On April 21, 1993, a new show aired on CBS that shined a light on one branch of law enforcement in the “Lone Star State,” the Texas Rangers. ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’-starring the legendary Chuck Norris-ran for eight seasons before airing its final episode on May 19, 2001. At the time, families followed along as Cordell Walker kicked some sense into the bad guys. It inspired a whole new generation of law enforcement officers, won a variety of awards, and Chuck Norris was honored at the Texas Ranger Gala in 2018.
Now, another page of the Texas Ranger’s book is coming to life. ‘Walker,’ starring Jared Padalecki, will air its premiere episode tonight, January 21, 2021. 20 years after its predecessor went off the air. Padalecki, who is also taking on the role of Executive Producer, shared that this story is about a family man who happens to be a Texas Ranger. Although there are similarities to Norris’ Walker, he aims to tell a different story and create something that will be able to stand on its own.
The show is appropriately being filmed in Austin, Texas, which is not only the state’s capital and the location of the Texas Ranger’s headquarters but also where the Padalecki family calls home. After spending the past 15 years filming in Vancouver, Jared says that he is thrilled he doesn’t have to sacrifice spending nights with his family and sleeping in his own bed.
In tonight’s premiere, after two years of working undercover, Cordell Walker returns home to his family still grieving and learning how to deal with the loss of his wife and the obvious suspicion surrounding her death. He must learn to balance both his career and his family as he tries to reconnect with his teenage children. Loyalties and friendships are tested when Walker’s best friend Hoyt-played by Matt Barr-finds himself on the opposite side of the law, and histories are revisited when a bartender named Geri (Odette Anabel) finds herself back in Walker’s life.
Many fans are especially excited about the casting of Jared’s real life wife, Genevieve, to play Emily Walker. She will appear in both flashbacks and as his “spiritual guide,” The two met while filming together on the set of Supernatural and-according to Gen-were excited to be able to work on screen together again. Aside from Gen being a talented actress, there is an honest chemistry between the two, and their real life marriage makes filming romantic scenes easier while following Covid filming restrictions. Jared admitted to Variety that he enjoys having moments when they talk as two people in love and as professionals, even though some scenes on the show hit harder than others.
The Walker children, Stella and August, are played by Violet Brinson and Kale Culley respectively. Stella, at 16, is rebellious and headstrong, holding onto a significant amount of resentment toward her father for being gone for so long. August, two years younger, spends most of his time trying to do what is expected of him and whatever will keep the peace in his family.
Both children share a close relationship with their Uncle Liam (Keegan Allen), who stepped in to help raise the kids while his older brother, Walker, was gone. As Liam juggles his professional career as Assistant District Attorney with his loyalty to his family, he also devotes himself to helping his significant other, Trey (Jeff Pierre) deal with coming home from military deployment as a medic.
Rounding out the Walker clan are their parents, Bonham and Abeline Walker. Mitch Pileggi and Molly Hagan bring to life the two strong and powerful characters in these third-generation Texas ranchers. Although they maintain a close relationship, as with any family, it is not without turbulence. Walker is going to have no shortage of people who will tell him exactly what they think, even if he doesn’t want to hear it.
Professionally, Walker is joined by his new partner Micki (Lindsey Morgan) and Captain Larry James (Coby Bell). As one of the only female Rangers in history and a Latina in a group that has historically been white males, Micki is all too familiar with having to fight to prove herself. Captain Larry James has also faced going up against those same historical norms to become one of the few African American Rangers, and the only one situated in the Austin headquarters.
Walker must navigate through cultural changes and tough decisions as a Texas Ranger, while simultaneously finding a way to heal himself and his family. Tune into the CW tonight as another generation follows the story of a family and one man in particular who is humanly flawed, but wants to do what is right for his friends, his family, and his home state.
Written by: Melissa Fudge
Lynn Makes
Evan Conroy
Ron Peterson