Cordell Walker
| Name | Cordell Beauregard Walker |
| Nickname(s) | |
| Actor | Jared Padalecki / IMDB |
| Dates | 1984 - (Age 37) |
| Occupation | |
| 1st Appearance | 1.01 Pilot |
| Relationships | |
- "Just 'cause it’s broken doesn’t mean we can’t take it with us."
- ―Cordell to Stella in Back in the Saddle
About the Character
The CW's official character description: "a man finding his way back to his family while investigating crime in the state's most elite unit. Our broken widower and father of two returns home to Austin after being undercover for ten months for a high profile case - only to discover that there's even more work to be done at home." [1]
History
Cordell Walker is the titular character in the series, the oldest son of Bonham and Abeline Walker (also the older brother of Liam). He is a former marine, having enlisted after 9/11, and later moved on to becoming a Texas Ranger. He maintained a happy life with his wife Emily and two kids Stella and August, with a strong work ethic and a belief in the justice system.
While having a game night with his family, he receives a call from Emily from the border where she claims something isn't right. She'd been traveling there to deliver food and water to migrant workers, and Cordell had even prepared a pre-planned route in an effort to keep her safe for her trip down. Even with the precautions, she was murdered while on the phone with Cordell, as she ran from unknown assailants and claimed somethin wasn't right.
Her murder is the catalyst for much of the series, as Cordell soon left to work an undercover assignment to take down the Rodeo Kings (Twyla Jean, Clint West, Crystal West, and Jaxon Davis), in an operation titled "Operation Watch The Throne". He was gone for 10 months, and not much is known about his time undercover (though it will be revealed as the series progresses). During the time he was gone, he was mostly radio silent, his family receiving a single phone call during the summer and then nothing for three months after. It wasn't until the episode Duke that Cordell brought the final two members of the Rodeo Kings to justice, after having begrudgingly gone back undercover as Duke Culpepper. Twyla was revealed to have been a romantic interest/fling during this episode.
He has since returned from his work undercover, and is still haunted by the memory of his wife. He believes there was much more to the crime, despite Carlos Mendoza confessing and being put in prison in 2020 (after being arrested only two days after Emily's murder). It's obvious that Cordell is struggling with his return, unsure of how to bond with his children, and not quite feeling like he has a place. He even mentions to Micki in the second episode (Back in the Saddle) that he doesn't know where he "fits".
In spite of his shortcomings, he is still trying to mend his broken family, and is still looking for answers over Emily's murder. It seems to be his main motivation in life, at least for the moment. In Duke, it seemed that Liam and Capt. James knew more than they were initially letting on, after Liam confronted Capt. James about them both investigating the surveillance footage from the night of Emily's murder.
Throughout the first few episodes, we learn that Cordell had a childhood friend named Hoyt Rawlins, who "saved" Cordell, as mentioned by Abeline while on the phone with Hoyt. Cordell and Hoyt were once very close, having played football together in high school, and Hoyt can even be seen in flashbacks in Bobble Head, when Emily first announces she's pregnant with Stella.
Episodes
- 1.01 Pilot
- 1.02 Back in the Saddle
- 1.03 Bobble Head
- 1.04 Don't Fence Me In
- 1.05 Duke
- 1.06 Bar None
- 1.07 Tracks
- 1.08 Fine Is A Four Letter Word
- 1.09 Rule Number 17
- 1.10 Encore
- 1.11 Freedom
- 1.12 A Tale of Two Families
- 1.13 Defend The Ranch
- 1.14 Mehar's Jacket
- 1.15 Four Stones In Hand
- 1.16 Bad Apples
- 1.17 Dig
- 1.18 Drive
