After we find out that Cordell was taken by the Jackal, we see the aftermath of the kidnapping and the hunt for Cordell in this incredible episode written and directed by the showrunner, Anna Fricke.
Let’s dive into season 4, episode 11 of Walker!
A Dream
This week’s episode picks up right where we left off; Cordell in his hallucination as Emily walks down the stairs. They’re talking about a big day, and Cordell says it’s August’s graduation. He has a sweet moment with Emily, reaching out to touch her before finally pulling her into a huge hug.
Emily brings Cordell into the bedroom to ask what he’s wearing, and the bedroom is noticeably different. Emily picks out his outfit for him and talks about traffic; he doesn’t live on the ranch, they live an hour away.
They arrive at the ranch to the entire family in the kitchen. Liam flew in from New York, and some of the lines that Cordi hears are clearly parallelling real life with the Jackal; such as Liam telling Cordi to “drink this” as he gives him a drink.
The door opens, and Cordi goes to check it out. As he heads outside, it flashes to the Jackal using a flashlight in his face. It then goes back to the dream world, where Stella, the car, is sitting outside. All of a sudden Cordi is picked up by Hoyt, who gives him a hug and talks about how he let his daughter – Sadie – drive him there and Geri is in the front seat.
They go inside, and Geri hugs Emily, and Cordi watches on as everyone greets each other. Characters in the dream world are saying odd phrases that are puzzling Cordi, like Abby telling him, “you don’t have to be here.”
Emily, Geri, and Abby are in the kitchen talking, and Abby asks Emily what she’ll do when the dust settles, but she says she wants to get through the day first. Cordi is sitting at the piano with Hoyt, and Cordi says he didn’t know Emily would be so emotional about August graduating. Hoyt talks about how Cordi is always chasing something down and that he, Abby, and Geri are doing the event business together. Hoyt asks where Cordi’s Stetson friends are, and Cordi says probably at work.
Cordi is playing poker with Bonham, and he notably plays with a poker chip and puts it in his pocket — a callback to season 1. Cordi says he feels like he’s forgetting something, and Bonham says he needs to retrace his steps. Emily says she made him a list, a “what if” list, but says Cordi needs to look at it. Emily says she can’t do this by herself, and Cordi asks if that’s how she felt and asks if he took her for granted. Bonham tells him there’s time to change all of that. The door creaks open, and Cordi heads out there again to see Hoyt sitting on a bench.
He goes to Hoyt, and Hoyt says there’s something he never told him. He came out there late one night, and he didn’t want Cordi to know, he was trying to keep his promises. He saw Bonham and Cordi staring out into the night and Abby told Hoyt that Cordi needed to “hold the quiet” — another reference to the first episode of season 4. He says Abby knew he was scared of it. Hoyt said he thought the view was something he’d never have. He tells Cordi he’s going to ask Geri to marry him for real, and pulls a bunch of makeshift rings out of his pocket, but as they fall away it reveals a real diamond ring. He also says that Geri is moving in with him and Sadie, and that “I want her to know she never has to move out,” which also mirrors a conversation with Geri and Cordi in real-life. Cordi says Hoyt asked her to marry him before, and Hoyt says what happened before isn’t going to happen now.
They look back, and see August and Emily with Emily’s camera and taking photos together. Cordi says he feels like he missed everything August learned from her. Hoyt says that Stella is Cordi. Liam comes out with a drink for a toast, and Cordi says he’s always there when he needs them, to which Liam states, “it’s funny how that always just seems to happen.” Cordi asks Liam what he’s been up to, and Liam says he’s helping Denise Davidson with a case. As they stare out, Hoyt says, “It’s time to go, isn’t it?” and claps. As he claps, we’re thrown into real life where we can see Cordi on a stretcher and the Jackal clapping as he walks away.
Cordi and Emily arrive at the Ranger Station, where it’s August’s graduation. Cordi says maybe he’s been too tough on August, and he can do a toast. August and Stella arrive, and Stella says to let him write the toast and that they might be glad that they have it someday. Stella says she’s not sure she can do this, and Emily talks to her about how brave she is and just like Cordi. Stella says she’s so sick of missing him. August said that it means a lot that he came and that he tried. Cordi asks Emily what’s going on, and she says that it takes a lot and he’ll understand and to just keep breathing.
They enter another big room, full of white chairs and glass windows. The chairs are only full of Walker’s family and friends. Emily tells Cordi and Geri that it’s going to be okay and that she needs them to know that. Cordi heads down the aisle, and Bonham tells him maybe he shouldn’t go down there just yet. Abby once again says he doesn’t have to be there. As Cordi gets to the end of the aisle, he sees Kelly. He asks where Larry is, and she asks about the napkin in Cordi’s pocket — the partnership rules. She says it meant so much to Larry, and that it’s something. He asks again about Larry, and Kelly says he couldn’t bring himself to be there.
As he looks back out to the audience, everyone disappears. The next shot features Hoyt and Sadie looking down, saying he “doesn’t think he’s going to fit in there.” They said they’ll go get the shovel.
August is up at the podium, and as it pans back to Cordi, Emily, and Hoyt are next to him. August gives a speech about Cordell, visibly crying. Emily tells him to listen, and the stage changes and August is standing over a casket. Stella goes to August’s side and he’s with the speech. Cordi looks back to the audience, and all of the chairs are black as Abby, Bonham, Geri, Sadie, Liam, Hoyt, and Kelly stand up to speak — it’s Cordi’s funeral. Emily comes up the aisle and passes out Rosemary, for remembrance. Cordi sits with Hoyt and asks if it’s real. Cordi asks Hoyt if he ever told him he’s his best friend, and Hoyt says, “It never hurts.” Cordi pulls out the letters to August and Stella and says he should give them to him. Hoyt says not now, and tells Cordi to get up on his feet, and says he’s his best friend and to look after them.
Cordi goes over to the casket, and Emily stands with him. Cordi says he thought it was a dream. Emily starts crying, and she tells him he can still wake up — he says maybe it’s better he stays. She tells him he’s done great things with his family. He talks about promises he made and then how he left. Emily tells Cordi to go, and he asks how he’s supposed to walk away from Emily being there. He talks about the quiet and how he was afraid of what it meant. He opens the casket and it’s empty. Emily says he’s not supposed to be there, not yet. She says he can still stop it and he’s right there. As she’s talking, dirt is falling over his head. She keeps saying, “Cordi, let’s go,” before finally telling Cordi, “Let us go.”
The Search
The episode flashes to real life, where Larry, Cassie, Trey, and Luna are frantically searching for clues to find Cordi and the Jackal. Trey checked his credit cards and found the receipt from the motel. They arrive at the motel, kicking the door in, and see all of Cordi’s research on the bed. They realize the door wasn’t forced open, which means he had to have been taken when he was coming or going. Cassie mentions security cameras and goes to check on them.
The Rangers check the cameras but don’t see Cordi leaving the room at any point. However, they notice that there’s a huge laundry truck parked in front of the building — a day when laundry isn’t done — and it’s blocking Cordi’s room.
They find the laundry truck in the woods, but it’s empty. They decide to spread out to look for Cordi or the Jackal. Trey says when they find him, he has the antidote in case he was injected.
As Luna is searching, he finds an empty, fresh grave. He sends the picture to Cassie and calls her and gives her a heads up — she goes to say “I love you,” back to him but falters, and says she’ll see him in a few. As he hangs up, he’s attacked.
Larry, Trey, and Cassie find the shallow grave full of dirt now and see Luna’s gun to the side. There’s blood on the ground. Cassie runs to find Luna, and Larry and Trey dig up the grave. They find Cordi in the grave, dig him out, and give him the antidote and Cordi wakes up.
Cassie finds Luna on the ground bleeding. He’s been shot. Cassie screams, and Trey starts to run towards them. Cassie tells Luna they need to get help, and Cassie kisses him as Luna dies in her arms.
Walker airs Wednesday nights on The CW.
