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The big picture
- The CW's Walker was unexpectedly canceled after four seasons.
- James Van Der Beek was set to play a cult leader as the new villain of the now-cancelled series.
- Showrunner Anne Fricke revealed plans for a “weird cult” instead of a traditional villain.
It may have been controversial, but the CW ones Walker came to a close follow-up an unexpected cancellation by the network starring Jared Padalecki as the titular character, Cordell Walker, a legendary Texas Ranger who must now face the criminals of his hometown after a stint among them. The series had gained a considerable following after four relatively successful seasons. The End of season 4, “See You Sometime,” which now serves as the series finale, offered a hint as to who the next villain would have been, had the neo-Western crime drama been renewed for a fifth season. When the season ended, Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek emerged as the new neighbor of the Walker family. Showrunner Anne Fricke has now revealed Van Der Beek's villainous plans in the now-cancelled series.
talking with TVLineFricke explained that after his cameo in Walker Season 4 finale, Van Der Beek it was a script to play a cult leader on the show's fifth season, saying “This whole process was so exciting. We always wanted to leave some threads for Season 5. We were going to worship next door. So he was supposed to be a cult leader.“The showrunner also revealed that Van Der Beek was also close to joining the series early on. “A little-known fact is that we had approached him to be Clint West. [in] Season 1, which was finally played by Austin Nichols, and Austin was so great in that role. I wouldn't have it any other way. But James had been on that list for a potential villain,” he revealed.
“We were going to do like Kooky Cult”
Although he didn't get the role of Clint West in the first season, Van Der Beek had scored the villain in season 5. A character that Fricke describes as a “quirky villain”, funny and whimsical:
“Oh my God. I talked to James, and it was so last minute. He's a saint. I think it was really like the day before we shot. It was really, really crazy, last minute, so thank God he lives.He loved the idea of the cult leader there, and I think half of those clothes are actually his. [Laughs] I was really into that and really into the dynamic that it would bring, and I was really into the idea of playing a fun character, an interesting character, a bad character. It would be kind of mean, but fun. He would be a really whimsical and fun character. We weren't going to worship blood, bad, bad, bad. We were going to act like a weird cult.”
Walker could have ended, however, there is a feeling among fans who love the show that this it could have ended better. It's a sentiment fiercely shared by the show's protagonist, Padalecki, who criticized the network for the cancellation. The show's fourth season only aired 13 episodes, largely due to the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that disrupted much of Hollywood. Walker is a reboot of the 1990s western drama television show Walker, Texas Ranger who starred Chuck Norris like Cordell Walker.
All episodes of Walker are currently available to stream on Paramount+.
Walker
A widowed father returns to Austin after a year away, trying to reconnect with his children, navigate conflicts with his family, and find common ground with his new partner, while growing increasingly suspicious of the death of his wife
- Publication date
- January 21, 2021
- chastity
- Mitch Pileggi, Molly Hagan, Chris Labadie, Jared Padalecki, Lindsey Morgan, Violet Brinson, Rebekah Graf, Keegan Allen, Odette Annable, Jeff Pierre, Gabriela Flores, Genevieve Padalecki, Coby Bell, Alex Landi, Kale Culley
- Main genre
- crime
- seasons
- 4
- Net
- The CW
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