Wrangling Walker 1.07 “Tracks”
Secrets and lies seem to be at the heart of this episode, and nothing is as it seems. Last week and this week the series’ potential felt like it gelled and instead of a scattered bunch of random people and pieces, connections were made—some good, some not so much.
This episode had lots of action, Walker kicked bad guy butt, and we had bombshell revelations (and a real bomb) along the way. All you had to do was overlook one major plot element’s extremely unlikely circumstances….
Cordell’s DPS hearing has been postponed since Adriana was arrested—apparently for a DWI/hit and run, which doesn’t seem to fit her habits or personality. Micki goes to check it out and Walker insists on going with her. She bails Adriana out, and Adriana is furious, saying that she committed the crime. Micki and Walker spy on Adriana, and have a debate over trusting your gut—he tells her that if something makes sense to everyone else but not to you, reconsider. (Foreshadowing of Walker’s certainty that there was more to Emily’s death when others didn’t believe?)
Liam and Captain James have gone to Mexico to the art gallery (owned by Mendoza’s niece) that received big payouts from the account linked to Geri’s bar, the Side Step.
They aren’t the most convincing undercover operatives, and the niece recognizes James as a Ranger.
Liam and James agree that they think there is more to the story of Emily’s death that they haven’t uncovered, including the nature of Geri’s connection and Mendoza’s questionable confession. They also agree that Cordell will be pissed after how hard they both pushed him to drop it and move on, but that they need to tell him their new suspicions face-to-face.
James uses the remote to unlock his car, which explodes into a fireball. Now they are in Mexico without a car, not acting in an official capacity, and in arguably unfriendly territory.
Auggie’s crush on Ruby goes awry when she shows up with a new boyfriend. He asks Trevor for tips on attracting women. The obnoxious new crush overhears and tells him to get pricy sunglasses and wear them all the time, posing to catch the light right. Auggie is more into being himself. Supernatural fans no doubt chuckled at Auggie’s comment that ‘the only people who wear sunglasses inside are idiots,’ hearing echoes of Dean’s comment about those types being douchebags.
Micki admits that she doesn’t know her mom well anymore since they’ve been estranged. But she is afraid her mom was profiled and that her arrest was out of revenge because she has made a career out of taking down corrupt law enforcement officers. If Adriana is convicted, she could lose her ability to be an expert witness, and it would impact her career.
Stella’s soccer team, coached by Trey, goes on an overnight away game. Auggie goes along as a photographer. Trevor somehow gets permission to go along as well. He is very conflicted about his father.
We see a flashback telling him that Walker killed Trevor’s mother and destroyed their family and sent him to jail, demanding vengeance.
Stella’s friend Isabel’s parents have gone back to Mexico rather than be arrested/deported, leaving her in the US (with whom?).
When Trevor confides to Stella that he is struggling with his feelings about his father, she tells him ‘it’s not our job to inherit our dads’ baggage’. Wow—was that a loaded comment for Supernatural fans! Shades of ‘John Winchester’s A+ Parenting’! Does that make Cordell the yellow-eyed-demon in Trevor’s family’s internal mythology? The Winchesters’ saga began with vengeance to stop the demon who killed their mother and father (and as we discover, also their grandparents). Is Trevor going to be the anti-Winchester and walk away from the path of revenge?
Here’s where I throw my first flag on the field. In what universe do high school kids need to go on an overnight away game in a large city like Austin where there are plenty of other schools to play close to home? Why are there no chaperones? I can’t think of any high school field trip—let alone an overnight trip—that wouldn’t require adult chaperones. Why is Stella’s boyfriend allowed to go when he isn’t on the team and isn’t a student at the school? This isn’t even a pricy prep school—it’s a Catholic school, so why are there co-ed, overnight, unchaperoned trips?
Has anyone noticed that these high schoolers act more like college kids? How did they all sneak out of the hotel, acquire alcohol, and have their big soccer drinking party? How did kids who all came in on the same bus get transportation to 1) buy beer at a grocery store (underage) in sufficient quantity for them all to get buzzed, and 2) go off somewhere fairly remote to play drunk soccer, taking the team’s equipment with them? Did they hijack the bus? And where in the name of all that’s holy was Trey when his charges snuck out?
Micki and Cordell follow Adriana and see her meet with a patient. They then discover that she is now in a relationship with a former cop named Mike. Mike says that Adriana doesn’t drink—except for her recent ‘mistake’ but that she wouldn’t let him get rid of alcohol in the house (as he reaches for a beer).
Trey has finally gone looking for his errant charges just in time to confront a bunch of tough guys in trucks who break up the drunk soccer party (were they just randomly driving around looking for trouble?).
Trevor decides to stand up for the others and gets in a knock-down/drag-out fight with one of the gang members. Trey has called Micki for help, and she and Walker come charging in, with Walker shooting at the bad guys hanging out of the truck’s cab on the running board like an old-time moonshiner.
Trey gets the kids and Trevor behind some convenient dirt mounds while Walker, Micki and the gang members shoot it out.
Walker and the gang leader have a big fight scene (Cordell Effing Walker), and Trevor picks up the dropped gun and aims it as Walker subdues the gang member.
Trevor hesitates and doesn’t shoot. But was he originally aiming at the gang member—or at Walker, to fulfill his father’s vengeance? Especially since he slips and calls Walker ‘Duke’, his undercover name. How did Walker not at least notice that and mention it to Micki? That should be a huge warning sign and it seemed to blow right past Walker.
When the head gang member later threatens Stella, Walker shows growth by not beating him up but instead informing him that he’s now gotten himself a harsher sentence because of the threat (even though Micki tells him later that he quoted the wrong statute).
Since no one called the local cops, and all of the gang members disappeared except for the one Walker cuffed, how do they explain the situation when they take the guy to the police station? Aren’t the local cops still going to need to take statements from the witnesses, aka the underage drunk teenagers?
These kids were shot at, threatened with violence and sexual assault, and witnessed the apprehension of the criminals. They need counseling, and they’re going to need to talk to the police. And what about their parents? But in one of the final scenes, no one seems to care because Trey gets a promotion (noting that the coach got fired)!
Walker takes Auggie, Stella, Isabel and Trevor with him (in violation of every school field trip agreement ever written). ‘On their way home’ Cordell and the kids—along with Micki—drive to the Mexican border (which is 200 miles one-way from Austin, give or take, as a friend of mine pointed out). Someone has already set up communication-by-fireworks so Isabel’s parents set them off on their side, and Isabel and her friends set them off on the US side. (Where did their fireworks come from? Did they pick them up on their way?)
My second flag on the field—fireworks are only sold in Texas during a few weeks of the year, and the closest time to now would have been March 2 (Texas Independence Day). So this couldn’t have been a spur-of-the-moment stop at Walmart. Also, to put up fireworks of the height and size we saw, they needed bottle rockets (which it looked like they were holding). However, bottle rockets are illegal in Texas. So WTH, Walker!
Watching the fireworks brings up a memory for Micki of a bracelet that was found at the scene of the DUI—one which she said Adriana wouldn’t have worn. In her memory, she recalls seeing a similar bracelet on the wrist of a another woman who was on a car ride with her and Adriana when Micki was very young.
She goes back to confront Adriana (how far are they from Austin?) and Adriana confesses that she isn’t Micki’s real mother.
Micki’s mother is Adriana’s sister who had substance abuse problems and allowed Adriana to have custody of Micki (whose real name is Nina Ruiz) in exchange for a payoff. It was Adriana’s sister—Mercedes—who got into the DUI. Why is Adriana risking her career to cover for her? Interestingly, Micki tells Walker, but isn’t ready to confide yet in Trey and swears Cordell to secrecy.
Walker later attends soccer practice and talks to Trevor, thanking him for putting himself at risk to protect the others. Trevor is upset that he froze with the gun (but who did he intend to shoot?) and Walker tells him that it was good he hesitated, because otherwise taking the shot would have changed Trevor’s whole life.(How is it that Walker hasn’t figured out who Trevor’s dad is yet, especially when Trevor called him ‘Duke’?)
So…lots of actions, twists and turns for an interesting episode. Personally, I’d like to see a lot less emphasis on the teen drama and more focus on the grownups. I do take the writers to task for the WTH moments in the teen segments, which go beyond ‘creative license’ to ‘just plain sloppy’ in my mind.
What did you think? Please share your thoughts on the episode below!
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Screencaps by Raloria on LJ
Bestselling author Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy, and near-future post-apocalyptic adventure for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Press and SOL Publishing, with more than 40 books published. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance for Darkwind Press, with five current series in print. All of her modern-day series as Gail and Morgan are full of ghosts, monsters and things that go bump in the night – settings where Sam and Dean could show up and feel right at home!
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