WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Walker Season 2, Episode 10, “Nudge,” which aired Thursday, March 3 on The CW.
Of all the changes in Cordell Walker’s life over the course of Walker Season 2, none of have shaken him more than the sudden loss of his partner Micki Ramirez. Grief-stricken after witnessing the death of her ex-fiancé and feeling unmoored after a lengthy undercover assignment, Micki decided to leave her career as a Texas Ranger and friends in Austin behind as she set out to recenter herself. Several months later, Walker found himself paired with a new partner in Cassie Perez (played by Ashley Reyes), who is set to challenge him in different ways while the two continue to defend the Lone Star State.
Cassie and Walker start off with an awkward first meeting when Cassie mistakes Walker for breaking into a stolen car; she forces him to confine himself in the car’s trunk while she carries out a high-speed interrogation. Even once that confusion is cleared up, there’s still evident friction between the two due to Cassie’s abrasive nature and Walker’s typical bullheadedness. However, Captain Larry James (played by Coby Bell) is impressed by how effectively Cassie was able to single-handedly launch her own investigation into the carjacking ring and how naturally she can match wits with Walker — so he makes them partners anyway.
Walker and Captain James do some research into Cassie’s background — revealing that Cassie is a Texas Ranger operating out of the Dallas branch who’s been on an extended leave of absence for the past six months. Cassie’s partner Miles mysteriously vanished while on a case and has since been presumed dead; his disappearance was linked to the carjacking ring based out of Austin. That meant Cassie’s investigation to learn what happened to her missing partner led her to the Texan capital, where she ran into Walker.
One of the more interesting things about Cassie is that she doesn’t carry a conventional sidearm, even after Captain James has her reinstated. She reveals to Walker that her standard-issue Ranger sidearm was stolen from her by the shadowy figures that are linked to Miles’ disappearance. Cassie cannot stand to think that the gun she was entrusted with may have been used to kill her partner, so she prefers to use nonlethal weapons instead, favoring a taser. In addition to the taser, Cassie demonstrates that she is an adept hand-to-hand combatant and able to expertly drive a speeding car.
Cassie challenges Walker not in how he approaches his investigations as a Texas Ranger, but in how he handles his personal life through her keen powers of observation and deduction. Cassie instantly notices the unspoken chemistry and romantic tension between Walker and his longtime friend Geri Broussard and urges Walker to act on this attraction, resulting in the two finally striking up a romance. This challenging goes both ways, with Walker helping Cassie remember to live her life rather than obsessively dive into her work.
Though Cassie may be welcomed into the Texas Rangers’ Austin branch and quickly is beginning to form a professional partnership and friendship with Walker, there are still unresolved issues from her past she must contend with. The carjacking ring may be busted but the fate of her previous partner is an open mystery. She’s also still finding her place in Austin. Walker has already learned an important lesson from his new teammate but as Walker Season 2 continues, Cassie has plenty to learn from him as she settles into her role back on the force in a new city.
Developed for television by Anna Fricke, Walker airs Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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