(Photo: Rebecca Brenneman/The CW)
Walker ended its four season run on CW last night, and now star Jared Padalecki and showrunner Anna Fricke are talking about bringing the Walker: Texas Ranger reboot series to a close.
Starring Padalecki, Ashley Reyes, Keegan Allen, Mitch Pileggi, Molly Hagan, Violet Brinson, Kale Culley, Coby Bell, Jeff Pierre, and Odette Annable, the series follows Texas Ranger Cordell Walker (Padalecki) after he returns home to reconnect with his family.
Padalecki said the following about ending the series, per Deadline:
“I’m heartbroken. I love the show. I love the cast and the crew. I am and will be eternally grateful for the four years we had with each other and the friendships and relationships that I made. But right now, It’s tough. I know it’ll be around for people to watch and rewatch. So I’m grateful for that, but I’m certainly gonna miss it.
I’ve had this job for 20 years. There’s never been a week of new television where I haven’t been No. 1 on the call sheet of an hour long show. I’m still grieving, and I probably will for a while. But I feel really excited to spend more time with my wife, our children…the rest of my family, my friends. So I’m happy for Walker, I think. I’m bummed that he’s not on the next job, because I know he loves being a dog with a bone and getting his work done, but I’m so happy he gets to take this break and reset and spend time with his loved ones.”
Fricke notes that she did have ideas for a fifth season and beyond, including having a character played by James Van Der Beek as Walker’s new neighbor. The network offered to let Fricke film an additional scene to try to give more closure to the show, but she opted to stick with what had already been filmed.
“It really was about getting the family to a good place. They are on to their next chapter. That moment when the family drives off together, the kids and Walker and Geri, feels like some sort of closure in a way. In a perfect world, [it would have] gone on and there would be more stories and more complications, but they do seem like they’re in a good place.
It didn’t sit well with me to try to wrap up the whole series with one revised scene. It seemed too rushed and too hurried, and it would have felt tacked on. So we opted to leave the finale as it was.”
While an additional scene wasn’t created, Fricke took the network’s offer to extend the finale’s run time so viewers could see some additional scenes, including one with the whole Walker family.
What do you think? Were you sad to see this CW series end? Would you like to see the characters return for a fifth season or reunion movie someday?
I really would love more seasons of Walker. I never missed any episodes. It was a breath of fresh air to watch every week.
I as well am from a law enforcement and Miliary family for generations dating back to the time that my ancestors came over came here on the MAYFLOWER and joined with the NATIVE AMERICANS ! I know how deadly it can be and all the worries a family face daily but WHY ON EARTH was WALKER canceled it should be aired for years to come ??????
I am very brokenhearted because I am an avid watcher and HONESLY LOVED watching the show now gone as we will not get to see WALKED again ??? I thank it was so sad when at the end someone passed Walker – Geri and his kids to go up to their home when the show went black ??? WOW just who was waning to talk to the WALKERS a the end for the show went black ??? Who was pulling into the WALKER HOME ?????????? I really would like to know who the people or person that arrived there at… Read more »
Absolute carnage. Such a great show must have so many stories still to tell. There is such a lot of rubbish on the TV at present, and this is one of the best shows I’ve seen. Please make another season.
Sad to see it end! We really enjoyed watching it and this last season seemed to be one of the best. As usual, the good shows end and it leaves you wondering how it is that stupid shows like “Family Guy, The Simpsons” and shows like that are still on the air!!
I would love to see another season
It was time for this program to end. At least it got closure.
Another FANTASTIC show cancelled. Networks just don’t care if you love a show or not anymore. It doesn’t make any sense at all. A HUGH thank you to the cast, crew, writers, and producers of this show. I have enjoyed your show immensely. The cast worked so well together. THANK YOU.