this well, and provides an interesting way to view a character who stereotypically wouldn’t have much character development at this point since she’s dead. I will say, the one cheesy part was that, when Walker’s hope dissipated, she disappeared. While I understand the purpose of this action, it was still a little cliche.
Despite Genevieve and Jared Padalecki’s acting, there were a couple of moments in the show that felt less genuine in their performance. One example of this takes place right after Cordell Walker’s family finds out he’s gone missing. His son, August, and his brother, Liam, are talking at the piano and then start playing “When the Saints Go Marching In”. Now, I could have completely missed the importance of this song within the show, but the moment felt out of place. It seemed like the producers had prioritized a healing moment that felt unnatural over having them feel things like fear and grief. Many shows struggle with the balance of uplifting their characters and allowing them human moments; Walker is one of them. They strive for a positive show and tend to lose the value of genuine human connection.
My main complaint with the show is the music. Songs and background tracks are some of the most important elements to creating an impactful television series. Often, when I’m crying at a show, it’s the music—or sometimes the lack there of—that makes me do so. There were scenes in this week’s episode that should have been devastating. For example, Walker’s father and coworker are seen talking in a field about how Walker may never come back, but there’s almost nothing they can do about it. There was this Hallmark guitar music playing behind the scene, which made it feel more like a placeholder rather than an effective TV element.
I won’t say that I’m giving up on Walker yet, mainly because I want to see how this plotline finishes, but I also can’t say that I’ll stick around. I hope for the best, and maybe this season will actually hold my interest long term. Walker airs on the CW at 8 pm EST on Thursdays.