“Walker: Independence” Trailer – Introducing a Legacy

The trailer for Walker: Independence dropped at the CW Upfronts and it definitely did not disappoint! See it again and read through the extended series plot description, then chime in with your thoughts!

Recap

The trailer begins with Abby and Liam Walker as they travel to Independence, Texas, where Liam will be taking the sheriff’s position. Abby seems apprehensive about the move, so very far away from their home in Boston, but Liam remains optimistic and tries to pass some of it on to her.

They hear a noise outside their covered wagon. Liam assures Abby that it’s probably just a wild animal but he grabs his shotgun just in case. He checks the surrounding area, gun raised, and Abby watches him from the wagon. Then, a figure steps out of the darkness and guns Liam down. The shooter appears to hit Abby too, and she falls off the wagon. She plays dead while the mystery killer comes to check on her but the fire that was set off by shooting the lantern in the wagon flares and scares off the assailant.

The next day, she is found by some local Native Americans who take her back to their camp. She wakes up to find herself naked and surrounded by friendly strangers. She tells them that she was trying to get to Independence. Calian, one of the people who picked her up, tells her that he can take her the rest of the way.

Upon arriving in town, she (literally) runs into Hoyt Rawlins and it’s dislike at first sight. She insults him for day drinking and he claims he doesn’t care. She insinuates he’s not being honest with her, setting the tone of distrust and mystery in the show.

Shortly after, we’re introduced to the deputy and the new sheriff of Independence, Tom Davidson. Abby recognizes the sheriff’s clothes as what the killer was wearing. From that moment forward, she is convinced that Tom Davidson killed her husband.

We see her interact with some more people in town but she’s on edge around all of them. She doesn’t trust anyone and she knows that nothing and no one in this town is exactly what they seem to be. Oddly enough, it’s the criminal Hoyt Rawlins who she turns to for help, likely assuming that their shared dislike of the sheriff will make him sympathetic to her case. Initially, he turns her town, not willing to stick his neck out for her. However, when he sees her prepare to kill Davidson at a party, he steps in and leads her away. They don’t leave yet, watching Davidson work the party. Tom claims he has big plans for independence and we see some suspicious money changing hands.

Over a lot of quick flashes of action, we hear Abby deliver a parting line. “You asked me if I was staying her for revenge, or something else. Maybe it’s justice; one way or another.”

What an introduction!

Reactions/Thoughts

When Walker: Independence was first announced, it was pitched to us as exploring the history of the Walker family and giving background to the family feud with the Davidsons. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it looks like they’re diving into that side of things headfirst, making the original Davidson a murder and the original Walker the sole witness to his crime. It looks like not much has changed in the last 150 years, with the Davidsons both then and now acting as aggressors against the Walker family. The Abby Walker we see here has a lot more in common with Bonham than the Abby of our time, as she’s not afraid to publicly attack the man who wronged her.

Along with the new story, we’ll be seeing a familiar face as Matt Barr returns to the Walker universe as a new Hoyt Rawlins. Once again, it doesn’t appear that much has changed as this new Hoyt is still a charming con man, though he appears to be more jaded and cynical than the one we met in the modern day. It looks like he’ll also be an ally to the Walker family, though we can only hope it will turn out better for him in the late 1800s than it did in 2021.

We also have a cast of new faces. Calian, the tracker from a nearby Native American tribe, is featured both in the trailer and on the promotional poster for the show, indicating he’ll be playing a large role in the story. Will he also join Abby in the fight to take out Tom Davidson? And why? Is Davidson also threatening him and his people or has he just taken a shine to Abby?

We also see Augustus, the deputy, and Kate, an undercover FBI agent posing as a burlesque dancer. Both are members of law enforcement but their motivations are unclear. Augustus is shown very little in the trailer but he appears to be just fine standing by Davidsons’ side. Kate does share a conversation with Abby but it’s unclear if she’ll be an ally or an enemy. What is she investigating in Independence? Is she someone Abby can bring into her plot for justice or will she hinder their plans?

Lastly, we get flashes of Kai and Lucia Montero. Both are regular people in Independence with Kai running a laundry and Lucia being the daughter of local ranchers. If their character descriptions are to be believed, Kai will be a true friend to Abby and Lucia will be quite smitten with Hoyt. How these roles will play out in the overall plot remains to be seen.

While the trailer gave us a lot of answers, there are still many questions to be answered. And I, for one, will be (im)patiently waiting for the fall to get them.

What did you think of the trailer? Are you as excited for this series as I am? Please comment your thoughts! I’d love to hear them.