Why August Walker is the True Successor to the Ranch
Walker is a show about family and family legacy. From the origins of the family in Walker: Independence to the firmly established legends in the modern family on Walker, there’s something to be said about past generations leaving a legacy for their descendants to uphold. The most obvious example of this is the Walker ranch, which has been in the family for nearly 150 years and is still going strong. Like the Walker family, the ranch has had its ups and downs, but the legacy prevails regardless of the stormy weather and various antagonists’ schemes.
Even with all we know about the past, there is still a very big question about the future: Who will take on the legacy of the Walker ranch and uphold it for the next generation?
Bonham may still be up and kicking (and will be for many years if he has anything to say about it), but he won’t be able to manage everything forever. Cordell has yet to show any interest in handling the property and while Liam did come back to ranching for a bit, he has a horse rescue to manage now. Even with Stella as a business partner, he’ll have his hands full with that. So where does that leave the ranch?
I’m going to posit my own suggestion for the true successor to the Walker family ranch and the legacy it represents: August Walker.
One of the main reasons I believe August should be the one to inherit the ranch is that, out of the whole family, he’s one of the few to actually show interest in the ranch.
In early season 1, he was the first one to ask Cordell if they could stay at the ranch instead of going back to their home in the suburbs. We also see in his “What Texas Means To Me” project that he included videos and images of himself on the ranch as a child. In 1.02 (“Back In the Saddle”), we get a short scene of Bonham teaching him how to work with leather to make saddles. There is also a deleted scene from 1.12 (“A Tale of Two Families”) that ends with Bonham offering to show his grandson how to brand a calf and August following him off-screen (albeit a bit nervously). In season 3, we also see him picking up work around the ranch to help make up for the Thanksgiving Incident.
All these little details add up to the fact that he cares about the ranch and it’s more than just a place to live for him. I think that alone puts him in the running for successor.
Another reason I believe he should be named as the successor is his bond with Bonham. While it’s one of the more underutilized and overlooked dynamics in the show, it’s clear that he has a strong bond with his grandfather. I would equate it to the relationship between Stella and Liam in that Bonham seems to fill the same father-figure type role for Bonham whenever Cordell isn’t around to pick up the slack. This is demonstrated well in the examples mentioned above, but it’s also been shown more clearly in recent episodes.
In the back half of season 3, we see that August holds Bonham’s opinions in very high regard. The fact that he looks to Bonham rather than Cordell for approval and forgiveness following The Thanksgiving Incident coupled with him telling his grandfather first about his opportunities in the military show that most clearly.
His bond with Bonham not only demonstrates that he would be more than willing to take his grandfather’s place as caretaker for the ranch, but that Bonham would be willing to consider him for it. Bonham may have accepted that his sons aren’t interested in carrying on the family legacy that way, but I don’t think he’s ready to let go of his dream of passing it on, especially not after they almost lost everything to the Davidsons in season 2. He’s bound to be checking his grandchildren for interest and I’d be surprised if he didn’t pick up on any from August.
Perhaps the most obvious reason why Bonham would name August as his successor is that he’s the only one left, but I think there are plenty more reasons why. Or perhaps I just spend too much time thinking about these things because August is one of my favorites in the family. Either way, I hope the show addresses this subject at some point; I can’t think of a better way for the show to demonstrate this theme of legacy.
But those are just my thoughts. What do y’all think? Is August a good candidate for the next owner and operator of the family ranch? Would you pick someone else? How would you like to see the show address this subject? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to see what y’all think.
Catch up on Esther’s detailed Walker Recaps and insightful Character Profiles, all found on Esther’s Writer’s Page!
Read more Walker reviews, plus find news on the cast and show on The WFB‘s Walker Page!
Leave a Reply