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Walker: Independence in the Media: No Taradiddles here, Ma'am

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christie
christie

I'm disappointed - this was a fun, little show and, in my opinion, better than Walker. 

wlk68
wlk68

Agreed. I really liked this show and the characters. 

Artsda
Artsda

It's been cancelled.      

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Will Walker Prequel's 1800s Wardrobe Be Made CW-Sexy? 'I'm Definitely in a 20-Pound Dress and a Corset, So...'
By Matt Webb Mitovich / July 9 2022
https://tvline.com/2022/07/09/walker-independence-cast-video-1880s-wardrobe/ 

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Speaking with TVLine in the cast video above, McNamara shrugged off the suggestion of any CW-ified togs, saying, “I’m definitely in a 20-pound dress and a corset!”

Instead, costar Barr said, the series will give the Old West a fresh look by “[leaning] into a color a bit, in the the way that Baz Luhrmann movies [such as Moulin Rouge and Australia] do.”

“We’re not a subdued, beige Western covered in dust,” McNamara said. “We are covered in dust, but it’s so vibrant, and the world feels so rich.”

So winning is McNamara’s wardrobe, Barr suggested, “no one is going to notice me in a scene!” — to which his leading lady scoffed, “When this guy rides in on a horse, you can’t look at anything else.”

Katie Findlay, who plays burlesque dancer Kate, hails the wardrobe as “fantastic,” though she has to wonder how women of the actual time endured.

“I don’t understand how every woman between 1800 and 1900 wasn’t as serial killer,” the Nancy Drew alum quipped. “It feels like being in a moving circus tent with things trying to take your organs out of you…. I feel like a rock star, but also like I want to die at all times!”

Watch this video to hear more from the cast:
Will ‘Walker’ Prequel’s 1800s Wardrobe Be CW-Sexy?
TVLine  Jul 8, 2022

 
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Featherhat

Featherhat

I have to say Kat always promotes the hell out of whatever she's in. Obviously she wants to promote herself as much as possible so it's good business but like with JP's birthday she'll always try to add some fandom fun in by going "my great grandson/my parents/my big bro/my evil Dad" etc for all her projects. She (and some others) seem to work more creatively than a lot of the official accounts for these shows. That was especially noticeable when she was on Arrow. 

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During her July 9th panel at Montreal Comiccon, Katherine McNamara made the following comments about Walker: Independence...

Montreal Comiccon 2022 | Katherine McNamara Panel (Part 3)
leavingubehind   Aug 21, 2022

-- In response to fan question about future projects or what she'd like to do in the future, KM: "Yeah. I'll answer that in two parts... I guess, the thing at the forefront that I can talk about is Walker: Independence... which is the new, uh, prequel spinoff of Walker and Walker: Texas Ranger. For the Supernatural fans out there... I am now playing Jared Padalecki's great great great great grandmother? Not something I thought i'd say for another couple of decades, but hey, why not? It's 2022... It's gonna be really fun. We start shooting in a couple of weeks. And, uh, the trailer's online if you want to check it out. We start airing October 6th on The CW. And, um, it's not your mama's Western. You know, we're taking the... idea of a Western and infusing color and music and vibrancy into the world, diversity, and it's - we're taking all the Western tropes that you've seen from time to time again and subverting every single one of them, and presenting the West in, hopefully, what is a much more historically accurate way than it sometimes is. And in a way that has so many characters and artists playing them that are phenomenal, from top to bottom. And I can't wait for people to see this show. Also, I'm developing some producing and directing things that hopefully will head out in the world at some point. But that's, you know, further down the line."

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KM talked a lot about Walker: Independence in this podcast interview...

Katherine McNamara on Walker Prequel, Arrow Spinoff, Shadowhunters, Changes at Hallmark & More
Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum    Aug 23, 2022

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‘Walker’ Prequel ‘Independence’ Offers Female Perspective of Classic Western
Damian Holbrook    AUGUST 26, 2022
https://www.tvinsider.com/1056883/walker-independence-katherine-mcnamara-abby-spinoff-preview/ 

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“We’re interested in a modern twist on [the classic Western],” says Anna Fricke, who executive produces Walker Independence with Padalecki and show creator Seamus Kevin Fahey. “Something unexpected and subversive.” Like, say, presenting the origin story from a female perspective?

“That is why I was so attracted to this project,” raves Arrow’s Katherine McNamara. Abby Walker is a forward-thinking Bostonian whose “life goes up in flames” in the first scene: Her lawman husband is murdered on the trail to the burgeoning town of Independence, where he was to be the new sheriff.
*  *  *
Throw in more twists — including the truth behind Abby’s frontier tragedy — and you get one wild ride. Plus, Fricke promises “lots of Easter eggs for fans.” Consider us roped in!

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Walker: Independence is one of the voting options...

Fall TV Popularity Poll: Which New Network, Cable and Streaming Shows Are YOU Most Interested In? Vote!
By Matt Webb Mitovich / August 31 2022
https://tvline.com/lists/fall-tv-most-popular-new-shows/

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Afterward, drop a comment with more of your thoughts on which shows intrigue you this fall! (Poll closes Sept. 7 at 9:30 am ET.)
*  *  *
Walker Independence (The CW)
This origin story set in the late 1800s follows Abby (Katherine McNamara), an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West, on her quest for revenge. (Premieres Thursday, Oct. 6 at 9/8c)

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Why You Need to Check Out ‘Walker: Independence’ This Fall
By Briar    September 2, 2022
https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/09/02/why-you-need-to-check-out-walker-independence-this-fall/ 

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Westerns? Check. A great cast? Check. Great executives behind the show? Check. These are just three things that The CW’s Walker: Independence has going for it, but there’s so much more.
*  *  *
The show already boasts an impressive cast. Abigail Walker is played by Katherine McNamara, who you might know from The CW’s Arrow and Freeform’s Shadowhunters. She’s set to take on a massive role as the origin of the Walker family as we know it, and from what we’ve seen already in the trailer, she’s going to be incredible.
*  *  *
Jared Padalecki, the star and executive producer on Walker, also returns as an executive producer on Walker: Independence. He’s done an outstanding job on Walker, and so many cast and crew have praised and credited Padalecki (as well as Fricke, Fahey, and all of the Walker executives) for taking care of them and running an incredible family atmosphere on set. Padalecki cares deeply about the story, making a safe and inclusive workplace, and by having him on board you know the story, cast, and crew will continue to be taken care of.
*  *  *
It’s going to be really fun to get to know all of the characters, their backstories, and where the story is going to go from here. We know from Walker that often there are small breadcrumbs placed throughout episodes that eventually lead to some huge plot twists — one thing I’d expect would be the same for Walker: Independence, too.

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This interview was recorded at the ATX TV Festival on June 4...

Live From ATX Television Festival: Katherine McNamara
BY JOE LEYDON   SEPTEMBER 9, 2022
https://www.cowboysindians.com/2022/09/live-from-atx-television-festival-katherine-mcnamara/ 

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Cowboys & Indians: Long before you landed the lead role in Walker: Independence, you were used to rough-and-tumble action after appearing in Arrow and Shadowhunters. But had you ever been on a horse before?

Katherine McNamara: Oh, yes, I’m a good Girl Scout. I had been on a horse before a fair few times. Of course, this is very different when you add a corset and a 15-pound dress and all of those other things. But this is what I love about being an actor: Every job provides something new to learn and a new challenge, whether it’s swords or a bow and arrow or guns and horses — or a 15-pound dress. The big difference is, I got so accustomed to being in jeans and combat boots and a leather jacket, and carrying weapons. But in this show, it’s a bit of a different color because Abby Walker is a lady of education in society from Boston who’s thrown into the world of the West. So having to find how a proper lady of the late 1800s adapts when her entire world is taken away from her and she’s left with nothing and no one in the first 15 minutes [of the premiere episode], it’s a new challenge. But a fun one, nonetheless.
*  *  *
C&I: But for all practical purposes, you’re alone on your own dime for most of the time. What did you draw upon in your own experience as far as OK, I can only depend on myself in this moment to play Abby?

Katherine: It’s interesting you ask that. And honestly, that’s something that drew me to Abby in the first place. Something that I think makes this show so unique and so special is that all of the characters appear as some sort of Western tropes that you’ve seen in the past. And yet, as the story unfolds, you find out that there’s so much more, and each character is almost a subversion of what you would expect from them. And Abigail’s no different. She is a woman who is coming to the West to start a life with her husband, and ends up with nothing and no one — but having more agency than most women of that time had, and meeting men along the way who recognize that, and help foster that agency, and give her opportunities to start over and have a life that is truly her own. Which is something she never expected.
*  *  *
C&I: There have been some impressive Western series on cable and streaming platforms in recent years. But Walker: Independence is the first Western series to air on broadcast television in a very long time.

Katherine: I see that as an opportunity, because there’s a huge nostalgia that comes with Westerns, especially within the Walker universe. Walker is already a known quantity. So when we’re coming into people’s living rooms, there’s a lovely familiarity to it. But what’s so brilliant about what [writer Seamus Fahey and Anna Fricke and director Larry Teng] have done is make a Western for a new generation. And it’s a Western that takes what you know and love, but really uses it as an opportunity to show parts of the Old West that you haven’t seen before, to show the diversity and the color and the life and the vibrancy — and also the violence and the terror — that existed in the West. We don’t shy away from putting our characters through the wringer. But we still show the sort of joy and the warmth and the community that is the West, which is a lot more diverse than many people realize.


Walker Independence | Abigail | Season Trailer | The CW
The CW Network   Sep 9, 2022

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Walker Independence cast talks putting a new, more inclusive twist on the Western
By Samantha Highfill     September 12, 2022 
https://ew.com/tv/walker-independence-around-the-table-jared-padalecki/ 

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"We kept saying things like 'fifth-generation Walkers,' so it felt like an opportunity," [writer Seamus Kevin] Fahey tells EW in an Around the Table moderated by none other than [Jared] Padalecki. "Who were the first-generation Walkers?"
*  *  *
That question got Fahey thinking. And then his own remorse over the killing of Cordell's bestie Hoyt (Matt Barr) really lit the match: What if he told a story about the first generation of Walkers set in the 1800s and starring, well, Matt Barr as (a much older) Hoyt Rawlins?
*  *  *
"She's not your typical woman in the West, she has so much more agency than a lot of women in the 1870s," Katherine McNamara says. "Rather than succumbing to [being] a victim, she chooses her own destiny and moves forward and finds all of these lovely folks."
*  *  *
Fahey's take is all about telling the untold stories, not just the story of the white protagonist. "[Coming from] a minority standpoint being Black in that time of the 1800s, that story hasn't really been told," Philemon Chambers says. "There was racism, there was prejudice, and I really wanted to touch on that."
*  *  *
It wasn't until Cortez met with the producers that he says he felt "safe" to tell this story. And with the help of an Apache translator, he's focused on bringing a "truthful" story to the screen. "I wanted to do it in a way that really respected especially the Apache culture," he says. "We're not always gonna get it 100 percent right. We're going to be trying our best."

But when it comes to diversity in the West, there are even more stories to be told. "Gender roles in the West and on the frontier were not as cut and dry as people think they were," Katie Findlay says. "There were queer people in the West, there were trans people in the West, there were all kinds of social and romantic partnerships. It was just a big endless frontier world of people figuring each other out in the midst of racism, sexism, homophobia. One of the things I love the most about the show is there is room for exploration of gender role and queerness."
*  *  *
However, when the show isn't putting its own spin on what a Western is, it's reveling in all the traditional things a Western can be, like say, exciting gunfights and horse chases. Yes, the cast got to attend what they call "cowboy camp" before shooting. And yes, McNamara did learn how to ride a horse backward. (It's a skill that was not ultimately used in the pilot and one that Fahey swears will be put to use at some point.)

"There's such a nostalgia to Westerns," McNamara says. "There's an adventure aspect to Westerns. There's a romanticism to them that's familiar to so many folks."
*  *  *
But the show isn't just about the people of Independence. It's also about a time in Texas history. "I'm obsessed with turning points," Fahey says. "Right around this time was a massive turning point, not only in the nation's history but Texas history, and so it became something where if you could have all these characters about to make certain choices that made them all collide at the same time while you're reinventing what Texas was at this time, it just seemed like a nice collision course."

'Walker Independence' Cast On New & Inclusive Twist | Around the Table | Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly   Sep 14, 2022

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According to this article, video of this panel will be publicly posted on Paley Center's YouTube channel on Sep 16 at 10 am EST...

‘Walker: Independence’ PaleyFest Panel with Cast and Crew Offers New Insight into the Show
By Briar   September 12, 2022
https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/09/12/walker-independence-paleyfest-panel-with-cast-and-crew-offers-new-insight-into-the-show/ 

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The cast and crew of Walker: Independence will appear during PaleyFest Fall TV Previews, where they had a virtual panel in preparation for the show’s premiere on October 6.

Katherine McNamara (Abby Walker), Matt Barr (Hoyt Rawlins), Katie Findlay (Kate), Greg Hovanessian (Tom Davidson), Philemon Chambers (Augustus), Justin Johnson Cortez (Calian), Lawrence Kao (Kai), Gabriela Quezada (Lucia Montero), Seamus Fahey (Executive Producer) and Jared Padalecki (Executive Producer) all appear on the panel and share their thoughts on the upcoming Walker prequel. The panel was moderated by Damian Holbrook from TV Guide Magazine.

Fahey and Padalecki talked about getting started with the show, casting, and how Fahey came to them with the idea of Walker: Independence before the original Walker aired. The cast and crew also dive deeper into telling the story from Abigail’s point of view, Matt Barr’s Hoyt being killed off in Walker, representation in westerns, what’s in store for each of their characters, and more. There’s also mention of them looking into a crossover/flashback/flashforward episode on Walker.

The festival will launch on Tuesday, September 13 at 10 a.m. EST exclusively for Paley Center Members and Citi Cardmembers. The panels will then be available for the general public on Friday, September 16 at 10 a.m. EST and will be available on Paley Center’s YouTube channel.

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‘Walker: Independence’ Pilot Review [SPOILER-FREE]
By Briar     September 13, 2022
https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/09/13/walker-independence-pilot-review-spoiler-free/ 

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I got the chance to preview the pilot early, and in short: it’s incredible. Walker fans will not be disappointed, and if you love Walker, you’re surely going to love this as well. With a team of producers and writers coming from Walker, it’s a safe bet that we’re going to be along for one hell of a ride.
*  *  *
When we spoke to Padalecki back in April, he talked a little about assembling the cast, and they’ve really knocked it out of the park with this one. Katherine McNamara is a perfect Abigail Walker, showing grace in tense situations but also remaining strong and kind. Her presence on the screen is commanding, and we see that Walker tenacity that we’ve come to love in the original show so evident in her. Matt Barr was born to play Hoyt Rawlins in Walker, and even more so as the cowboy version of his ancestor in this series. Barr embodies the same loveable Hoyt characteristics that we love, just with a new playground (and a horse). One absolute standout is going to be Justin Johnson Cortez as Calian, who plays the Native American in such a way that we already care about him and simply cannot wait to see more about his character. Fans are going to adore him. Katie Findlay is energetic and charismatic as Kate, and you’re instantly drawn to her. Philemon Chambers is perfect and charming as Augustus, and as we’re brought into the story to be skeptical of the law enforcement in this town, I was left wondering if I should root for him (which I so want to) or if he’s hiding something too. Greg Hovanessian is set up to be the villain (and sure, maybe he is), but with these writers, I’m not quite sold on it yet. His presence is still off-putting, and it will be really intriguing to see what happens to his character as the story progresses. However, he is a Davidson and well, we know how those other Davidsons turned out. Lawrence Kao is so sweet and his performance and character echo that, and Mark Sheppard is dynamic on screen. Gabriela Quezada is mesmerizing as Lucia, and you can’t help but want to hear her story as she rounds out a fantastic cast.

As for the story, it is captivating and will have you hooked instantly. The story is told from Abigail’s point of view, which as the cast and crew have mentioned, is not typical of westerns. I think what Fahey and the writers do is make you feel so enraptured with every character they introduce in Independence that you cannot wait to learn more about all of them, which is a rare feat in television these days. Representation has been a big point among the cast and crew, and they really excelled at making Independence filled with rich and diverse characters that the audience is going to love. They also do their best to add that Walker-esque mystery, where you just know the story is going to have its twists and turns and you can’t take anything at face value. One of Walker‘s selling points is its ability to take small things and plant them as seeds to grow into bigger plot twists later, so I’m really excited to see what they’re going to do here.
*  *  *
Overall, the show is a complete homerun. And, while it is tied to Walker as a prequel, this show is going to firmly stand on its own two legs and flourish and I can’t wait to go on the journey with them.

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Walker: Independence at PaleyFest Fall TV Previews 2022
The Paley Center for Media   Sep 16, 2022

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Stars and creators of The CW's Walker: Independence (Seamus Kevin Fahey, Jared Padalecki, Katherine McNamara, Matt Barr, Katie Findlay, Greg Hovanessian, Philemon Chambers, Justin Johnson Cortez, Lawrence Kao, Gabriela Quezada) gather with moderator Damian Holbrook at PaleyFest Fall TV Previews 2022 to celebrate their show. Topics include: Padalecki's initial hesitation at producing a spin-off to "Walker" (a reboot of the 1990s series "Walker, Texas Ranger") that focused on his title character's ancestors; putting a modern sensibility on the classic western by showcasing minority characters that were usually depicted as "sidekicks"; why Fahey wanted the story told from the heroine's viewpoint; McNamara's satisfaction in not making Abigail into "a damsel in distress"; Barr's role being written off "Walker" and now brought back as the character's forefather; and how cast members fared when attending the mandatory "cowboy camp."


Walker Independence | I’m Calian | Season Trailer | The CW
The CW Network   Sep 14, 2022

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Walker: Independence - Episode 1.01 - Pilot (Series Premiere) - Promotional Photos + Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at September 17, 2022 
https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/08/walker-independence-episode-101-pilot.html

Spoiler

SERIES PREMIERE – In the late 1800s, Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara), an affluent and tough-minded Bostonian, embarks on a journey out west with her husband Liam (guest star Brandon Sklenar), when her husband is murdered before her eyes. After crossing paths with Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez), a curious Apache tracker, Abby arrives in the town of Independence, Texas, where she encounters diverse and eclectic residents running from their pasts, chasing their dreams, and keeping their own secrets, including Kate Carver (Katie Findlay), an idiosyncratic burlesque dancer with perhaps too keen an interest in Abby’s origins, and Kai (Lawrence Kao), a soulful Chinese immigrant who runs a local restaurant/laundry and offers Abby friendship without agenda. Abby also literally runs into Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), a slippery rogue, thief and con artist with a dented heart of gold who quickly eyes Abby as a mark, until she turns the tables on him. In seeking justice for her husband, Abby encounters Independence’s noble deputy sheriff, Augustus (Philemon Chambers), and his new boss, Sheriff Tom Davidson (Greg Hovanessian), who she has reason to believe is a very bad man indeed. Abby and Hoyt soon find themselves precariously aligned, both seeking to uncover the truth about the identity of Abby’s husband’s killer, and vow to save Independence – a frontier boomtown where nothing is what it seems. The episode was written by Seamus Kevin Fahey from a story co-written by him and Anna Fricke and directed by Larry Teng (#101).

Original airdate 10/6/2022.


Walker: Independence - Episode 1.02 - Home To A Stranger - Promotional Photo + Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at September 21, 2022 
https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/08/walker-independence-episode-102-home-to.html

Spoiler

Abby (Katherine McNamara) is joined by rough and tumble outlaw Hoyt (Matt Barr) and Apache scout, Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez), when she revisits the tragic site of her life’s demise in search of clues to help uncover the cold-blooded killer hiding in town. Meanwhile, new Sheriff Tom Davidson (Greg Hovanessian), and the town’s loyal Deputy, Augustus (Philemon Chambers), are determined to track down the “mysterious” man responsible for the recent bank robbery. Kate (Katie Findlay) badgers Hagan (guest star Mark Sheppard) into doing the right thing, and Lucia (Gabriela Quezada) finds a new friend – and discovers a surprising talent – in Kai (Lawrence Kao). As Abby says a final farewell to her old life and “what might have been” she begins to embrace a new start in Independence while she, Calian, and Hoyt hatch a plan to bring the real enemy to justice…but how close is she willing to get?

The episode was written by Seamus Kevin Fahey and directed by Larry Teng (#102). Original airdate 10/13/2022.


Walker Independence | Maybe it’s Justice, Abby | Season Trailer | The CW
The CW Network   Sep 20, 2022

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Walker: Independence - Episode 1.03 - Blood & Whiskey - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at September 22, 2022 
https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/09/walker-independence-episode-103-blood.html 

Spoiler

TURN THE TABLES – Presented with a challenge, Abby (Katherine McNamara) cleverly uncovers an opportunity to undermine the Sheriff (Greg Hovanessian). Hoyt (Matt Barr) grows tired of playing second fiddle to Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez) in the eyes of Lucia’s (Gabriela Quezada) family before the two must work together to fend off a team of bandits. Calian’s drive to help, however, may jeopardize his standing within his tribe. Kate (Katie Findlay) is relentless in her pursuit of information on Abby, Kai (Lawrence Kao) once again proves himself invaluable, and Gus (Philemon Chambers) grapples with the trauma that comes with wearing the badge. The episode was written by Michael Carnes & Josh Gilbert and directed by Larry Teng (103). Original airdate 10/20/2022.


Walker Independence | Welcome to Independence | Season Trailer | The CW
The CW Network   Sep 22, 2022

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‘Walker: Independence’ Cast and Executive Producers Talk What They Want to Explore in the Series
By Briar   September 24, 2022
https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/09/24/walker-independence-cast-and-executive-producers-talk-what-they-want-to-explore-in-the-series/ 

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Philemon Chambers: “Heavy question … For me, I really loved The Harder They Fall, and I’m glad that Seamus brought that up. Like everybody can tell you, I watch it probably six times a day. But I just loved that. They brought characters to life that didn’t have light, that were played by different races, and now they’re being more authentic. So I love that, and I would love for that to continue.”
*  *  *
Katherine McNamara: “Mine is a bit of a lighter version. I grew up in the Midwest. I grew up playing The Oregon Trail computer game. I’ve always loved this idea of putting your entire life on a wagon and going out west. But there’s such a romanticized idea of it. In the pilot, we actually had a historically accurate-sized covered wagon for part of it and put in a piano and a bunch of stuff that would’ve been their life: a bed, a bunch of clothing, books. It was tiny. You put myself and one other actor in there; you couldn’t even fit the camera inside. We had to find creative ways to go from the outside. And it really just puts perspective to what people went through in that time, just to even get around.”

Katie Findlay: “The west was queer. It was queer. It was all kinds of people, all kinds of gender presentation, and I think that’s something we see so rarely. Cowboys lived together in domestic marriages that were sometimes romantic and weren’t. People ran away to the frontiers so that queer women could marry their wives and masquerade as men because women couldn’t own property. So they bound and bought a damn ranch. I am so looking forward to the opportunity to explore it, both through my own queerness and the queerness of others, which sounds like a hilarious thing to say. It’s something that’s not often touched on, sort of the, the wildness of frontier self-discovery and the kind of refuge that was available for people. I mean, not only of different sexualities and genders but of cultures. To find peace or adventure or acceptance or escape or respite from the societal norm of the time. And obviously, in westerns, that are a bunch of old, straight, white guys … you’re not gonna see that. So, I’m really delighted to have been given the opportunity to get in there and wiggle around a little bit.”
*  *  *
Justin Johnson Cortez: “I think for me, the historical part of it that would be really interesting to see is the reservation system at this time in history for native people. A lot of land is getting taken away, and they were getting forced into either smaller parts of their own land or getting moved to completely new places that they know nothing about. They know nothing about the land, what grows there, what food is there … and they were expected to thrive. So that could be a really interesting thing to get into, Seamus.”

Seamus Kevin Fahey: “We will.”

Justin Johnson Cortez: “I think Calian’s character and his relationship with the town right now is a really cool thing that we’re exploring because the landscape was changing so much at this time. And native people did interact as people came west. So it’s been really fun to find these relationships and find truth in them, and it’s stuff we haven’t really seen in the past. A lot of times, what we write, we have really clear examples of. I almost feel like we’re on a new frontier right now with this show and exploring these relationships that I’ve never seen shown in TV and film. And I’m sure they’re out there somewhere, but I never had the opportunity to see that. So that’s been a really interesting part of this journey for me.”

Matt Barr: “Just real quick, as the railroad moved west and these little towns sort of popped up, cause the railroad started to splinter, I always loved the idea of what they represented. Which was that American dream of like you can make what you want in this world. You know, you can build your own life. And it is what you make it. And people fought and died for it. And yet they still kept coming west, still came because of what that meant to people, to have the freedom, to define your own life. And so that sounds romantic, and it’s … we’re still doing it today, you know?”
*  *  *
Katherine McNamara: “Well, that’s exactly it. To follow onto what you were saying, this story is such a classic story of a western, of people who are building their own lives and choosing their own independence. But it’s such an allegory for today. We’re at this point in the world where we have a chance to, in some ways, start over and, in some ways, reset. And I think getting to see a town go through that on such a small scale, on a network like The CW, can be an example and an interesting allegory for our world today.”

Katie Findlay: “Well, because it also is the intersection of other people’s freedoms, right? Because you can hold a personal freedom, like sure, we’re going west. I want my own life. You get there, and suddenly your freedom is intersecting with the freedom of everybody who was already there. And there is potential for damage and for harm, and watching how humans try, fail, try again to live peacefully with one another under various systems that sometimes, let’s be real, really don’t work, and sometimes do. Like there’s a lot of tension and often tenderness involved in those interactions. And I think that’s thematically … what a gigantic idea to then fold up in. This little town full of people in the absolute middle of nowhere, who are all … many of them are experiencing each other, people like each other for literally the first time in their lives. There’s no YouTube; you’re walking out in the middle of the desert all by yourself. I agree with Kat that it is sort of a microcosm of quite a contentious and broad thing about the world that we live in.”
*  *  *
Lawrence Kao: “I think another fun thing to explore, history-wise, would be the Chinese Exclusion Act. At that time, they just stopped allowing Chinese people to come to America and not even own any businesses. So to experience that, to actually explore that if we get there, would be pretty awesome.”

Seamus Kevin Fahey: “Yeah, just to piggyback off of everybody. I mean, we’re all saying the word change a lot, and we’re all saying the word identity. And from day zero, day one onward, the idea of taking moments from history … the railroad’s coming, Chinese Exclusion Act, different Native American tribes being forced into reservations. All these historical events are happening. And I always thought it was interesting to be like, what were the very small conversations in a town, in the middle of nowhere, that were happening before these huge events that we just read about in history books. And just kind of reducing it down to characters, and focusing on like the emotional impact of that, and moments that we don’t necessarily think about when we’re in a history class. It’s called Independence for a reason, too. Everyone’s trying to figure out who they are on their own while these massive events are happening, and there’s this huge turning point of what the country was, what Texas was, what this town could be, and who these people are and how they’re gonna adapt. I think it’s just combining that, the historical backdrop of that while being excited about building the characters in a way where they’re heading toward a certain direction, and then you flip it. You flip the script; you pull the rug out from under people and have some unexpected turn.”

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Walker Independence: Katherine McNamara on Abby Being “A Bit Out of Her Time”
Craig Byrne    Sep 27, 2022
https://www.ksitetv.com/walker-independence/walker-independence-katherine-mcnamara-on-abby-being-a-bit-out-of-her-time/232107/ 

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In any event, Walker Independence premieres Thursday, October 6 on The CW, and recently, the cast spoke to journalists in a virtual Q&A, where among other things, Kat talked a bit about what makes Abby who she is.

“With Abby, I think she’s a woman who’s a bit out of her time,” McNamara said. “She is very well educated, very intelligent, but still somehow finds her in a world where she knows nothing. She has to completely start over…. her entire life, literally, you know, is gone in the first 15 minutes of our show, and she stumbles into this town that is also finding itself. It’s such an interesting opportunity to see a woman in this time period have such agency, and to be able to start over on a life that is for her, and to create her own destiny, while also trying to take revenge for the death of the love of her life, and try and find some sense of justice in a world where justice is always a shade of gray.”

Abby isn’t the only character on Independence with a sense of justice. “One thing I love about all of these characters is that I think everyone has their own sense of justice, and their own drive, and their own way of moving through the world that they think is right, and something that they’re striving for, and something that they’re hiding. As the series unfolds, we get to see the different kinds of justice that happen in the West and the different ways in which these characters can go about accomplishing that,” she teases.

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Her | Season Trailer | Walker Independence | The CW
The CW Network   Sep 29, 2022


Critics Are Loving | Season Trailer | Walker Independence | The CW
The CW Network   Sep 28, 2022


Lawrence Kao on the importance of Kai's story in Walker: Independence
The CW Spiral    Sep 29, 2022


‘Walker Independence’ is a gripping Western prequel
Gary Catig    September 28, 2022
https://aiptcomics.com/2022/09/28/walker-independence-interview-the-cw/ 

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One thing you will notice about Walker Independence is that it has a very diverse cast. Many of the members felt they had a responsibility to give a new kind of performance to ensure they don’t make their roles one sided stereotypes we’ve seen for the people of color in period pieces in the past. They wanted to showcase themselves fully.
*  *  *
In addition, it’s no secret that actors on The CW jump from show to show and make other appearances on the network. McNamara, Barr, and Katie Findlay, who plays Kate, are examples from this series. Fahey confirmed that you can expect other familiar faces to show up this season.

Jared Padalecki, one of the EPs and the star of Walker, elaborated without spoiling any names. “There are some people from shows that also were on CW or WB back in the day, that are just perfect for certain roles. And I know that with Seamus and Anna’s knowledge of kind of the CW/WB lexicon, they probably have a few different actors in mind, they’re writing a few different things, and we’ll be sure to, to try and reach out to them, continue to reach out to them if, if the opportunity arises.”

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Walker: Independence Review: 1883 Meets The CW in Katherine McNamara's Promising Western
Maggie Fremont  Oct. 3, 2022
https://www.tvguide.com/news/walker-independence-review-the-cw-katherine-mcnamara-western/

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Leaning into the whole "personal tragedy begets revenge mission" gives Independence a real point of view and some great momentum to kick things off, and McNamara is certainly believable as a woman trying to keep it all together while also using the very limited resources she has to figure out what Sheriff Davidson (Greg Hovanessian) is up to. It also clearly does away with the "damsel in distress" trope that plagues so many Westerns, and that's a good thing, since Independence does lean on other clichés of the genre. (Outlaw with a painful past and secret heart of gold? Check. Shifty saloon owner? He's there, too. A nefarious sheriff trying to take over the town? You met him already.) Still, while this central conflict certainly propels the first few episodes forward, it doesn't seem to have much of a shelf life. Even three episodes in, it already feels convoluted that not one single person has figured out that the new, mysterious young lady in town is also the missing wife of the sheriff who turned up dead. That's a small town! Abby and her buddies are acting very shady! It's a premise that's asking to get blown up, or else it will surely get stretched too thin. Though, perhaps, the best kind of TV comes from painting yourself into a corner? Time will tell.
*  *  *
While Walker: Independence has a pretty deep bench of interesting supporting characters, the clear standout is Katie Findlay's Kate Carver. Kate Carver is a dancer at the saloon, but early on we learn she is much more and has a specific, non-dancing job to do in town. At times it seems like Findlay is acting in a completely different show, but in the very best way — you begin to wish that everyone else could get on their level. Findlay seems like they're having the most fun, and that breath of fresh air is needed in a show that at times takes itself way too seriously.

... Over the course of the first three episodes, the show does seem to struggle to find its footing in regards to tone, but here's hoping it eventually finds a nice balance between the ridiculous and the Very Serious Drama and settles on an identity, because Walker: Independence, like the frontier town it depicts, has a lot of potential. 


Five Things to Know About Walker Independence | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 2, 2022


"Walker Independence" star Katherine McNamara joins us!
Good Day Sacramento   Oct 3, 2022

 
 


Jared Padalecki: What Excites Him For Walker Independence
Craig Byrne    Oct 3, 2022
https://www.ksitetv.com/walker-independence/jared-padalecki-about-what-excites-him-for-walker-independence/232224/ 

Quote

“What I’m excited about [is] the interplay between the cast, for sure,” Padalecki said. “The storylines are incredible. As a lot of [people] know already, TV is a giant machine. Making a TV episode is hundreds of people over weeks and/or months, long days and long nights, to bring you 42 minutes every week, if we can. And so, sometimes you have to just have somebody there to get the job done. You know, somebody who might go, ‘they went that way’.”

“Here on this show, every single character could have their own show,” he continued. No, one’s there just to progress the storyline. They’re all exciting, and intriguing, and their interplay with each other is different. They’re not just this person every single time. If they’re talking to this character from the town, they have this relationship, and then it’s very obvious what the relationship is with that person, and so on, and so forth. I see the scripts, obviously, before they get filmed, but getting to watch some dailies and some of the earlier cuts of the episodes, I’ve been like, ‘I didn’t think of that! Like how did they figure that out? Bravo all around, from top to bottom.”


Mark Pedowitz Exits As Chairman & CEO Of The CW As Nexstar Acquisition Closes
By Nellie Andreeva    October 3, 2022
https://deadline.com/2022/10/mark-pedowitz-exits-cw-chairman-ceo-nexstar-1235130707/ 

Quote

Pedowitz’s exit comes as the fall CW lineup he had put together is starting to roll out. It includes recent hit Walker and its prequel Walker: Independence, both executive produced by Padalecki who also stars in Walker.

Padalecki recalled how Pedowitz lured him back to acting when he was contemplating retirement by accommodating him and his family with a Texas shoot and encouraged him to produce.

“This never would have happened if it weren’t for Mark Pedowitz,” Padalecki said of the two Walker series.

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Walker Independence is a refreshingly inclusive western
By Max Gao    October 3, 2022
https://www.avclub.com/walker-independence-review-tv-the-cw-1849610103

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... Created by Seamus Kevin Fahey and Anna Fricke, Walker Independence, a prequel to Jared Padalecki’s Walker, purposefully weaves overlooked parts of U.S. history into the narrative to create a refreshingly inclusive and subversive take on the old-fashioned western, honoring its classic cornerstones while bringing some much-needed and long-overdue diversity to the genre.
*  *  *
Directed by executive producer Larry Teng, Independence’s first three episodes are beautifully rendered with hallmarks of westerns—vast plains, horseback rides, gun-toting villagers, and, of course, the dusty desert air—and waste no time in introducing the other supporting players and setting the stage for what feels like a revenge plot. There’s Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), an irreverent con artist who immediately butts heads with Abby and has a fling with aspiring singer Lucia Reyes (Gabriela Quezada); Kate Carver (Katie Findlay), a free-spirited burlesque dancer who knows about the inner workings of the town; Kai (Lawrence Kao), a Chinese immigrant who runs a local laundry/restaurant and takes an immediate liking to Abby; and Augustus (Philemon Chambers), the well-meaning deputy sheriff who could either be a friend or foe.

Having risen to fame on Shadowhunters and Arrow, McNamara has stepped into her most grounded role to date, commanding the screen with a quiet strength and self-possession. While her character often feels like she is one misstep away from a nervous breakdown, McNamara walks the extremely fine line of playing a grieving widow and a scornful outsider willing to be pushed into the gray area of the law. ... Barr, who famously played a younger version of Hoyt Rawlins in Walker and now plays his own ancestor in Independence, transplants all of the irreverent qualities that audiences know and love from his present-day character to bring some levity to this very self-aware show.
*  *  *
But it’s the characters from marginalized communities who feel like the biggest breath of fresh air. As the son of Chinese immigrants, I can’t remember the last time I saw a Chinese person with a name and a significant backstory in a western. Hearing Kao’s Kai say something as simple as 请坐 (qǐng zuò), or “Please sit” in Mandarin, evoked an unexpected sense of poignancy, which made me wonder, “Why haven’t I seen this before?” This is a feeling that will likely reverberate throughout the show’s first season, particularly for viewers familiar with the history of white-washing in westerns. The show’s commitment to diversity is commendable, but only time will tell to see if the writers are truly able to do each of the characters justice and prevent them from devolving into all-too-common archetypes or sidekicks.
*  *  *
For better or for worse, Independence still feels very much like a western that was fed into the CW machine—there are soapy plot twists, impossibly high stakes, potential love triangles, and the like. Being on a major broadcast network instead of streaming, by nature, will also make the show lose some of the edge of other westerns. .... But on a network known for its superhero shows and high-kicking action heroes, Walker Independence feels like a welcome change of pace....

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Katherine McNamara goes back in time in new CW series "Walker Independence"
PIX11 News  Oct 3, 2022


Katherine McNamara talks about Walker: Independence on The CW
Popternative  Oct 4, 2022


The CW’s Future Under Nexstar: Focus on Affiliates, Profits and Cheaper Originals
BY LESLEY GOLDBERG   OCTOBER 4, 2022
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-cw-nexstar-future-profits-and-cheaper-originals-1235232779/ 

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The changes arrive as Nexstar CEO Perry Sook and newly installed CW president Dennis Miller (no, not that one) plan to make the network profitable by 2025 with programming that targets a broad audience of adults 18-49. (The CW’s median age on its linear network is 58, but the age of its digital audience is late 20s to early 30s.) Sources say Nexstar plans to focus on The CW’s linear schedule and become more affiliate-friendly. Sook and Miller are said to be fans of such broad CW fare as Jared Padalecki’s Walker franchise, Greg Berlanti’s Superman & Lois and the family-focused Kung Fu. All three shows were among the few series to earn early renewals in March, ahead of The CW’s May cancellation spree that left it with 11 scripted originals — the same tally Pedowitz inherited when he took over the network in 2011.

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ATX TV finally posted video of its June 4th Walker: Independence panel...

WALKER INDEPENDENCE | Q&A with Jared Padalecki & Cast | ATX TV Festival
ATX TV    Oct 6, 2022


More recently...

KAT MCNAMARA INSTAGRAM LIVE WITH JARED PADALECKI
Essa Vidallo    Oct 6, 2022

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KM did a lot of media interviews in advance of last night's premiere of Walker: Independence...

Katherine McNamara, The CW's "Walker Independence" | Behind The Scenes In Hollywood podcast
Media Village   Oct 5, 2022

Katherine McNamara Talks Abby's Empowerment in Walker Independence
ComingSoon.net    Oct 6, 2022

Actress KATHERINE MCNAMARA Talks All Things WALKER: INDEPENDENCE on The CW
Hallmark Happenings Podcast   Oct 6, 2022

Katherine McNamara talks 'Walker Independence' on The CW
The Man Cave Chronicles w/ Elias    Oct 6, 2022

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Reception has been mostly positive...

Walker Independence Premiere Recap: Grade The CW's Prequel Spinoff
By Vlada Gelman / October 6 2022
https://tvline.com/2022/10/06/walker-independence-recap-season-1-episode-1-premiere-cw/

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Walker: Independence’ On The CW, A Wild West Prequel To ‘Walker’ That Takes Place In A Mysterious Frontier Town
By Joel Keller    Oct 6, 2022 
https://decider.com/20 22/10/06/walker-independence-cw-review/

Despite No New Tricks, ‘Walker: Independence’ Adequately Takes on the Western Genre: TV Review
By LaToya Ferguson     October 6, 2022
https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/walker-independence-review-cw-adequate-western-spinoff-prequel-jared-padalecki-1235393191/

Why Kat McNamara’s Walker: Independence Is Strangely Enticing To Me As An Arrowverse Fan
By Mick Joest    October 6, 2022
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/why-kat-mcnamaras-walker-independence-is-strangely-enticing-to-me-as-an-arrowverse-fan 

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Walker: Independence - Episode 1.04 - Pax Romana - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at October 07, 202
https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/10/walker-independence-episode-104-pax.html 

Spoiler

THE SHOW MUST GO ON – Abby (Kat McNamara) and Hoyt (Matt Barr) agree to run a seemingly mundane errand for Tom Davidson (Greg Hovanessian) that ends up exposing just how far the Davidson influence goes. Kate (Katie Findlay) uses the annual Founders Day festivities to disrupt the town’s balance of power while Kai (Lawrence Kao) gets an unexpected visitor from his past. Meanwhile, Lucia (Gabriela Quezada) and Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez) help each other navigate the pressures of their respective families. Sheelin Choksey directed the episode written by Nikki Renna (#104).  Original airdate 10/27/22. 

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Katherine McNamara Teases Changing Motives Ahead on Walker Independence
Lauren Piester  Oct. 6, 2022
https://www.tvguide.com/news/katherine-mcnamara-teases-changing-motives-ahead-on-walker-independence/ 

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McNamara tells TV Guide that of course, there's more to the story. "In Independence, everyone's running from something, and no one is who they seem," she says. "As Abby starts to peel back the layers of who all these people are, her motives and her perspective could potentially change. But what's interesting is that justice is not always a straight line. It's not always black and white." 

She goes on to explain that in order to get both the justice and the revenge Abby desires, she'll have to make some sacrifices and some compromises to her own morality. "We'll see how the west shapes Abby and how Abby shapes the west as we move forward." 
*  *  *
Can you paint me a picture of what the rest of this first season looks like? 
McNamara: Without spoiling anything, it's becoming sort of a beautiful allegory for our world today. You see this independent, unincorporated town in Texas that's trying to find itself and find its way and find the world that it's going to be and what it's going to represent and what it's going to stand for. And all the people within it are trying to do the same and find their own sense of justice. Whereas you know, in the world today, we're at a place where we have the pandemic, we have this chance to start over and we have this chance to create the world in which we want to live and the future we want to leave behind for our great, great, great, great grandson, Jared Padalecki. You know, it'll be interesting to see how folks react to that and if they can find those commonalities within our show.


Katherine McNamara on 'Walker Independence,' the Western Genre and Romance in Abby's Future
BY CHRISTINA RADISH    OCTOBER 6, 2022
https://collider.com/katherine-mcnamara-walker-independence-interview-the-cw/ 

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What do you feel the Walker family represents, that’s present in Jared Padalecki’s show and also present in your show? Are there qualities that you would say are the throughline in the world of both shows?
McNAMARA: I think so. I think the Walker-verse, at its core, is about community, family, heart and justice, and the question of what that is depends on the time and the circumstance. It’s something that all of these characters are based in. What are they willing to do and what are they willing to sacrifice, in order to get the justice they feel they want or deserve? It’s only through revealing and peeling back these layers that you realize that, much like in the present-day Walker, justice is not necessarily black and white, and not every character is purely good or purely evil.
*  *  *
It wouldn’t be a CW show without romance or unrequited love or some kind of love triangle. Will we see any of that with Abby, or will she be mourning her husband, at least for a bit?
McNAMARA: I do think it’s really smart that Abby does have a chance to grieve her husband, and you do get to see that. But given that she’s hiding who she is, for a good part of the show, that grief takes some interesting turns and reveals quite a lot about who Abby is. But moving forward, who knows? There are so many connections and so many people that Abby really bonds with, as the series continues. Seeing if that will go anywhere or not is yet to be something I can discuss.

By the end of the pilot, we see her form this little trio with Hoyt and Calian. What can we expect from that dynamic, throughout the season? How is that going to grow and evolve?
McNAMARA: What I love about all the character relationships on the show is that each one brings out something so different in the other. Looking at Abby’s relationships with each of these two men, Calian saved her life, so she has that trust with him and that bond with him. There’s a closeness and a care that will always be there. He is her rock. He is the one thing that she can rely on in this town, at first. That will obviously grow and change, but there will always be something there between the two of them, that keeps them together. And then, with Abby and Hoyt, they’re different people, but they’re both seeking justice and their own sort of revenge for different things. They push each other’s button just enough that it forces the other to confront a part of themselves they may not have otherwise had to face. It’s really interesting to see them both grow from their relationship with each other, no matter how contentious it might be.


‘Walker Independence’ Premiere: Katherine McNamara on the Skeletons in Abby’s Closet
Kelli Boyle    October 6, 2022
https://www.tvinsider.com/1064148/walker-independence-premiere-explained-katherine-mcnamara/ 

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So much drama takes place within the first five minutes alone, with Abigail declaring at the end that she’s staying in Independence to seek justice. What will that look like for her? She tried to kill Tom Davidson, the new sheriff, at first, but now she seems to have changed course.
Kat McNamara: It all depends, because in the West, we all know justice isn’t necessarily black or white. And that is the dilemma she’s faced with moving forward: what lengths is she willing to go in order to avenge her husband’s death? What is she willing to compromise? What is she willing to sacrifice? What is she willing to do, morally and violently speaking? As we go through this series, we really get to see Abby reshaped by this new environment and the other characters she meets.
*  *  *
Without her husband, she now needs to find a way to support herself. How she will do that?
What’s great is we get to see her presented with a choice in this pilot of becoming a victim of her circumstance, or choosing her own independence and creating a new future for herself. Maybe it’s not the future she imagined, but perhaps it’s the future she was always meant for. Getting to see a woman in the 1800s have this sort of agency and have to problem solve in this way is really interesting. She’s a smart woman. She finds her way.

How does Abby’s relationship with Hoyt evolve moving forward?
We get to see these two characters who are both fighting for loyalty and justice in their own way, but have very different perspectives on the matters. And in a sense, they are able to push each other to face parts of themselves they wouldn’t otherwise be confronted with. It’s an exciting arc to get to play out.

What other characters should viewers keep an eye out for?
I would say all of them. What’s so brilliant about this series is that every single character is so fascinating, and the actors that play them are just as fascinating. It’s really wonderful to get to build these character relationships, because each one brings out something different in the other. You really get to see that, in Independence, everyone’s running from something. No one is who they seem. And as you peel back these layers, I think folks will fall more and more in love with every single character.
*  *  *
Abby’s husband may have had some drama back in Boston that connected him to his killer, Tom Davidson. But there were hints in the premiere that he might not have been as innocent as he seems. What can you tease about some possible shocking revelations for Abby?
Abby doesn’t stop with finding information just about the town that she’s in and avenging her husband’s death. She is forced to confront her own past with her own family, and what may or may not be the reason she doesn’t go back home when all of this happens.

She has to confront her husband’s past, digging into the reasons of why they were really going to Independence, and she also has to look into each and every person she’s met in town. Everyone has something they’re hiding and trying to move past here. The consequences are many for all of these characters, but it’s how they get through it together — and how they choose to forgive and move on or not — that really plays into how the story continues.
*  *  *
It seems the men of Independence, especially the law enforcement, are going to underestimate Abby. What warning you would give against that?
I would say that Abby is, just as anyone in Independence, not exactly what she seems. It’s interesting coming into this character who looks like a Boston society woman, very buttoned up, proper, and probably a bit demure in certain ways, but there’s so much more beneath the surface. You get to see that in the pilot, and hopefully we’ll get to carry that out as the series continues and will get to see even more of what Abby is made of.

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Ratings: Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 Return Steady, Top Thursday
By Matt Webb Mitovich / October 7 2022
https://tvline.com/2022/10/07/ratings-greys-anatomy-seaosn-19-premiere/ 

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THE CW | Pending adjustment due to preemptions, Walker (800K/0.1, TVLine reader grade “A-“) is down a few viewers versus its sophomore average, while Walker Independence (630K/0.1, TVLine reader grade “A-“) is looking at a much bigger audience than Legacies (370K/0.1) averaged last season.

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Katherine McNamara on How Her Character in ‘Walker: Independence’ Resembles Her Roles in ‘Shadowhunters’ and ‘Arrow’
Natalie Oganesyan | October 7, 2022
https://www.thewrap.com/katherine-mcnamara-walker-independence-interview-cw/ 

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You’re known for your roles in the fantasy space; was this experience similar to any of your previous portrayals, perhaps in stunts or otherwise, or does ‘Independence’ require a totally different approach?
Yes and no, I mean, it’s very different. I’ve spent the last almost 10 years of my life in leather jackets, super-suits, combat boots and suddenly I’m in 1800s boots, four skirts and a corset. It’s an entirely different experience for sure. But still, just as Clary [in “Shadowhunters”] and Mia [in “Arrow”] were, Abby is very much a woman who has agency in a time when a lot of women didn’t and a woman who’s thrust into a situation she wasn’t prepared for and into a world that she knows nothing about and has to find her way and make a family and build something out of a tragedy. I think those are the stories we like to see is people reinventing themselves and rising from the ashes and overcoming whatever obstacles are put in their way.

The series begins with a great trauma Abby endures, and she’s forced into a situation where she has to persevere. There’s a unique mix of grief, fear and grit that she embodies. Could you talk about your take on the character and how you view her evolution throughout the show?
We get to see a woman who starts out in the most joyful time in her life. This is the love of her life, she’s starting fresh, getting to go forth and live their dreams and all of a sudden, all of that literally burns up in front of her and so very quickly she changes and has to make a choice of whether to become a victim of her circumstance or to create a new life for herself — maybe it wasn’t the life she imagined, but it’s arguably the life she was always meant to live. You get to see this woman just survive and try and balance in a world [where] she doesn’t know who her friends are, she doesn’t know who she can trust. You see very quickly that she is a lot more capable and more intelligent than maybe even she realizes.

There’s a great camaraderie that begins to develop between Abby, Kai and Kate, as well as a trusting relationship among Hoyt and Calian. Could you speak to how this show centers those relationships, and also how off-set friendships inform the ones on-screen?
We have an incredible group of people both on and off-camera, building this show together. It’s such a joy to go to work every day because I’m surrounded by people that are mentally so committed to telling this story and so passionate about it, but just lovely individuals to spend hours and hours with be it rain or shine or corset or blood or whatever it is we’re dealing with on the day. What else is so lovely is that each of these character relationships is so rich, and we’re all a little bit obsessed with each other and each other’s work and these characters. Those that we get to build on screen are so enriched by that. You really get to see all different sides of [these characters] and peel back the layers as you get deeper and deeper into the series.
*  *  *
Despite the huge part Abby’s husband played in her life, we don’t know much about him. What can you say about who he is and what will we discover about him?
As Abby gets into trying to avenge her husband’s death and find out why he was murdered and what actually happened that night, she’s confronting a lot of things. Just as everyone else in Independence, Abby’s running from something and clearly so was her husband. Having to confront her own past and maybe the reasons why she didn’t immediately go home to Boston and having to confront who her husband really was and what he was really up to and what took them out West are things that we will find out later.

 
 


Abigail | Walker Independence Season Trailer | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 9, 2022


Greg Hovanessian - Big Plans | Walker Independence | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 9, 2022

Edited by tv echo
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Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Manifest, Ghosts, Chicago Fire, Grey's Anatomy, All American, 9-1-1, NCIS: LA and More
By Matt Webb Mitovich / October 12 2022
https://tvline.com/lists/manifest-final-season-4-spoilers-zeke-michaela-jared-triangle/ 

Quote

How many episodes can we expect for Season 3 of Walker and Season 1 of Walker Independence? –Alexander
Walker is on track for 18 episodes this season, while Indy, as with all freshman (fall) shows, starts out with a 13-episode order that in success can be added to.


EXCLUSIVE: Katherine McNamara Dishes on New Show, Walker: Independence
Beautiful Ballad   Oct 7, 2022

"Walker: Independence" Star Katherine McNamara on the CW's First Western
Inside SoFlo    Oct 11, 2022

Katherine McNamara on her role as Abby Collins Walker: Independence #shorts
The Man Cave Chronicles w/ Elias     Oct 13, 2022

Blood & Whiskey | Walker Independence Season 1 Episode 3 Promo | The CW
The CW Network    Oct 14, 2022

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Walker: Independence - Episode 1.05 - Friend of the Devil - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at October 13, 2022 
https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/10/blog-post_13.html 

Spoiler

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN TEXAS – When an old friend rides into town, Tom Davidson (Greg Hovanessian) finds himself in the impossible position of helping a former partner in crime while keeping up appearances as the town’s new sheriff. Abby (Kat McNamara) and Kate’s (Katie Findlay) friendship is put to the test as Abby faces uncomfortable questions about her deceased husband while Gus (Philemon Chambers) and Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez) reconnect and work together to pursue a new lead in connection to the murder of Abby’s husband. The episode was written by Nick Zigler and directed by Carol Banker (#105). Original airdate 11/3/2022.

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(edited)

Ratings: Sheldon, Ghosts, SVU Lead Night; Walker Spinoff Audience Steady
By Matt Webb Mitovich / October 14 2022
https://tvline.com/2022/10/14/ratings-walker-independence-spinoff-cw/ 

Quote

THE CW | Pending possible adjustment due to a teeny amount of preemptions, Walker (687K/0.1) dropped a few eyeballs whereas Walker Independence (617K/0.0) matched its premiere audience (but dipped in the demo).


Katherine McNamara Interview | Walker Independence (2022) | The CW
Big Gold Belt Media    Oct 15, 2022


Lawrence Kao – Eyes On the Prize | Walker Independence | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 15, 2022

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2022 CW Fall Program Sizzle Promo | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 18, 2022


Dare to Love, Defy Hate Extended | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 17, 2022


Gabriela Quezada -Songbird in a Cage | Walker Independence | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 18, 2022

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Pax Romana | Walker Independence Season 1 Episode 4 Promo | The CW
The CW Network   Oct 21, 2022


Katherine McNamara Talks Walker: Independence, Abigail's Journey, and Her Connection with Her Fans
Pop Culturalist    Oct 20, 2022

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(edited)

Walker: Independence - Episode 1.06 - Random Acts - Press Release
Posted by SpoilerTV at October 21, 2022
https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/10/walker-independence-episode-106-random.html 

Spoiler

With questions continuing to surface, Abby (Katherine McNamara) digs deeper into her husband’s past while Gus (Philemon Chambers) and Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez) follow a hunch which has them questioning a former mentor and Calian accused of a heinous crime. Back in town, Tom (Greg Hovanessian) puts together a Fight Night in an attempt to impress a railroad executive despite Kate’s (Katie Findlay) protests, Hoyt (Matt Barr) dives into helping the Reyes family, and Kai (Lawrence Kao) reveals he knows how to throw a punch. The episode was written by Mia Katherine Iverson and directed by Clara Aranovich (#106). Original airdate 11/10/2022.

Edited by tv echo
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