Walker delivered a riveting part one of its season 3 finale, setting the scene for a showdown between Cordell and Kevin.

If you remember, Kevin Golden was revealed to be the leader of Grey Flag. And no matter how many times the Rangers, the FBI, and Cordell think that they are one step ahead of the terrorist organization, they end up learning that they’ve been wrong this whole time the hard way. 

They were confident that they would be able to thwart the attack at the medal ceremony while ambushing the Grey Flag compound in the process, but things took a bit of a nasty turn. 

One thing led to another and a shootout ensued in the ground floor parking lot, forcing Barnett to give up the act and own up to being a ranger to protect Captain James. He tried to play it as best as he could, but there was no stopping these guys once they went rogue. They come from the belief that some must die for the greater good, so there’s no reasoning with them. 

Turns out, the medal ceremony was the distraction this whole time as Kevin was aware that Trey was undercover. It was a good attempt, but there’s no way in hell someone as slick as Kevin would believe that Trey would turn his back on the Rangers and his friends. 

The nexus of everything seems to be Cordell Walker. Grey Flag has made it very clear that he’s their target, as was evident when the C-4 actually exploded at the FBI safe house where Cordell met Julia. Kevin used Julia as a Trojan Horse, and while she was completely unaware of his nefarious intentions, she led Grey Flag right to it. And the C-4 was presumably planted in her vehicle, exploding just as Cordell got the call that the target was not the medal ceremony as previously intended. 

The attack took Cordell and Julia by surprise, and at this point, it’s unclear if she survived though things did not look too promising for her. Why is Cordell constantly losing love interests? It’s a huge shame because Julia was Cordell’s most trusted confidante—one who escaped this Grey Flag hell once before. 

Kevin planted some doubts in Julia’s mind about Cordell, which is essentially his goal. He’s been playing a game this whole time, schmoozing up to Cordell’s family by securing the new horse rescue donations and funding, which Julia revealed are coming from a shady government agency that makes it seem as though Cordell is working for them. Kevin framed Cordell in one fell swoop, and no one even saw it coming cause they were so focused on simply figuring out Grey Flag’s game. 

A lot is still unclear about Kevin’s motivations, however. He wants to create change by dismantling a system that he believes doesn’t work, but why is Cordell at the center of it all? Why did he go after his whole unit? 

And how is Coop involved? They are missing a key piece of information to see the full picture and make the connection. 

I’m guessing that Coop is Kevin’s father, though that still doesn’t explain his obsession with Walker. 

Hopefully, the second half of the season final will clue us in and it will all start to make sense. The weirdest thing is that if Kevin wanted Cordell dead, he had ample opportunities to make it happen. And yet, he never did, instead getting closer to Cordell’s family than ever, which is just terrifying. 

The Walker family somehow always ends up as the victim of Cordell’s job. At some point, he’s going to have to make a choice because this is no way to live. They thought they were being hospitable and making a good friend who was simply using them this whole time. 

Barnett did his best to help out the Rangers, but sometimes, even your best isn’t good enough. There was just too much working against him. 

Cassie was definitely caught off guard by the revelation that Kevin was behind Grey Flag, but she also had a gut instinct about him and knew she couldn’t trust him. Women just know when something is off. I can’t imagine the trust issues she’s going to have coming off of this. 

The good news is that she’s finally proving that she needs to follow those vibes and see them through because she’s not been wrong once… and unfortunately, that’s not something to be proud of when you always expect the worst. 

What did you think of the episode? Will Julia survive? Is Kevin in the wind? How will Cordell find his way out of this one? Will it result in a team-up with Coop for old-time’s sake? And how will Cordell move forward ensuring his family’s protected once and for all? Is Lana safe?

Walker Season 3 Episode 10 lasered in on Grey Flag–a storyline that’s been brewing for quite some time. 

The installment picked up the day after Cordell Walker received the package of energy drinks with a cryptic note addressed to the “war hero.” He immediately looped in Julia to help him solve the case, and I did not except for their team-up to become so Scooby-Doo. 

It didn’t take much for Julia to persuade Walker not to turn in the crate with the drinks over to the Rangers, suggesting that it’s entirely possible that there’s still a mole on the inside like Fenton. 

Walker has Ranger in his blood, so I didn’t expect him to take the bait. It felt wildly out of character. However, when Captain James brought him, Cassie, and Trey in on a Saturday and proceeded to chew them out about sifting through classified documents, Cordell realized that there might not be a benefit to looping in the Cap just yet. 

Personally, I think this is a huge mistake. And I said Cordell took the bait purposefully because I think it’s all part of Julia’s master plan. I think she’s been recruited by and is working for Grey Flag, which would explain why she has all this information about them and the organization’s “regrouping and restrategizing.” I hate to think that an investigative reporter got burned, but the timing of her arrival in Cordell’s life is just too suspect and convenient. 

She gave just enough to get Cordell to turn to her and open up to her, but she’s allowing him to feel like he’s taking the lead on everything. It’s definitely a tactic. 

Think about it—she’s the closest that anyone has ever been able to get to him. They’ve built up a friendship and trust based on shared trauma, so she’s the perfect Trojan horse for whoever is behind Grey Flag and setting his/her sights on Cordell as the next target.

The possibility that Julia is just a good friend trying to help Cordell—and hoping to get a good story out of it—remains a possibility. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt until I no longer can.

She made him realize that whoever is targeting him must be someone he was once close to as they’ve been able to tap into a personal memory. Cordell hated the idea that one of his military buddies, who he referred to as “brothers,” could be behind everything, but it made sense as they were the only ones who were in on the inside joke involving the energy drinks.

A quick search revealed that two of the remaining three were killed—one in a car accident and another after he suffered a heart attack.

That left Tommy Adams, who Cordell eventually agreed fit the Grey Flag profile to a T, as the lone wolf.

They were able to track down Tommy without so much as lifting a finger—through one of Julia’s sources (it’s shady, okay!)—and instead of waiting for backup, Julia decided to just walk on over to the abandoned house and start asking questions. It was either incredibly bold of her or she knew that Tommy wasn’t a threat because she actually knows who is behind Grey Flag.

Walker — “Blinded By the Light” — Image Number: WLK310b_0252r — Pictured (L-R): Ashley Reyes as Cassie Perez and Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker — Photo: Rebecca Brenneman/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Either way, Tommy was a dead end as he informed Cordell that he sent the package as a warning. He’s been laying low because someone is coming for everyone in their unit, which makes Tommy and Cordell the last living members and the next targets. 

Of course, this doesn’t bring us any closer to solving the mystery, but it is an intriguing development that definitely piqued my interest. 

Why is this personal? And what does Grey Flag still want from Cordell?

After everything, it seemed as though he finally decided to come clean to Captain James and Cassie following Trey’s DPS hearing, but they got sidetracked by the verdict. While everyone was convinced they were going to let Trey off with a slap on the wrist, the unanimous decision was to relieve him of his duties as a Ranger. 

And honestly, it was bizarre. I understand why Captain James was upset because he felt disrespected after vouching for Trey, but his anger was more pointed at Cassie and Walker, his friends, for lying to him. But Trey’s “insubordinate” situations were so minor. The first time, he followed orders from his superior in the field, while the second time, he left desk duty to help put a stop to an ATM heist that was getting out of control. Surely, that was more important than paperwork. 

The truth is, it felt completely blown out of proportion, and it didn’t feel in character for Captain James to turn his back on Trey and inform him that he was on his own. Why didn’t he fight for Trey? Why didn’t he pull some strings? 

Cordell and Cassie have done way worse—those two never follow orders, and it’s never been an issue. 

I’m truly disappointed with this turn of events, especially since Trey gave up his career at the high school for this. Is he trying to leave the show? What’s going on?

To be fair, Captain James seemed equally as shocked, and I’m wondering if maybe the decision has something to do with the possibility of there being a mole on the inside who wants Trey out so that Cordell has fewer allies. 

Which reminds me—Julia also tried to drive a wedge between Cordell and James by instilling a bit of doubt in the Ranger, and that didn’t sit well with me. Cordell even called her out on it, so I’m hoping he’s being super cautious and not overly trusting. 

Cordell’s been dealing with so much, he hasn’t really had time to pay attention to his family, especially Bonham and Abeline. 

Bonham called a family meeting so that they could all get on the same page, but he was stood up by both of his sons. Cordell didn’t show up because of his pressing matters with work, while Liam decided to skip so that he could flesh out the horse charity a bit more before talking to his father. I get where Liam is coming from as he seems very passionate about starting this business with Stella but has only gotten pushback from Bonham. It’s not really encouraging to hear that your father has zero faith in you or your ability to take over the family business. 

Liam also suggested that he and Stella team up as partners officially—on paper. It’s a big step for Stella, so I hope she’s not getting in over her head. 

Abeline and Bonham had a few disagreements as she was upset after finding out that Bonham asked Walker and his family to move out of the farmhouse. She’s such a family-oriented person, so I don’t know why he thought it was a good idea. 

And elsewhere, Cassie and Kevin had a really great first date where they got to know each other on a deeper level. All of that went out the window the very next day when he overstepped the boundaries she put in place to keep her personal and professional life separate, and while his intentions were in the right place, it was all the proof she needed to know that she cannot date someone she also has to work with. Some might say Cassie overreacted and ran from a good thing, but it’s definitely problematic to have your boyfriend, who wields a lot of power in his position at the mayor’s office, fixing your problems for you. Kevin either needs to respect Cassie’s request, or they really can’t be involved romantically. 

What did you think of the episode? Do you think Trey will get reinstated? 

Who do you think is behind Grey Flag? And should we trust Julia?

Walker Season 3 Episode 9 proved that Cordell continues to walk on shaky ground. 

After being summoned by the Mayor, who plans to honor Cordell, Julia, Trey, and Cassie for their bravery, the Texas Ranger and Julie were forced to confront what happened to them in captivity. 

Reliving the worst moments wasn’t exactly something either of them wanted to do, but reuniting for the first time since the incident helped them work through the trauma. 

Cordell hasn’t exactly been interested in talking through what happened to him in that cell with many people, including Liam, but it somehow bonded him and Julia. They may remind each other of pain, but they are also capable of helping each other work through it. 

It was nice to see them catch up and talk openly about their feelings in a therapeutic way. Though, I can’t help but think it’s not a coincidence that Walker received a message from his kidnappers shortly after reconnecting with Julia. Is she in on it? I want to believe her because I want her to be an ally for Walker—a friend that he can lean on, but it’s really suspicious. 

Then again, maybe the kidnappers were simply waiting for the right moment to make their move, coming out from the shadows to continue messing with Walker’s mind. If they were following him, they would’ve seen that he was with Julia and figured that the best time to strike when all the trauma was still fresh in his mind. 

Either way, it’s not really over—and it’s going to force Walker to confront his biggest fears. He’s been burying it all and pretending that everything is okay, but they pose a real threat to him and his family once again. 

How will they handle this unexpected delivery?

Cordell’s productive chat with Julia was cut short when duty called, but unfortunately, the case of the week fell kind of flat and didn’t really add anything to the overall plot. Why were we supposed to care about an amateur hacker who was targeting ATM machines to give away free money? It was very clear that while he thought his actions were for the greater good, when money is at stake, it brings out the very worst of humanity. It wasn’t long before fights began breaking out, people were turning on each other, and everyone turned green with greed. Order is necessary for a society to function—that’s my takeaway from the episode. 

And on the plus side, Trey Barnett proved he was useful and that hiring him wasn’t a bad idea when he cracked the mystery of the hacker. They thought he was a domestic terrorist, but they had it all wrong, and without Trey’s due diligence, they likely wouldn’t have figured it out in time. Unfortunately, based on the promo, it doesn’t seem like the Captain is going to be impressed. Trey has been on desk duty for disobeying direct orders, and once again, I’m going to emphasize how unfair it is that the Captain took out his frustrations on Trey when it was really Cassie who gave him the order that he followed. And it’s Cassie and Walker that he should be mad at. It’s already hard being the new guy, why is Cap acting this way?

There were some sweet moments between Auggie and Mawline and again Auggie and Colton. Auggie is simply trying to make amends for all the chaos that he caused. While mostly everyone forgave him, Bonham sure knows how to hold a grudge. It was one of those “I’m disappointed in you” grudges too, which sting so much worse. Eventually, Auggie decided to pay off his debt with a grand gesture—carving a new queen for Abeline’s chess set and spending time with her. It was a move that really pleased Bonham, proving that he does have a soft spot. 

Unfortunately, the sweet moment was quickly ruined when Liam informed him that he got a permit to open a horse rescue equipped with a full mental health center without consulting with Bonham. I know Liam is lost right now, and he thought he was doing the right thing, but he didn’t seem to look at it from the big-picture perspective. A larger operation means more work, which will place more stress on Bonham and Abeline. And they’re trying to avoid stress. 

Liam’s heart was in the right place, and I think it could work if he just went about it the right way, but unfortunately, it wasn’t his best idea, followed by his lawyer-ish speech while trying to secure the feed. Liam really thought he did something when in reality, all he did was piss off the man who Bonham has been in business with for years. Liam is trying to find himself, sure, but he’d be better off just sitting back and learning the ropes before trying to change everything and implement his own style. 

As for Colton, he got a letter from his grandmother and it was really bugging him. Auggie suggested that he write back to begin the process of forgiving her and only visit when he’s ready, and it seems like Stella agrees with the advice. I love that she was supportive of Auggie rehabilitating his relationship with his family, even after everything that went down. 

Geri’s presence has been sorely missed, but I’m kind of glad she’s away while Walker deals with the aftermath of the kidnapping. I hope he doesn’t fall into a romantic relationship with Julia in the meantime because they’d only be united by their trauma. And he owes it Geri to give their relationship an actual try. 

What did you think of the episode? Are you enjoying this season of Walker? I think the personal developments for all the characters are strong, but I do wish they worked on the cases of the week to make them a bit more compelling and connected to the story.