Walker: Independence is a western Historical Series on The CW. Executive produced by Jared Padalecki, it is a Walker prequel. The series premiered on October 6, 2022.
Billed as an origin story, the series is set in the 1800s and follows affluent Bostonian Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara), whose husband is murdered right in front of her while they're on a journey out west. She arrives in the town of Independence after crossing paths with Apache tracker Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez), where she runs into a diverse group of residents, including Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr) and deputy sheriff Augustus (Philemon Chambers). Hoyt and Abby join forces and vow to save Independence, a frontier boomtown where nothing is what it seems as she seeks revenge for her husband's murder.
In May 2023, the series was canceled by The CW
, and unfortunately for fans, attempts to find a new home for the series were unsuccessful, ending the series with just one season.
Preview: Official Trailer
This series provides examples of:
- The Alcoholic: Abby seems to think Hoyt is one and calls him out for day drinking in the trailer.
- Ambiguous Situation: All we know is that Cordell and his family are descended from Abby, and given that Walker is Abby's own last name (her late husband was a Collins) her future child will have a Nom de Mom for whatever reason. Who will be the father, assuming she doesn't adopt, is a mystery.
- Boom Town: Independence is one, but there's something sinister going on behind the scenes.
- Period Piece: Set in the 1800s in an old Western town.
- Call-Forward: Abby's murdered husband is named William (Liam for short), Hoyt names his horse Cordell, Hoyt's mother is named Stella, and the local saloon is called the Side-Step.
- Closet Gay: Kate is this, obviously having to hide it due to the time period. It turns out Abby's sister, Charlotte, is also this, with her engagements a "cover" and she and Kate spend a night together.
- Con Man: Hoyt had been posing as a preacher to scam people before coming to Independence.
- Didn't Think This Through: Hoyt invokes this as Abby's first plan is to shoot the town sheriff at a party with no evidence to back her claims he murdered her husband, which would only lead to Abby being hanged for murder.
- Elective Broken Language: Kai is quite fluent in English but pretends to barely be able to speak it with an accent to others. Thus, everyone is stunned when he speaks to the Tong in a clear and educated voice, with Kate sardonically noting, "so your accent's not real either."
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Played with. When Augustus accuses Hoyt of robbing the bank, Hoyt says it's hard to identify a man wearing a bandanna. When Augustus says he never said the guy wore a bandanna, Hoyt easily brushes off that any robber would have the sense to do that. Plus, the story of the robbery has already gotten around and thus Hoyt could have easily heard what the guy looked like. Augustus is forced to acknowledge he has no serious proof to let Hoyt go.
- Identical Ancestor: Hoyt Rawlins is this to the Hoyt Rawlins from Walker. Hoyt encounters a Texas Ranger who is this trope to Cordell Walker.
- The Walker Season 3 finale introduces a detective who is Calian's identical descendant.
- In Love with the Mark: Tom was sent to kill Abby, but ended up falling for her instead.
- Politically Correct History: Racism seems to just not exist in Independence, with the exception being Calian and even that is because he's accused of murder.
- The Reveal: Kate is actually an undercover Pinkerton detective.
- "How We Got Here" reveals Tom knows exactly who Abby is
- Revenge: As per the trailer, Abby is motivated to seek revenge and kill her husband's murderer after he's killed right in front of her eyes.
- Spotting the Thread:
- Hoyt realizes Abby's husband's murder was not random when he learns Davidson is from a Boston family buying up land around town. He tells Abby, who likewise deduces her husband was assassinated so the Davidsons would have a town sheriff ready to cover up their crimes.
- When his old love Lily comes to town, Kai is eager to help her as she relates how she's been chasing after him to also flee the Tong. But Kate notes how Lily's shoes are too new for someone supposedly on the run with no money. Kai doesn't believe it at first but seeing Lily packing up more clothes than she should have makes him realize she's working with the Tong.
- Unknown Rival: Davidson assumed Abby (whom he never even laid eyes on) died in the fire with her husband and no idea it's the same woman he meets in town. Turns out this is not true. He knew what Abby looked like long before and didn't do anything because he had fallen for her.
- The Wild West: Is set in a small Texas frontier town in the 1800s - Abby and her husband were going to Independence so he could be the sheriff there based on the trailer.
