Walker Review: Tracks (Season 1 Episode 7)

Instead of moseying into Walker’s past, Walker Season 1 Episode 7, “Tracks” takes us to the trolley crossroads of Micki’s childhood, but the backstory ultimately crashes. 

The flashbacks and parentage reveals are thrilling and provide needed insight into what makes Micki tick. The core conflict that Micki has with her mom-turned-tia is a really rich one.

Through their visit to the taco shop it becomes clear that Micki believes that people can grow and change to become better versions of themselves. Adriana believes the opposite. She doesn’t believe people can rehabilitate, as is evidenced by the fact that she is certain her sister won’t stay clean.

Her mothering of Micki was and is rooted in the belief that she is the “type of child,” who would have become her bio-mother if she had been allowed to be around her. 

This fundamental difference in perspective about humanity and reform permeates every aspect of their relationship; Dr. Ramirez sees people as fixed, Micki believes in growth.  

It is notable that Adriana’s boyfriend Mike (who is a cop!) knows about Micki’s real mom. We know this because he is careful to cover up for Adriana when Micki pulls the beers out of the cooler. Mike literally knows more about Micki than she knows about herself. 

All of this mother-daughter stuff is juicy and helps us to grow closer to Micki as a character. 

Not only that, it gives us a Micki-centric lens to see the ever-growing bond between Walcki (Walker & Micki). When Micki is at her most distressed she calls Walker, not her boyfriend.

She trusts Walker.

Yes, that trust is built when he backs her up during a shoot out and shows restraint with a bad guy. It is also built in less cop-oriented ways, like when she feels comfortable enough with him to tear up as she talks about her childhood memories. Perhaps because he is a dad and she sees how hard he is trying to become a better person, Micki lets herself be vulnerable around Walker. 

That is the stuff ships are made of, folks. Just saying.

There is a huge problem with this whole story line, though; it evaporates possible access to the Mexican American culture that the show desperately needs. 

Adriana took Micki away from her mother and then lied to her daughter for her entire life. That’s bad. But what about Micki’s dad? There is literally no mention of her father. 

Guess what else isn’t mentioned? Any tias, tios, abuelas, primos or any other possible family that Micki may have!

Micki has grown up essentially on her own and this means that she has missed out on the traditions, identities, and generational knowledge of her Mexican American culture. She has missed out, so we as an audience miss out too. We get an assimilated, and to be frank, white-washed version of a character that is meant to provide inclusivity. I could actually weep. 

Giving Micki a Latinx sounding last name(s) and the ability to speak Spanish does not count as representation. That is slapping a coat of primer on a wall and calling it freshly painted. 

It is downright tragic that Walker has severed the audience from our chance to see a complex Tejano family.  

Unfortunately, the messy and sloppy representation that the show has given Micki is found elsewhere too. It is great that there are interracial couples on the show. But it feels like a cop out to have the two Black characters be significant others who don’t have any real stories for themselves.

BIPOC shouldn’t be narrative side pieces. 

We learn that August can speak Spanish but then we hear absolutely zero Spanish. Micki mentions that perhaps her mom was profiled. All these small details feel like afterthoughts.

Representation needs to be centralized, meaning it comes from the perspective and authentic experiences of the marginalized group being portrayed. Otherwise, it is hollow and borderline offensive because of its paltriness. 

The kid story on the episode is a strange mix of really freaking cute (those fireworks!) and really freaking illogical. 

I suppose teenagers party, but the whole thing that these high-schoolers have set-up is next level. There is no explanation given for how these underage teens get access to that much alcohol, especially considering they are on a trip. Then, even more head-scratching, is the fact that these itty-bitty high-schoolers are taking shots and drinking beers, but no one seems drunk at all. 

Then, then a group of adults come to their party to harass them and shoot at them for no apparent reason? It is confusing, at best.

The way August and Stella react to their dad being mad is very heartwarming. That doesn’t change the fact that it just doesn’t make sense. These kids should all be so busted. I’m talking get-expelled kind of busted. 

Instead, they are able to spend the evening at the border for a fireworks display? Strange. 

It doesn’t matter too much as it doesn’t seem that the plot here is as important as the characterization it provides. Still, when there is so much to explore for Micki on the episode, it feels like a big waste to use so much narrative time on the teens. 

The big bombs that exploded on Walker Season 1 Episode 6, “Bar None,” seem to have had minimal actual impact. 

The plot is thickening on Emily’s murder case. It is really nice to spend some time with Larry and Liam. They have excellent rapport and it would be fun to see them take on more comic relief-type scenes.  

That mystery is going to be season-long, so it would be nice for the other two bombs to have actually been explosive. But, Adriana isn’t a criminal (although, arguably, she did kidnap Micki ney Nina), and Trevor is clearly a good guy stuck in a touch spot.

That is a shame. The stakes would be higher and the tension greater is Trevor was legitimately plotting against the Walker family. The show is missing a good Big Bad; evil Trevor might be just the thing. 

Target Practice

• Micki’s fireplace is nearly as gorgeous as she is.
• It’s good that the hooligans that show up to harass the teenagers are a bunch of white guys. Too often, gangs like this are exclusively BIPOC. 
• Alex Meneses kills it as Micki’s not-real mom. She could take the character in any direction and it would turn out fabulous.
• Larry flirting is too cute and I hope they revisit that art store pairing. 
• I’ll admit it, I let out a loud gasp-shriekey noise when that thug shoots the soccer ball.
• Listen, Micki downing that taco while wearing a half-up half down ponytail ignites all my sapphic sensibilities. 
• Liam and Bret’s relationship is far more interesting than August’s whole situation. 
• The Okie’s Radio/Ockham’s Razor bit is actually quite funny, as is Micki’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it comment about gender equity that follows.
• Let’s turn up the queer volume on the show, shall we?

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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