S01.E02: Back in the Saddle

[jewel21]

Walker continues to try to reconnect with his family but finds that his kids have developed new routines with Liam. Back at work, Captain James tells Walker he needs to get recertified to be a Ranger, but old memories of Emily hinder his progress. Micki investigates a suspicious fire.

Airdate: 01/28/2021

[Hana Chan]

For anyone who might be wondering why the racehorse was locked in his stall and couldn't be released easily before the fire, there are a few reasons. One, it's a very valuable horse and a locked stall would hinder theft (which is a really big problem). Two, the odds are that the horse was a stallion and it would be a way to keep both him safe and the other horses safe since stallions can be aggressive (especially if there's a mare in season anywhere near by). Lastly, I've worked with a lot of horses that were master escape artists. You'd be amazed at how easily some of them could unlatch their stall doors and you don't find them until they'd eaten half of the feed room.

[Hana Chan]

And now that we know that it wasn't the valuable horse in that stall, locking him in to make sure that he died in the fire is another reason. A really, really shitty one.

[Jeddah]

Thanks goodness Walker was more likable in this one! I liked his text conversation with his daughter. He still has a long way to go, but he was at least trying to be a good dad in this episode.

I like Micki, and I’m glad we’re getting to see her outside of her interactions with Walker.

Maybe I just wasn’t following along, but does this mean he’s done following up on his wife’s case now that he knows why her eyes were closed and why she had a poker chip? Or is he still convinced it wasn’t the guy who confessed?

[TheGreenKnight]

I felt from the pilot (and I still feel after this episode) that Walker’s brother was part of the wife’s murder. I hope I’m wrong since I thought he and his boyfriend were really cute.

So far, this show sort of gives me a similar vibe to Brothers & Sisters, as far as all the family drama. Neither that show nor this one are the type of shows I naturally gravitate towards, but the star of both is what dragged me in (Sally Field in the case of B&S). This episode was better than the pilot, so I'll likely stick the season out.

[AnimeMania]

How did the lady bartender close Walker's wife's eyes. Was she with her that night? Was she a police officer and first on the scene? Did she find the body? I figured her phone would have told them exactly where to look for her.

[thuganomics85]

I kind of figured early on that the ranch owner was going to be behind the barn burning, but I didn't predict that the jockey's involvement in it.  I guess it's nice he saved the racehorse, but since apparently another horse ended up still dying in its stead, that just means he only sucks a little less than the owner.

So, it looks like Walker now has two solid answers to some of his questions over Emily's death (the closed eyes and the poker chip), but I suspect that it is a safe bet that he'll still end up being right and there will be more to her murder than what is being shown.  I'm just wondering if one of the other regulars is connected.  Someone last week brought up the idea of Larry/the captain being involved, and I did notice he seemed pretty determined for Walker to drop it.  Sure, maybe he was just trying to look out for his friend, but you never know...

Sounds like Geri/bartender was some kind of friend of both Walker and Emily, and might have even worked alongside Emily as well?  I still suspect that they might be setting her up as a potential love interest for him down the line, but I have to imagine it would be a bit, because from what we've seen of him, I just don't see Walker moving on that quickly.

Micki is definitely becoming my favorite so far, and I'm really digging her relationship with Trey, despite it only being two episodes so far.  I'm sure at some point there will be some kind of relationship drama or angst in store for them like most shows (especially CW ones) tend to do, but I'll enjoy it while I can!  Lindsey Morgan and Jeff Pierre/Trey have great easygoing chemistry already.

Must be getting soft in my old age, but I might have "awwed" a bit during the text conversation between Walker and Stella.  Sometimes the best way to communicate with your kids is texting while in the same room!  Walker still has a way to go, but he's slowly improving, and I think Jared Padalecki is doing a good job at showing a lot of it is Walker not really addressing his grief in a way that his healthy, and he even knows that on some levels.

The "leaping from horseback into a jeep" set piece definitely felt similar to the action sequences from the original show, but it's interesting that in this one, it has been Micki doing the big stunt scenes, and not Walker.  Maybe this is their way to be different?  Or maybe Padalecki is like "Guys, I know I look great for my age, but I'm still two years shy of forty.  Let the one in their early thirties handle that stuff!"

Pretty good step up from the pilot (which I still thought was decent), so I'll stick with it for sure.  Hopefully they'll keep building on the momentum, but at the very least, Jared Padalecki and Lindsay Morgan are making it worth watching (and Molly Hagen and Mitch Pileggi with admittedly underwritten roles at the moment.)

[ukgirl71]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

How did the lady bartender close Walker's wife's eyes. Was she with her that night? Was she a police officer and first on the scene? Did she find the body? I figured her phone would have told them exactly where to look for her.

In the pilot, Emily tells Cordell that Geri is bringing supplies (?) for their trip to the border, so she would have been with her dropping these at what I assume are immigrant help points/stations.

[Wynne88]

4 hours ago, ukgirl71 said:

In the pilot, Emily tells Cordell that Geri is bringing supplies (?) for their trip to the border, so she would have been with her dropping these at what I assume are immigrant help points/stations.

If she was with Emily, why can't she tell Walker what happened?  If she did, I missed it.

I felt bad for the substitute horse. I'm used to people dying on TV, but they don't usually kill off the animals.  Of course, with Texas Nightshade's leg injury, I would guess that galloping on a concrete runway plus whatever traveling they did from downtown probably didn't do him any favors either.  It was funny - Jared is so tall, he made him look like a pony when he was putting the bridle on. 

Do Texas Rangers really have to be able to ride? That seems kind of quaint.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, Wynne88 said:

I felt bad for the substitute horse. I'm used to people dying on TV, but they don't usually kill off the animals.  Of course, with Texas Nightshade's leg injury, I would guess that galloping on a concrete runway plus whatever traveling they did from downtown probably didn't do him any favors either. 

that was my first thought.  Why is he riding a horse with an injured leg?

[KittenPokerCheater]

I'm in the minority here but I thought last night's episode was absolutely terrible.  It's like they wrote off the wife's murder altogether:  The poker piece belonged to a gift his wife was going to give him.  And his wife eyes were closed because her friend closed them.  Okay, nothing more to worry about- even the guy who killed her is in prison?  (or did I read that wrong).

Micki is the only person I like on the show.

[Hana Chan]

The show definitely seems to be finding its footing and gave us a lot more depth with most of the characters. It became striking to me that while the extended family (understandably) rallied to support and care for Stella and August, Walker himself seemed to get dismissed more than a bit. Maybe I'm being especially sensitive since I just lost my mother and I'm watching over my father but I couldn't help but see that while the kids' grief was acknowledge, Walker's seemed to be almost dismissed. As I saw it, he seemed to be condemned for not immediately being able to support his children emotionally when he was clearly barely holding it together. And every time he tried to reach out to his daughter (especially), he got iced out. He got criticized for not immediately recognizing that maybe his kids didn't want to return to their old home and for not automatically knowing about the routines that they had set up with their uncle.

And I'm sorry, but right now I'm really not liking Liam. He might be cute and all, but he seemed to enjoy his position in the family over his brother. That he was the dependable surrogate father while Walker himself was the fuck up who didn't even know what his daughter liked to have for breakfast. I could understand Cordell's anger about that. I'm an attentive aunt who doesn't have children of my own and while I love my niece and nephews and do a lot with/for them, I never forget that they have actual parents and that whatever I do must never come between them. Liam did really very little to try to smooth things between Cordell and Stella. Not that Stella doesn't have every right to be angry with her father and is not justified in feeling like she was abandoned after her mother died, but she seemed determined to not give him a chance to come back into their lives.

And Cordell was making some serious effort. Leaving the home that he'd lived with his wife and family had to be hard for him, but it seemed to be what was best for the kids. While I hate using text messages as a substitute for dialogue, it worked in this scene since that seemed to be the only way he was able to reach his daughter. Cordell's dad giving him a new saddle at the end had some nice symbolism - Cordell can't be carrying around the baggage of his wife's death all the time. 

I'm not convinced that there wasn't a lot more to Emily's murder. It's awfully convenient that the two things that have Cordell so uncertain about the circumstances just easily got smoothed away. I think that there's a lot more going on and Liam knows something. Maybe its a Federal case with the cartels, but I don't think that Cordell is wrong about his suspicions. And I love Micki and her good looking boyfriend. Jared and Lindsey have great chemistry together and I'm enjoying their partnership.

I love horses so a storyline focusing on them was nice (even if there was a scumbag racehorse owner). Jared's riding looks good (even if I nearly laughed about how oversized he looked on the police horse he was going to ride). Looking forward to seeing more of him in the saddle.

[ukgirl71]

I’d hazard a guess that the apparent answering of the questions about the chip and Emily’s eyes was a double bluff - there’ll be more mystery down the track on this, I’d be willing to bet on it.

[Casseiopeia]

Still great ratings although it looks like Walker lost viewers in the second half

http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Fast-Demo-2021-Jan-28-THU.png

[wlk68]

I'm much more interested in the family dynamics stuff than in the cases. Can't help but think that now that Walker has some answers and begins to relax a little that something else will eventually crop up to get his Spidey senses tingling in regards to Emily's murder. If this is the end of it, I won't be happy. It's over too quickly and a little too neat. 

Walker keeps saying he's "here" but he's really not. His body may be physically there but he's not present. Not in the way his kids need him to be. Not yet, anyway. He is trying, I'll grant him that, but he needs to work harder at it.  

I liked the texting scene at the end and got a little teary when Walker and Stella went to dig up the handprint block. Her distress at accidentally breaking it made my heart hurt.    

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by wlk68

[tennisgurl]

I thought that was a pretty good follow up to the first episode, you can see Walker really settling in with his family again and readjusting to their new dynamics. He is making an effort to reach out to his kids, but its hard after being gone for so long. I hope that the family can see that he is trying now, they are all still rather salty with him for being gone, with the seeming exception of his son. His brother especially is still pretty resentful of Walker coming back after leaving for so long, its just a really sad situation all around. Call me sappy, but I loved Walker texting with Stella to reach out to her. It might be the best way to talk to a teen, especially if talking face to face is still awkward.  I feel for everyone involved, the complicated family dynamics are the highlight of the show so far. 

Well, the family stuff and Micki and her boyfriend. Micki is the best, and she and her boyfriend are so adorable. Micki is a ton of fun, she's very charming and warm while also being tough and professional. She is very confident in her abilities but is also very aware of her place as a women of color in a workplace that has been historically dominated by white men (and is rather old school in general) but is also trying not to let that define her. 

I am glad that Stella's friend is still around, I wonder if we will get back to her family dealing with possible deportation, and if that will become more of a reoccurring plot thread? Maybe a way for Walker and Stella to bond if he tries to help them? 

I love horses so I enjoyed having a horse related case, even if it also involved a horse dying. And a guy, which really sucks, but that poor horse, murdered in some convoluted criminal scheme just because he was a workhorse and not a fancy racehorse. The case was kind of a minor element, but that makes sense as they are still establishing a lot of character dynamics with Walker and his family and Micki, and setting up more long term plots. 

Its a good thing Walkers deceased wife was into film and photography, it means she can appear in lots of sad videos for her family to watch where she is perfect and happy and slightly ethereal!

I would honestly be impressed if it turned out that Walkers wife really was just killed by some random guy for a random reason, and that all of the things that look like they're part of some greater conspiracy because she Knew Too Much or one of those poetic TV serial killers or something else really dramatic were just coincidences with very simple explanations and this is just his way of not dealing with her death, it would be really shocking if there really wasn't a mystery and it just focused on Walker and his families grief. Of course, it probably will be some bigger conspiracy, because that's how TV works, but wouldn't that be nuts if it really was just a random tragic crime?

[Hana Chan]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

I would honestly be impressed if it turned out that Walkers wife really was just killed by some random guy for a random reason, and that all of the things that look like they're part of some greater conspiracy because she Knew Too Much or one of those poetic TV serial killers or something else really dramatic were just coincidences with very simple explanations and this is just his way of not dealing with her death, it would be really shocking if there really wasn't a mystery and it just focused on Walker and his families grief. Of course, it probably will be some bigger conspiracy, because that's how TV works, but wouldn't that be nuts if it really was just a random tragic crime?

It would make sense that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and stumbled into something bigger. Her motives for being down on boarder were altruistic, but it would have been very easy for her to stumble onto something really serious (drug smuggling, human trafficking, etc). 

And is it just me, of is it awfully convenient that suddenly there are answers for the things that are making Cordell suspicious. That Emily's friend just seemed to forget mentioning that she was the one who closed Emily's eyes, and that Emily just happened to be carrying around poker chips from a set that she bought for him (that no one mentioned until now).  Something does not smell right.

[ukgirl71]

I may be reading too much into it, but to me there were still some orange chips missing from the poker set.  I wonder if they’re going to turn up just when Walker’s getting (for want of a better word) comfortable again, or in the hands of someone unexpected?

Aside from that, I am loving how the relationships are unfolding:

Walker is trying with everyone, and I’m particularly enjoying how his partnership with Micki is solidifying.
I think they’ve chosen well with their young actors - I started the episode thinking Stella was being a whiny brat, until the scenes with the texting (nice touch btw!), the mug, and definitely the broken stone.  And can I adopt sweet, gentle (powder keg), eager to please August?  I liked how his project was a way to weave in flashbacks of Emily too.
Even Bonham is growing on me, from tough, old school last week to understanding and quietly loving this week.  And Abeline is the classic matriarch - strong, capable, loving, but just a little controlling.  Outside the main family, I love Micki and Trey’s playfulness - I hope that doesn’t falter too much as he adjusts to civilian life.  And can I just be shallow to add, Liam’s boyfriend is cute?

 

 

 

 

[Featherhat]

4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I would honestly be impressed if it turned out that Walkers wife really was just killed by some random guy for a random reason, and that all of the things that look like they're part of some greater conspiracy because she Knew Too Much or one of those poetic TV serial killers or something else really dramatic were just coincidences with very simple explanations and this is just his way of not dealing with her death, it would be really shocking if there really wasn't a mystery and it just focused on Walker and his families grief. Of course, it probably will be some bigger conspiracy, because that's how TV works, but wouldn't that be nuts if it really was just a random tragic crime?

Forget Impressed, I'd be gobsmacked and nominate them for awards really. Everything was too tidily tied up and sorted out this week. No way this is the show that subverts the trope lets its pre series murder of a wife/parent/child just be some random tragedy. Especially not when they specifically set it so close to the border and had her trying to help people crossing. That spells conspiracy that will take over the show ala Castle, Bones, The Mentalist etc. 

But it lets them have him try to heal a bit and get lighter before cliffhanger time. 

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, ukgirl71 said:

I may be reading too much into it, but to me there were still some orange chips missing from the poker set.  I wonder if they’re going to turn up just when Walker’s getting (for want of a better word) comfortable again, or in the hands of someone unexpected?

the whole thing is kind of weird.  Why would she carry around poker chips to show people?  there wasn't anything that special about them.  Maybe everybody got together and decided to make up stories about all the things bugging him. Which would also explain why they waited so long to do so.

[Featherhat]

Okay rest of the episode. I still love Micki she’s awesome and she and Trey seem great together, having fun and actually communicating with each other like adults who like and respect each other. Can they please stay the mostly happy, mostly drama free secondary couple? Pretty please.  Sigh, unlikely. I like that she’s very matter of fact that her job is her main focus and she can’t screw it up, especially because she’s a WOC but it doesn’t take over her entire character or storylines, just informs it. She and Walker seem to work well together and have nice partner chemistry and just get on with working together despite their differences.

Chief, I get that you want to run a by the book Ranger department and that’s a good thing but you’re making me hella suspicious there as well. This show wants me to believe you are hiding all of the things. 

I think Liam does have resentment about his brother and how he handled things after the death AND resents the fact that he isn’t playing Uncle Dad any more, interesting mix. Maybe it’s just my pavlovian reaction to Keegan Allen in anything but I do think he’s involved in the cover up of what really happened to Emily, even if it turns out to be for the “right” family reasons.

Is three months (or even 11 months) when you know a parent is undercover on an assignment really enough time to try and get legal custody of your brother’s children? Especially when they’re in a stable, family environment that would stay the same anyway? It’s not like that would make it easier if it turned out Walker died.

Walker could certainly have handled things a LOT better when Emily died but I did feel sorry for him when everyone was lining up to hammer him over the head with everything. At some point that just becomes unhelpful and like they actually want him to be the screw up to fit the narrative in their heads.

Stella was a bit of a brat but she has her reasons for it and she’s also confronting and being angry the adult world in the ways she’s openly being treated differently at school compared to Isabella. I did like the texting, that was cute and the broken stone, very on the nose but it worked. August seems like he’s just going to explode one day, even though he’s trying his hardest not to.

Bonham got the grumpy Dad with a heart of gold storyline this week, it worked. Mitch Pileggi made the most of his scenes though and he and JP came across as believably father and son. 

I assume those were their actual kids in the video footage at the end?

And lastly I see they still have the golden filter over everything. 

Edited January 30, 2021 by Featherhat

[Wynne88]

I'm betting Liam gave August the poker set to give to Walker.  Maybe August said something to Liam about wanting his Dad to focus on his living kids instead of his dead wife and Liam offered a way to help make that happen.  If that just happened to be convenient for Liam, who knows?

I just watched it again, and most of it is okay except for pretty much anything to do with horses.  They badly need somebody horse savvy to make sure they don't say and do stupid things, although you'd really think that anybody with any common sense would question a script that had a vet say a horse might have a fracture in his leg, and then have someone galloping him all over heck and back.  That's too dumb to give a pass.  They also specifically said that he was a Thoroughbred, and the fastest one has ever been clocked is 44 mph.  So even if this horse is sound and is the fastest in the world, how is he going to catch up with a vehicle that has a good head start and is carrying people who want to get out of there fast?  That kind of crap irritates me to death.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, Featherhat said:

I assume those were their actual kids in the video footage at the end?

I don't think so.  the girl looked older than the boy.

[Terese]

21 hours ago, Wynne88 said:

If she was with Emily, why can't she tell Walker what happened?  If she did, I missed it.

I felt bad for the substitute horse. I'm used to people dying on TV, but they don't usually kill off the animals.  Of course, with Texas Nightshade's leg injury, I would guess that galloping on a concrete runway plus whatever traveling they did from downtown probably didn't do him any favors either.  It was funny - Jared is so tall, he made him look like a pony when he was putting the bridle on. 

Do Texas Rangers really have to be able to ride? That seems kind of quaint.

I think there is probably a lot of terrain in Texas that might require riding a horse.

[Terese]

18 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

The show definitely seems to be finding its footing and gave us a lot more depth with most of the characters. It became striking to me that while the extended family (understandably) rallied to support and care for Stella and August, Walker himself seemed to get dismissed more than a bit. Maybe I'm being especially sensitive since I just lost my mother and I'm watching over my father but I couldn't help but see that while the kids' grief was acknowledge, Walker's seemed to be almost dismissed. As I saw it, he seemed to be condemned for not immediately being able to support his children emotionally when he was clearly barely holding it together. And every time he tried to reach out to his daughter (especially), he got iced out. He got criticized for not immediately recognizing that maybe his kids didn't want to return to their old home and for not automatically knowing about the routines that they had set up with their uncle.

And I'm sorry, but right now I'm really not liking Liam. He might be cute and all, but he seemed to enjoy his position in the family over his brother. That he was the dependable surrogate father while Walker himself was the fuck up who didn't even know what his daughter liked to have for breakfast. I could understand Cordell's anger about that. I'm an attentive aunt who doesn't have children of my own and while I love my niece and nephews and do a lot with/for them, I never forget that they have actual parents and that whatever I do must never come between them. Liam did really very little to try to smooth things between Cordell and Stella. Not that Stella doesn't have every right to be angry with her father and is not justified in feeling like she was abandoned after her mother died, but she seemed determined to not give him a chance to come back into their lives.

And Cordell was making some serious effort. Leaving the home that he'd lived with his wife and family had to be hard for him, but it seemed to be what was best for the kids. While I hate using text messages as a substitute for dialogue, it worked in this scene since that seemed to be the only way he was able to reach his daughter. Cordell's dad giving him a new saddle at the end had some nice symbolism - Cordell can't be carrying around the baggage of his wife's death all the time. 

I'm not convinced that there wasn't a lot more to Emily's murder. It's awfully convenient that the two things that have Cordell so uncertain about the circumstances just easily got smoothed away. I think that there's a lot more going on and Liam knows something. Maybe its a Federal case with the cartels, but I don't think that Cordell is wrong about his suspicions. And I love Micki and her good looking boyfriend. Jared and Lindsey have great chemistry together and I'm enjoying their partnership.

I love horses so a storyline focusing on them was nice (even if there was a scumbag racehorse owner). Jared's riding looks good (even if I nearly laughed about how oversized he looked on the police horse he was going to ride). Looking forward to seeing more of him in the saddle.

I am sorry for your loss. I agree that Walker's loss is being dismissed. It seemed particularly poignant when watching the video with his children. He lost the love of his life and that is nearly impossible to get over. The look on his face, trying to smile at the memories was heartbreaking.

I agree that both the closing of her eyes and the sudden appearance of the poker set and the "oh, by the way, she held on to some of the chips to show people," seemed way too convenient and way too much information. Why would she need to show people a poker chip? Everyone knows what they look like. I suspected that someone told them to tell Walker these things to help him feel better. But, the real reason would be to get him to stop investigating.

 

[Terese]

11 hours ago, Katy M said:

the whole thing is kind of weird.  Why would she carry around poker chips to show people?  there wasn't anything that special about them.  Maybe everybody got together and decided to make up stories about all the things bugging him. Which would also explain why they waited so long to do so.

I agree about both the carrying around of ordinary poker chips and the made up stories. But, also that these made up stories may have been suggested by someone?

[jewel21]

I really enjoyed this episode. I agree with everyone liking Micki and Trey. They are enjoyable together and the actors have great chemistry. 

I also think Jared is doing a good job in this role. I can buy him as the grieving husband and father. 

The scene where Stella broke the stone was hard to watch and I felt her despair. I also liked the scene between her and Walker in the kitchen texting. 

And August is a character that I just want to hug. He's clearly hurting a lot but he keeps it all bottled up and it makes me sad. 

 

[Raja]

On 1/29/2021 at 4:26 AM, Wynne88 said:

 

Do Texas Rangers really have to be able to ride? That seems kind of quaint.

Since Walker remained on duty without passing that requalifying exercise  I can't imagine that all of them have to be riders. However many police agencies from big cities to state police forces do have mounted units. So perhaps he was once apart of one of those during his law enforcement career..

😲

Opps missed the bar scene out of the commercial break. I guess I am not all in and watching closely.

Edited January 31, 2021 by Raja

[foxfreakinmulder]

On 1/30/2021 at 2:27 AM, Terese said:

I agree that both the closing of her eyes and the sudden appearance of the poker set and the "oh, by the way, she held on to some of the chips to show people," seemed way too convenient and way too much information. Why would she need to show people a poker chip? Everyone knows what they look like. I suspected that someone told them to tell Walker these things to help him feel better. But, the real reason would be to get him to stop investigating.

I agree 100%. I'm thinking maybe Liam gave the box to August and told him the story so he would pass in on to his dad? If not I still believe one of the main characters is behind what happened or knows more about it. But now it will probably sit on the back burner for awhile.

I want to hear more from the bartender about what she knows happened that night. It she was there how did she get away and what did she see?

Don't like horses dying in fires, even though I know it's not real. Also, don't like an injured horse having 2 riders and running on concrete.

Thought the crime was wrapped up too easy, once they figured it out they race to the airport and the bad guys just start shooting? I thought they were billionaires so why wouldn't you hire a lawyer instead of shooting at Rangers? I guess Micki wouldn't have the chance to jump in the Jeep and take all three or four bad guys out with guns by herself, lol. 

Someone please get Stella into grief therapy 😞 August could probably use some too!

 

[Terese]

2 hours ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

I agree 100%. I'm thinking maybe Liam gave the box to August and told him the story so he would pass in on to his dad? If not I still believe one of the main characters is behind what happened or knows more about it. But now it will probably sit on the back burner for awhile.

I want to hear more from the bartender about what she knows happened that night. It she was there how did she get away and what did she see?

Don't like horses dying in fires, even though I know it's not real. Also, don't like an injured horse having 2 riders and running on concrete.

Thought the crime was wrapped up too easy, once they figured it out they race to the airport and the bad guys just start shooting? I thought they were billionaires so why wouldn't you hire a lawyer instead of shooting at Rangers? I guess Micki wouldn't have the chance to jump in the Jeep and take all three or four bad guys out with guns by herself, lol. 

Someone please get Stella into grief therapy 😞 August could probably use some too!

 

Lol. Micki is the action hero. Action heroes almost never merely testify in court.

Liam's already feels like an antagonist. I would draw the line at his involvement in Emily's murder, if it weren't for the scummy needless attempt to take Walker's kids away from him.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, Terese said:

Lol. Micki is the action hero. Action heroes almost never merely testify in court.

Liam's already feels like an antagonist. I would draw the line at his involvement in Emily's murder, if it weren't for the scummy needless attempt to take Walker's kids away from him.

Respect.

Testifying is left for the very special episode or an evil DA or judge. What did Uncle Liam do for a living again?

Edited January 31, 2021 by Raja

[Terese]

26 minutes ago, Raja said:

Respect.

Testifying is left for the very special episode or an evil DA or judge. What did Uncle Liam do for a living again?

Assistant DA Evil assistant DA 🙂

Edited January 31, 2021 by Terese

[Hana Chan]

On 1/31/2021 at 6:30 PM, Terese said:

Assistant DA Evil assistant DA 🙂

I don't know if he's evil or not, but he's definitely pinging my "asshole detector" button. I'm still holding that Emily ran into something major with the cartels, which means the Feds being involved. My guess is that Liam and Cordell's boss are trying to keep him from stumbling into a major case with his poking around. If he's trying to protect Cordell and what might be a major case, I can forgive that.

That doesn't change the fact that the more I think about it, the more the idea of Liam trying to get custody of Stella and August angers me. Cordell wasn't dead or deliberately neglectful. He was deep in mourning and then in a long term undercover assignment for work. The kids weren't abandoned and it wasn't as if Cordell was careless with their safety. It wasn't like he just ran off and no one had any idea where he disappeared to. Sending them to the ranch with their grandparents was the right place for them to be. It was great that Liam stepped up to help and be there while Cordell couldn't (both because of his job and the fact that he was emotionally bleeding out), trying to basically get the courts to agree that Cordell was an unfit parent and get custody was really, really overstepping. I don't blame Cordell for being furious when Stella blurted it out.

[Terese]

6 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

I don't know if he's evil or not, but he's definitely pinging my "asshole detector" button. I'm still holding that Emily ran into something major with the cartels, which means the Feds being involved. My guess is that Liam and Cordell's boss are trying to keep him from stumbling into a major case with his poking around. If he's trying to protect Cordell and what might be a major case, I can forgive that.

That doesn't change the fact that the more I think about it, the more the idea of Liam trying to get custody of Stella and August angers me. Cordell wasn't dead or deliberately neglectful. He was deep in mourning and then in a long term undercover assignment for work. The kids weren't abandoned and it wasn't as if Cordell was careless with their safety. It wasn't like he just ran off and no one had any idea where he disappeared to. Sending them to the ranch with their grandparents was the right place for them to be. It was great that Liam stepped up to help and be there while Cordell couldn't (both because of his job and the fact that he was emotionally bleeding out), trying to basically get the courts to agree that Cordell was an unfit parent and get custody was really, really overstepping. I don't blame Cordell for being furious when Stella blurted it out.

I was under the impression that Liam was using the idea of a ready made family to induce his partner into a commitment. Something he mentioned in the pilot. I can't remember, specifically, what he said. Anyway, I find that doubly disgusting. 

Nonetheless, I was surprised at Cordell's acceptance of what his brother tried to do.  I don't care for his mom all that much either. 

[Featherhat]

I don't think they'll make Liam Evil but I do think they'll make/keep him complicated like everything else in Walker's life. I do think he knows a lot more about Emily's murder than he's letting on but he might be trying to protect his brother from getting involved in something too big or dangerous for him to handle and has a high chance of him also being murdered. 

With the custody I think that was awful. They were safe and cared for and plenty of people are raised by family members without needing legal custody, Liam was called by the school every time something happened etc. They were in the best place what would or should have even changed so drastically if Liam was their legal Dad?

I think he resents being thrust into the parent role and also likes it and resents Cordell for coming back and "automatically" displacing him . I think he secretly liked it that his brother was screwing something up maybe. Complicated dynamics. As much as the kids should be everyone's priority it seems like the family constantly forget Cordell's own grief (and job) and act like he went on a 11-3 month bender. 

Looking back at the casting announcements Liam was supposed to be a conservative DA and we haven't seen anything of that so far and in fact more of the opposite, so I wonder if they tweaked the character a bit. I'm sure he and his fiance's Austin vs New York argument will go on for a bit. 

[Hana Chan]

4 hours ago, Featherhat said:

As much as the kids should be everyone's priority it seems like the family constantly forget Cordell's own grief (and job) and act like he went on a 11-3 month bender. 

Exactly. I'm waiting for someone to get the lightbulb moment that the kids aren't the only ones who lost someone important in their lives. To lose a spouse under any conditions is horrible, but to have her murdered while she was trying to do some good in the world is going to cut really deep. Especially when you consider that Cordell is a law officer who is going to be feeling a lot of guilt as well as grief that he wasn't able to protect her.

And Cordell has a demanding job where he often is going to be called away unexpectedly. Not ideal for the kids, but they aren't infants anymore. And they have enough of a family support system that they won't be neglected should Cordell need to focus on his work for a few hours. Cordell will need to figure out how to balance having a demanding job and being a single parent, and it feels like everyone is expecting him to have it immediately worked out (and holding it against him when he doesn't).

I love angst and complicated relationships, but they need to get some balance that it's not everyone against Cordell. He needs to have someone on his side and start seeing things from his perspective.

[AnimeMania]

I will be "The Devil" here and be on Liam's side. I don't know if any of this is true, but let's just pretend that it is. Liam and his husband have dreams of having successful careers living in New York. Liam stalls those plans when Cordell's wife dies and Liam stays to provide aid and comfort. Cordell leaves shortly there after on an undercover assignment of indeterminate length. Liam and his parents provides emotional support for the kids while Cordell checks in regularly (every 3 days or so) for 5 1/2 months, then never checks in again for another 5 1/2 months. Since Liam is a lawyer, his solution will probably be a a legal one, to declare himself guardian of the kids. This way he can do all the things that need to be done, like being capable of handling medical emergencies, registering them for school, etc. Even if it wasn't Liam, Cordell should have given his parents the legal ability to do these things before he left.

[Wynne88]

14 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

This way he can do all the things that need to be done, like being capable of handling medical emergencies, registering them for school, etc. Even if it wasn't Liam, Cordell should have given his parents the legal ability to do these things before he left.

It's possible that he did give his parents some form of legal authority.  After all, his mother was apparently able to enroll them in the Catholic school, and the school had Liam down as an emergency contact.