The Avenging Angel is the fourth episode of the Ninth Season on Walker, Texas Ranger. It aired on October 28, 2000.
When Matt Escobar, a close friend of Trivette's from the Dallas Cowboys, now a professional wrestler under the name "The Avenging Angel", is killed in a supposed accident during his flying entrance into the ring just before the title match, the Rangers suspect it was not an accident, having found that his flying cable was severed, and try to connect the murder to a crooked businessman trying to put the wrestling company out of business. To do this, Gage and Sydney are sent in undercover as wrestlers to protect Matt's manager and fellow wrestlers and their families. At the end of the episode, the Rangers receive devastating news: C.D. has died.
Tropes seen in this episode:
- 21-Gun Salute: A common funeral custom for military personnel and police officers, especially Texas Rangers. This occurs during C.D.'s funeral, with Walker, Trivette, Gage and Sydney all clad in white gloves along with several other officers and serving as honor guard for their fallen comrade, just before convening at the Bar and Grill for one last goodbye.
- And Your Little Dog, Too!: It's not enough that Frank Scanlon is extorting the CEOs of companies he is acquiring, but also threatening their families. As far as messing with Eddie Ryan and Galactic Wrestling, killing one of his wrestlers (Matt "The Avenging Angel" Escobar, of course, leaving his unborn baby without a father) and attempting to murder another (Flash Armstrong; he suffered a concussion and two broken ribs and is expected to recover in a few weeks) and almost kidnapping his granddaughter, Amy, is certainly crossing the line.
- Anyone Can Die: A relatively minor body count consisting of a bank robber shot by Walker during the teaser after he and his accomplices were pursued by the two rangers, and the primary victim of the episode being the titular wrestler after Scanlon had Harley tamper with his flying wire.
- Big Bad: Frank Scanlon.
- Bittersweet Ending: At its very best (a Downer Ending and a Wham Episode at its worst). The episode seems to end on a happy note with Scanlon being convicted for the first-degree murder of the titular wrestler and multiple counts of extortion, but it quickly changes its tune when Walker gets a call from Mr. Murphy alerting him, Alex, Trivette, Sydney and Gage of very sad news: C.D. Parker has died.
- Bus Crash / Killed Off for Real: C.D.
- Co-Dragons: Harley Barnes and Jerome Cutter were tasked with doing Scanlon's dirty work, but it is after the Rangers have arrested both of them— Barnes for cutting Matt's cable (his blood type was A-Negative, at which point the blood sample Walker found on the catwalk the day of the murder matched his) and sending thugs into the gym to beat up Flash (Gage and Sydney arrested the assailants, prompting Harley's arrest), and Cutter for almost kidnapping Amy when she was leaving the hospital after visiting Flash— the two decide to testify against Scanlon, ultimately putting him away for good.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: To the fullest extent, Frank Scanlon, who isn't above killing an innocent person to set an example when people refuse his offers.
- Disappeared Dad / Someone to Remember Him By: Matt Escobar, who was married to a woman named Carmen, became this to his baby, who was unborn at the time of the murder.
- Downer Ending: After Scanlon is defeated, the Rangers and Alex are alerted of C.D.'s death. The ending of the episode is then spent with the Rangers making the funeral arrangements for and mourning their fallen comrade and the Bar and Grill being forced to go out of business.
- End of an Age:
- C.D. has died, which means his Bar and Grill is forced to close down.
- This is the last episode in which the font Goudy-Old-Style is used for the Episode (includes the Guest Stars and Episode Crew) and the Executive Producers' End Title Cards, and will then be replaced with University Roman Bold. Despite the change for displaying the title cards, the former font is still used for time cards (E.G. two weeks later), locations and the end credits.
- Foreshadowing: Moments before the Rangers decide to gather all the people Scanlon extorted together, including Eddie and Carmen, Trivette receives a call from C.D. while he is in the middle of his fishing trip, saying he has a cold. Walker, Trivette and Alex tell him to come home and see a doctor, but he is having too much fun and hopes it will pass. This is a warning to how this episode is going to end shortly after the Scanlon case has been solved...
- Gut Punch: CD Parker dies after Scanlon is arrested, supposedly of a heart attack, but it's not until the Grand Finale, "The Final Show/Down", that the villain of the episode claims to have committed the murder, to which a second autopsy uncovered the real cause of death: reeson, a type of poison.
- Heroic BSoD: Eddie goes through this after Matt is killed and Flash gets beaten up (Sydney and Gage arrest his assailants, who fess up to Harley hiring them, prompting Walker and Trivette to arrest him, leading up to them determining it was him who cut Matt's cable), saying he should've sold his company to Scanlon, but Walker and Trivette are able to snap him out of it by bringing the bigwigs of other companies Scanlon extorted together so they can all testify against him.
- Jury and Witness Tampering: Frank Scanlon has extorted other companies besides Galactic Wrestling, but if one CEO is too scared to testify, Walker and Trivette decide what if they brought them all together and Eddie and Carmen told them their story? This then makes the CEOs of the companies Scanlon extorted brave enough to testify. Even his own henchmen were too scared to testify, at least until the Rangers take him down for good with the extorted CEOs' help.
- Long Last Look: C.D.'s Bar and Grill has to close down due to the death of its proprietor. After the funeral, all the mourners, including our heroes, convene there for one last good-bye. When a heartbroken Walker bids one last farewell to his friend just before he takes a just-as-heartbroken Alex home, we can see the "open/closed" sign on the front door set to the "closed" position just before he walks out.Alex: (sniffles) I just can't believe he's gone! Cord, I want to go home.
Walker: Okay. [Alex walks out of the Bar and Grill, but before he steps out, he stays behind for a quick final look] So long, C.D. - MegaCorp: Frank Scanlon is the CEO of Broadcorp Industries, who's been making hostile takeovers of other businesses across the Dallas area.
- Melancholy Musical Number: "Where Do You Fly?" is played when Eddie visits Matt's grave, then at the end of the episode at C.D.'s funeral.
- Pro Wrestling Episode: The episode centers on the Rangers trying to build a case against Frank Scanlon for the murder of the titular wrestler and multiple counts of extortion, while, at the same time, protecting Eddie and his family and his fellow wrestlers from any harm he has planned for them. Sydney and Gage pose as wrestlers to do just that, with their cover being a tag-team wrestling duo known as the Fox and the Fury, respectively.
- Retired Badass:
- Double subverted with Matt Escobar. He is a close friend of Trivette's when they played on the Dallas Cowboys and won championship games, and now, as a professional wrestler under the name "The Avenging Angel", he is fighting for the championship title that evening after Walker and Trivette busted a quartet of bank robbers.
- Played straight with Eddie Ryan, also known as "Terrible Eddie" or "The Houston Strangler". He is a retired wrestler who is now the proud owner of Galactic Wrestling.
- Special Guest: Gary Kasper as Matthew "The Avenging Angel" Escobar, Wade Andrew Williams as Jerome Cutter, Lester Speight as Flash Armstrong, Richard Norton as Frank Scanlon, Lori Stone as Amy Ryan (the granddaughter of Eddie Ryan) and Ernest Borgnine as Eddie "The Houston Strangler/Terrible Eddie" Ryan.
- Stuff Blowing Up: A quartet of bank robbers shoot out a computer behind the teller desk shortly after a teller sets off the alarm before making their getaway, only to be pursued by Walker and Trivette shortly after.
- Sudden Downer Ending: This phone conversation Walker has with Mr. Murphy:Walker: (answers his phone) Walker. Oh, hi, Mr. Murphy. Has CD worn out his welcome, yet? What? Oh, God. I understand. Okay, uh... we'll make the arrangements.
- Title Drop: Several times, since the episode has the Rangers investigating the titular wrestler's murder.
- Victim of the Week:
- The primary victim in this case is Matt "The Avenging Angel" Escobar, whose cable was cut by Harley Barnes when he made his flying entrance into the ring, causing him to fall and break his neck.
- Murdering Matt didn't end there for Frank Scanlon, as he was now threatening to hurt or kill the families of business owners he extorted, and he wouldn't be above doing so to Eddie's other wrestlers. First, he has Harley hire gang members to kill Flash Armstrong, only for him to suffer a concussion and two broken ribs and for his assailants to be beaten up and arrested by Gage and Sydney, at which point an arrest warrant is out for Harley. After Harley is arrested by Walker and Trivette, they find that the blood Walker found on the catwalk on the day of the murder had matched his. Then, he nearly kidnaps and kills Eddie's granddaughter, Amy; when Cutter is sent after her, Gage and Sydney quickly stop this and arrest him. Eddie and Carmen soon have the courage to tell their story of what Scanlon has been doing to them when Walker and Trivette decide to bring the bigwigs of other companies he extorted together, to which they finally have the courage to stand up to Scanlon in court. By the time the Rangers set out to arrest Scanlon, Flash was expected to be discharged from the hospital.
- In an unrelated case, it hits home for the Rangers at the end of the episode when they learn C.D. has died during his fishing trip, supposedly of a heart attack, which Trivette lampshades just after the funeral while looking at his portrait at the Bar and Grill, which now has to go out of business:Trivette: I guess your heart was so big and so giving, that it just gave out, huh?
- Wham Episode: The entire episode, not so much, but by the ending after Scanlon is arrested, though...
