Walker Season 3 “Fill in the Blank” Bonus Episode Recap/Review!
Walker Bonus Episode Recap/Review
Welcome back to another week of Walker fun. I sure didn’t expect this episode to come out right in the middle of the hiatus but I guess the Walker crew knew they couldn’t leave us without content forever. And, boy oh boy, was this one a doozy.
I want to start our recap off with the most lighthearted plotline before we get into the angsty meat of the episode: Ben and Liam’s 6-month anniversary date.
Liam and Ben have been together for about 6 months at this point and their relationships have been through a lot of ups and downs during that time. Liam knows most of those downs are a result of the drama his family has been through recently and he wants to make all that up to Ben with a special 6-month anniversary date. And he’s pulling out all the stops. He’s got a reservation at Ben’s favorite restaurant and he’s arranged for a few surprises even before then, including the bouquet of flowers that shows up at Ben’s fine liquor store in the next scene.
Side note: I was absolutely cheesed to see the family dogs from the pilot again (although now I’m wondering what they’ve been up to all this time) but what was even better was Abby’s “stern talking to” when they stole the leftover breakfast bacon. We need more of that.
Cassie happened to be there for the flower delivery and after Ben weathers her sisterly teasing, we get a serious moment between them as Ben evaluates his relationship with Liam. He likes Liam and the rest of the Walker family and when things are good between them they’re really good. But being with Liam has also brought Ben pain. He admits to her that this special six month anniversary date feels more like Liam fumbling to compensate for neglecting their relationship these past few months rather than a genuine desire to celebrate a relationship milestone. He also admits that he’s been having second thoughts about their relationship. He wonders if he just latched onto Liam because of how much Liam was like Lucas and if he was really ready for something new.
Cassie can relate at least somewhat to his confusion since she’s had to quickly move from one relationship to another twice in the last year (from Miles to Cordell, then from Kevin to Trey). She may not know what Ben needs in this situation but she does know that Liam loves Ben. Even if Liam is just fumbling to make up for the last few months, that’s a sign that he knows he’s been dropping the ball and he wants to do better. She understands Ben’s worries but doesn’t think giving up on Liam is the right course of action right now. She tells him to just enjoy tonight for what it is and talk to Liam about his concerns in the morning.
Ben is still apprehensive but agrees to Cassie’s advice. It has been a while since he’s had a nice date, after all.
Flash forward to the date and things seem to be going well. Liam is happily listening to Ben’s stories about some of the crazy customers he has to deal with and occasionally offering legal advice. Both of them are enjoying themselves and it’s absolutely adorable.
Side note: I am such a sucker for couples feeding each other food. More of this please.
But it can’t all be happy times. In typical Walker luck, their date is cut short by Cordell being stabbed no more than 10 feet away from them. Liam immediately goes over to help his brother while Ben calls 911. When the ambulance arrives, Liam is conflicted on where to go. He wants to know that Cordell is okay but he made a promise to Ben that tonight would be just about them. Ben, however, encourages him to go and even offers to come with and help keep the family updated. Relieved to have the decision made, Liam takes Ben up on his offer and they leave the restaurant hand in hand.
The next day, Ben invites Liam out for a picnic lunch, a callback to their first attempt at a date. Liam starts off their date by apologizing for what happened the night before, but Ben stops him. He has something he needs to say.
He starts off by bringing up some of the concerns he’s had about their relationship. But, as much as being with Liam is scary, he’s starting to understand how much it’s worth it because Liam does care, even if he’s bad at showing it. And Ben started falling for him long ago. Liam seems to be at a loss for words so he just kisses Ben instead.
Alright now that the fluff is out of the way, I want to talk about the next plotline: August speaking up again about how neglected he feels in the family dynamic.
From the earliest scenes of the episode, it’s clear that August is less than happy with how things are going between him and Cordell, especially in comparison to Stella. Despite Cordell’s previous attempts to make August feel acknowledged and appreciated, he still feels the rift between him and his father that doesn’t seem to be there for Stella. And August is making that everyone else’s problem, with sarcastic and passive aggressive remarks left and right. Everyone seems to notice that something’s wrong…except for Cordell.
Side note: August’s short “oh me?” reaction when Cordell asks him his plans for the day is both funny and a little heartbreaking. Good job Kale.
Things come to a head when Stella decides to confront him on his attitude. When she asks him what the hell his problem is, he tells her that he’s annoyed yet again at their father’s blatant favoritism and specifically cites his differing reactions to their chosen life paths. To August, it’s extremely clear that Cordell cares more about Stella than him and he’s tired of letting himself be overlooked just to keep the peace.
Stella tries to defend Cordell, pointing out that he’s been trying very hard and making an effort to be more present in their lives. “He’s come a long way since he abandoned us after Mom died.”
While her words may ring true for the viewers, they only incite further anger in August, who snaps back with a “And who’s fault is that?” He reminds Stella that it was her idea to set up the car accident where Cordell allegedly fell asleep at the wheel. This is what led to the family intervention and, ultimately, their father choosing to go off on that undercover mission in the first place.
Stella tries to defend her actions, pointing out that the reason everyone believed that whole lie (which August supported, in case he forgot that detail) was because Cordell was already pretty far off the rails and he probably would’ve fallen asleep at the wheel without their help. But, in the midst of their arguing, we see Cordell has been eavesdropping from the hallway and he is not happy about what he’s hearing.
He storms into the room and demands to know what, exactly, they’re talking about. Both kids are stunned into silence so Cordell asks directly if it’s true that that car accident where he fell asleep at the wheel was a set up. Stella confirms it and tries again to defend herself but Cordell cuts her off. There are no excuses that can make up for that.
We can tell that Cordell has a very long lecture and tirade to go on about how badly they screwed up here, but, right then, he gets a call from James. They’ve honed in on a targeted suspect and he needs to go into work now. Cordell tells them that he’ll be back later to talk about this and neither of them are allowed to go anywhere until then. As he leaves, Stella seems confused and scared while August seems even more pissed off than before.
Now, let’s dive into the big meat of the episode: the case of the serial scammer.
The episode starts off with a morning routine montage from Cordell. As we watch him shower and get ready for his day, we get the sense that he’s happy. He’s started dating Geri (for real. again), his kids seem to be figuring out their lives
Side note: That shower scene was very indulgent and is just more proof that the writers know what the audience wants 😉
But his good mood can’t last forever as he gets a call from James to come into the office immediately before he’s even had breakfast James won’t tell him what’s going on but it sounds urgent so off he goes.
When he gets to HQ, we finally learn what the big fuss is and James’ attitude starts to make more sense.
The FBI is crawling all over the place and our dear friend special agent Graves has returned for a special case: A serial killer scammer (separate and apart from the Jackal case). It’s one of the first ranger cases Walker and James worked on together but the trail went cold nearly 15 years ago. Or, more accurately, the case left Texas. Graves informs us that this scammer/killer (or at least someone following their MO) has been bouncing around the mainland states. Only recently did the activity return to Austin and, since James and Walker are the only ones with experience on the case, Graves has no choice but to work with them.
Side note: Don’t worry, Graves. They probably weren’t happy to see you either. (I know they all parted on good terms with Graves after the Grey Flag incident but it seemed that way after the Rodeo Kings case too, yet Graves still came after Walker guns blazing in season 3.)
Cassie and Trey are brought onto the case despite Graves’ objections and we’re filled in on the killer’s methodology.
Essentially, this person would weasel their way into the confidence of a wealthy spinster or widow. At first, things seem fine. But then, the victim starts spending money at an alarming rate, leaving very little in her account. After a month of this activity, the victim will pass away peacefully but unexpectedly and their life insurance money will be sent to an account held under a name that no one in their circle recognizes. It’s a different name every time so it’s hard to track until a victim has been spotted. And even then, the money disappears before the FBI or even the bank notice suspicious activity.
As grim as the situation looks, Graves informs them that they already have a lead: Ms. Chastity De la Rouxe. Not only is she the first victim in Austin but she’s the first one to live through the attempted murder. She’s being looked after in a hospital for the time being but they will be allowed to speak with her soon. Cordell and Cassie are tasked with interviewing the victim while James and Trey stay behind to look over Ms. De la Rouxe’s contacts and correspondence over the last month to see if they can narrow in on a suspect.
When Cassie and Cordell arrive at Ms. De la Rouxe’s room, they find she’s not alone. Her good friend James Bancroft is right by her bedside to check up on her and keep her company.
Side note: MARK SHEPPARD!!!! That’s all.
Our rangers want to talk to the victim alone but Bancroft isn’t leaving and Chastity doesn’t mind his presence so they do their best with what they have. Unfortunately, the interview doesn’t yield much. Chastity can’t recall any strange figures coming into her life recently, she doesn’t want to discuss finances with them, and she doesn’t know what happened to her either. Despite being stuck in the hospital, she doesn’t suspect foul play. “I’m an old woman; I probably just ate or drank something that disagreed with me more than usual.” Cassie tries to press for more information but Bancroft stops her. He says it’s clear they’re just distressing his good friend and they should leave before he starts lodging complaints. Not wanting to give Graves anymore fuel against them, they leave.
As they walk out of the hospital, Cassie comments on Bancroft’s overprotectiveness. A bit odd, since he wasn’t listed on any of De la Rouxe’s known contacts. Cordell agrees that it’s suspicious but not enough to go off of just yet. They head back to HQ to see what James and Trey have come up with.
At HQ, the boys are also feeling a little frustrated since there’s so much information to weed through and almost none of it seems useful. But they did have a breakthrough as Trey found a trail of regular contact (over phone, chat, email, and more) with someone who’s not from her regular social circle. Unfortunately, the owner of the number and other accounts is using different names for each one. When Cordell and Cassie fill them in on what happened at the hospital, they figure Bancroft must be this new friend.
It’s still not a lot to go on but it’s enough for them to make him a suspect. The next step is to bring him in for questioning. Fortunately for them, one of Bancroft’s many credit cards was pinged at a restaurant in town. Looks like he’s entertaining a new victim. Going after him like this is a risky move but Graves wants to get things moving so off they go.
Cassie and Cordell go into the restaurant while other rangers and FBI agents stand guard. They try to approach it casually but, unfortunately, there’s no way to casually arrest someone or even bring them in for questioning.
Bancroft tries to stall with polite conversation, then notices the backup outside. He reacts quickly, grabbing the steak knife from the table and stabbing Cordell in the side before running off. Cassie is frozen for a moment over her partner, watching him bleed. James’ voice in the comms gets her moving again to go after their suspect. Liam rushes to his side and tries to stem the bleeding. As Cordell starts to fall unconscious, we get flashes of Liam’s face covered in blood and bruises, just like when they were held captive by Grey Flag.
We cut to the hospital. Cassie and Trey arrive to check on Cordell, all the while griping about how the slippery snake Bancroft got away from all the guards they had posted. Trey wonders if some of them mistook him for a waiter and Cassie smacks him on the arm for his poor joke.
Cordell is still under medical sedation when they arrive but the doctors assure them and the family that he’ll be just fine. They just have him under to help him heal. He’ll be awake in a few hours and they just want him to take it easy for the next couple of weeks to keep the stitches intact.
While he’s sedated, we get a look into Cordell’s mind and it’s not pretty. We see flashes of clips of his time in captivity, most of which we’ve seen before, but much of the torture seems to be focused on the place he was stabbed this time around. After a bit, we hear Emily’s voice telling him to wake up and, after a few tries, it works.
Cordell wakes up with a start. We see Liam asleep in the chair next to his bed while Emily stands in the corner.
She reprimands him for getting hurt so easily and reminds him he needs to be more careful in the field, especially since she’s not there for their family anymore. He jokes about not planning to get stabbed but understands her meaning. She kisses his forehead and he closes his eyes, leaning into the comfort. Then a nurse enters while on her rounds and he opens his eyes to find Emily gone.
The doctor is called in and tells him that he’s on the mend but he’ll need to take it easy for the next few days. He gets a mandatory morning off the next day and a warning not to rip his stitches before being checked out and driven home by Liam.
The morning off does wonders for his injury but not for his mental health as all hell breaks loose with August (again). Fortunately for him, the FBI managed to get drone footage of Bancroft’s escape and followed him to a hideaway. It’s a great excuse for Cordell to leave the house and get some work done at the same time.
Despite orders from the doctor to take it easy, Cordell is more than happy to dive back into casework to get away from the family problems for a bit. He’s reminded by both Cassie and James repeatedly that he’s supposed to be acting as backup only as they get closer to Bancroft’s hiding place.
Side note: With as many times as they brought it up, we should’ve expected Cordell to break the rules
The SWAT team sent to pick up Bancroft reaches a point where their vehicles can no longer keep up with the terrain. They will have to continue on foot from this point forward, something Graves gripes about since it would give Bancroft an opportunity to run away again.
While they’re making a game plan to canvas the area, Cordell notices they’re close to some stables. We see a lightbulb go off in his head. So does James. And he does not like where this is going.
Side note: The dialog here was so well written but it may as well have been “Walker, no!” “Walker, yes!”
Next thing we know, Walker’s on a horse, carefully trotting through the rough and rocky terrain. Following instructions from Graves, he carefully and stealthily moves toward the hideout, hoping to catch Bancroft by surprise.
Unfortunately, he’s seen and Bancroft makes a run for it. Fortunately, Bancroft only has his own two legs to move on. Cordell kicks up the pace and a true chase begins…
…ending with him lassoing the culprit and declaring him under arrest.
Now that the bad guy has been caught, cuffed, and taken away, it’s time for Graves to leave again. She thanks our ranger crew for their hard work and stops by the ambulance where Cordell is getting his bandage reapplied to give him a special thanks before leaving. He seems just as surprised as we are to be receiving any decency from her but handles it well. He’s just ready to go home and have some dinner with his family.
And just like that, the moment that everything seems okay, we hear a gunshot from somewhere offscreen, then we cut to black. And thus ends another classic episode of Walker.
I have to say, this one was a wild one. From the charming serial killer to the big reveal in the family drama, this episode really kept me guessing. Mark Sheppard did an excellent job in his guest star role and I’m curious to see if his character will pop up again in the future. I’m happy that Ben and Liam were able to work through some of their issues. It makes me happy that the Walker writers seem committed to keeping their relationship strong and relevant. I’m also happy that the show hasn’t dropped the plotline of August feeling insignificant in his family. I know there aren’t a lot of places to work it in given the time constraints but it’s nice to see it acknowledged. I really wasn’t expecting the car crash secret to ever come up but I kind of like the way they did it.
All in all this was a solid episode. 9/10.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and what you might want to see in future “Bonus” episodes. Please share in the comments below!
Catch up on Esther’s detailed Walker Recaps and insightful Character Profiles, all found on Esther’s Writer’s Page!
Read more Walker and Walker:Independence reviews, plus find news on the cast and show on The WFB‘s Walker and Walker: Independence Pages!
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