Walker: Independence Cast Bids Farewell to Show
The WalkerFamily held out hope for Walker: Independence until the last minute. We campaigned to #SaveWalkerIndependence on social media. We clung to the optimistic words of its showrunner, Seamus Kevin Fahey, and Executive Producer Jared Padalecki that their show might find a new home for season 2. For exactly one month, since May 9 when the show’s cancellation was announced by The CW network after only 1 season, the #WalkerFamily waited for good news. But on Friday, June 9, TV Line reported that a new network had not been found for the show and it was truly riding off into the sunset.
Walker: Independence‘s lead, Katherine McNamara, confirmed the news with her heartfelt goodbye on Twitter:
Well folks, #WalkerIndependence may have bit the dust but the #WalkerLegacy lives on in the story we told, the memories we created, and the town we built. Thank you Abby Walker for walking in the tall grass so future Walkers can run. Your strength, tenacity, and refusal to fit the mold serve as an inspiration moving forward. Above all, thank you for reminding me that no matter how many times you get shot off the wagon and it goes up in flames, you can always rise from the ashes and begin again. Thank you for joining us on the trail out west and making a home as we did in our little town of Independence. Most of all, thank you to the #WIndyfam – our fearless cast and crew who braved wind, hail, mosquitoes, heat, lighting, and so much dust to tell this story with heart, passion, and unparalleled artistry. We made a western – but above all, we made a family. I left my heart in Independence- and with every one of you beautiful people. All my love always – Mary Abigail “Djon-deh-zee” Mackenzie Collins Walker.
Well folks, #WalkerIndependence may have bit the dust but the #WalkerLegacy lives on in the story we told, the memories we created, and the town we built. Thank you Abby Walker for walking in the tall grass so future Walkers can run. Your strength, tenacity, and refusal to fit… pic.twitter.com/eTP6fWkRPv
— Katherine McNamara (@Kat_McNamara) June 9, 2023
Co-star Philemon Chambers, who play Deputy, and <Spoiler Alert> eventually Sheriff Augustus, also publicly said his goodbye to the show:
The sun has finally set on Independence but with endings come new beginnings and I hope our story fuels the fire for more just like it. Thank you to our #WalkerFamily for giving us the greatest gift and showing up every time. I am forever thankful for y’all.
Love Augustus ?? pic.twitter.com/K25JySC19Z— Philemon Chambers (@TheRealPhilemon) June 9, 2023
Katie Findlay, who played the effervescent Kate, reflected on how special Walker: Independence was to her:
Legitimately gutted about losing the show (this was a hard one), but how kind and outspoken you’re being makes me feel grateful and seen. Thank you for being here with us, tv is weird and loving other people is the point of everything. #WalkerIndependence
— Katie Findlay (@katedangerfield) June 10, 2023
WIndy, as affectionately referred to in the fandom, was a very special show. It portrayed the immense social diversity and complexity of post Civil War Texas as experienced through the lives of the townspeople of Independence. The show could be categorized as historical fiction, as the specific events that were dramatized were fictional, but the backdrop of the railroad being built, post Civil War resettlements, indigenous people relocations, social classes battling for power and so many other 1870’s dynamics that were portrayed were all based in fact. Esther researched the historical context of the era depicted in the show, including The Buffalo Soldiers, Pinkertons National Detective Agency, the geographical development of the real towns of Austin and Independence, Texas, and the controversial political climate of post Civil War and Reconstruction Eras. A WFB guest writer provided additional historical context into Diversity in the Reconstruction Era and Dating Etiquette during this time. Walker: Independence deftly brought this period to life in a way that both taught and broadened historical knowledge. It’s cinematography, costuming, writing and acting were extraordinary.
Jared hasn’t yet commented on social media about the disappointing outcome of his efforts to find Walker: Independence a new home, but when the show’s cancellation was initially confirmed, he reflected on the show’s groundbreaking content:
“I’m so proud of Walker Independence. It’s such a great show. I think it’s a show that’s needed,” Padalecki adds. “We absolutely are thrilled about the show, proud of the show, and we all feel like it belongs somewhere people can see it. We love the cast. We love the writing. We love the setting. We love the storylines that it’s telling. It’s storylines unlike any other ‘Western’ show on TV or streaming right now.”
Besides Katherine, Philemon and Katie, other lead stars included Greg Hovanessian as Tom Davidson, Justin Johnson Cortez as Calian, Matt Barr as Hoyt Rawlins, Lawrence Kao as Kai, Mark Sheppard as Hagan, and Gabriela Quezada as Lucia Reyes.
Happy trails, Walker: Independence, until we meet again.
Catch up on Walker: Independence Recaps, Episode Reviews, Character Profiles and Historical Context insights, plus find news on the cast and show on The WFB‘s Walker and Walker: Independence Pages!
- I’m the Co-Editor-in-Chief, Social Media Manager (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), Live Tweet Moderator, reviewer and feature writer for The Winchester Family Business. Before joining the Supernatural Family, I worked for 22 years at a global consulting firm, but after years of long hours, high pressure and rigorous demands, I quit corporate life to raise my children. After my first Supernatural convention, I was driven to share my shock and awe in a two-part essay that The WFB was brave enough to post, and my second life calling, that of being a writer, began. My first published book, Fan Phenomena: The Twilight Saga was released in late 2016. Please share in my cross-fandom excitement by following its Facebook page @FanPhenomenaTwilight and my personal Twitter account @LSAngel2. You can read about this whole miraculous transition in my chapter in Family Don’t End With Blood, published in May 2017.
Leave a Reply