Despite No New Tricks, ‘Walker: Independence’ Adequately Takes on the Western Genre: TV Review
variety.comLaToya Ferguson In January 2021, the Jared Padalecki-starring and executive-produced “Walker, Texas Ranger” reboot (simply titled “Walker”) premiered as a new hit for The CW.
Perhaps not quite infiltrating pop culture the same way as “Riverdale” had, still, it found success as a family and crime drama.
The show was soon renewed for a second season, and is about to start its third. In the process of that success, naturally, the series was able to go the spinoff route — making this CW fall season two-for-two for spinoffs on Padalecki-associated vehicles, as the “Supernatural” prequel “The Winchesters” is also premiering soon, and he’s an executive producer on “Walker: Independence.” But the most interesting aspect of both of these spinoffs is that they specifically see value not in telling concurrent or future stories of the characters, but instead going back to the past, in prequel form.
For “Walker: Independence,” it’s difficult not to look at it and see it as The CW’s attempt at trying its own spin on what Taylor Sheridan has had great success in with his “Yellowstone”-verse (with prequels in the form of “1883” and the upcoming “1923”).
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