Walker Review: Back in the Saddle (Season 1 Episode 2)

Walker Season 1 Episode 2, “Back in the Saddle,” goes from chunky blue to creamy queso, and it’s the cheesy transformation the show needed.

Let me explain.

At the top of the episode we get a montage of memories of Walker’s wife. 

The thing is, we don’t actually need to be reminded of her death because the family is still reeling from it. And we never get to know her beyond the dreamy memories.

She risked a lot to go to the desert and leave food and water for immigrants. So, she was clearly kind. 

But, not to be rude, I don’t care much about her. 

To make a quick comparison, on Veronica Mars there is a recurring character, Lily, who has died before the pilot.

This character’s death, like it seems to be the case for Walker, changed everything for Veronica. 

On Veronica Mars, though, the ample flashbacks provided narrative details and fleshed out the other characters in the story. Lily was a developed character, even within the first couple episodes. As a result, Veronica’s actions in response to her death were meaningful and poignant.

On Walker, Emily is image only.

She has no voice and no personality. We don’t see memories of Emily with other people in Walker’s life. She is presented as a very generic catch-all kind of rancher wife. 

So, the mournful sequences of Walker that kick off the episode are not powerful; they are cheesy. In fact, they’re chunky blue cheese. Maybe a few people will like it, but for most it’s just too much. 

The more the story gravitates towards Walker as a father, the more the cheesiness mellows into a nice creamy queso.

The text exchange in the kitchen is absolutely cheesy. But in the most delicious way. 

Teenagers are just the best. Too many shows forget to let teens be teens and have them running around like they’re in their mid-twenties.

On Walker, both Stella and August act like the adolescents they are!

One of the very cool things about teenagers is that they easily forgive their parents.

Here, when Walker shows humility and apologizes for for not asking his Stella about where she wants to live, her heart opens up and she admits that she just misses her dad. She gives him back his mug! 

Does this cheese have onion in it? Because, I’m crying. 

Even though the episode biffs the landing by bringing it back to chunky blue cheese stuff, it doesn’t overpower the nice finish that the hand print-stone scene leaves us. 

Micki is a great character and it is fun to see the pair becoming partners without any meanness. 

The re-certification process is a brilliant way to see some fun Texas Ranger skills in a context that has stakes. Unfortunately, the music and direction are a mismatch make the whole thing too clunky. 

Still, the smirk-off competition is fun.

It isn’t drawn out enough, but there’s a nice parallel to be made between how Isabel is treated differently than Stella and how Micki is treated differently than Walker. 

Clearly, the show is interested in digging into the issues Tejanos and undocumented folks face.

The thing is, that is nearly impossible when the ratio of attention and visibility between white people and brown people is 50:1. 

We hear about Micki’s family, but we don’t meet a single member. We don’t see any of her culture. We don’t learn about why her family has a problem with her profession. 

It is absolutely great that we get time with Micki and Trey. And it is absolutely great that we get topless time with Trey. Absolutely great. 

However, if Walker wants to go beyond telling us about Tejanos in Texas to actually letting us to relate to Tejanos in Texas, it has to do more.

It has to consider the music (I haven’t heard anything Tejano so far), the design of the homes it features, the hair and makeup, and even the costuming. 

It is quite the undertaking, sure.

But, the reboot already went there by casting Micki Ramirez as a Mexican American character with motivations and conflict directly related to her identity. It is clear that Walker wants to provide authentic representation. 

I think the trick is to look at all the elements of the story and then think about how it would look through the lens of a Mexican American person.

Walker, if you don’t have someone in the editing bay, in the director’s chair, in the costume department, in the writers room, and in the music department who can provide you with a Mexican American perspective, hire them. Then hire more.

This show has the potential to be absolutely fantastic because of its incredible cast and some really strong characterization so far.

I am truly hopeful that Walker will cast aside the tired worn out saddle of the original show and will take a seat on a new, better, browner one. 

Target Practice

• Forget jalapeno cheese, Uncle Liam and his boyfriend are the hottest thing on the show. 
• Walker with the wandering thoroughbred is incredibly sweet. It feels like he really has a close bond with horses. 
• Walker grabbing Micki and putting her on the back of his horse in the kind of action we can get behind. Wooee!
• The “What Texas Means to Me” project would have been a good opportunity to show how the U.S. white washes history.
• Lindsey Morgan’s delivery of the line, “Tall, white hat, laughs at his own joke,s” is perfection.
• I’m shipping Walker and his queso. 
• But really, are we supposed to feel some romance between Walker and Micki? Walker and Geri? Not be so thirsty? Got it. 
• The unexpected resolution to the doubts Walker had about Emily’s murder is really nice. The show will benefit from him moving on. 

What did you think of this episode of Walker? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Walker airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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