#Walker Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Fine Is a Four Letter Word

So, was the tornado a plot device to uncover relationship woes, or was it a metaphor for the brewing issues that needed to be brought to the surface?

Probably a little of both.

Let’s find out if it worked.

The kids-in-peril storyline needs a rest. The kids cannot be in the path of a metaphoric or literal tornado every single episode.

With a cast this sprawling and a show so new into its journey, they can, on occasion, allow some characters to sit one out on the sidelines.

Trying too hard to stuff everyone’s story into the hour sacrifices the meatier stories, and there are quite a few things that deserve more than a cursory pass before we’re onto the next big thing.

The weight of Emily’s killer on the loose hangs in the air on Walker Season 1 Episode 8.

Liam’s suffering, holding a lot close to the vest.

Not only is he horrified at how badly everyone treated Walker, brushing off his convictions about Carlos Mendoza not being responsible for Emily’s murder, but now those killers are after him and the family.

That means that Liam is afraid to go home, whether to the ranch or Bret. But when he decided to push Bret away to keep him safe, that didn’t feel like the right decision, even in the wake of Emily’s death.

The lie was terrible, but he made it with a good intention, which sounds strange when the counter storylines show how badly it goes for people who keep secrets.

It’s still unclear what Bonham did to deserve a cheating wife, but it appears to be just not paying enough attention to her. It would be better for a partner to leave outright rather than have dalliances, but we’re all human, and humans make mistakes.

Abeline: It just doesn’t square with me that Liam would stray. Do you believe it?

Bonham: I haven’t known what to believe in some time.

Bonham and Abeline are fighting their way back to each other, and the difficulty they’re having should be an indicator to anyone else out there how important it is to keep it real and show your love no matter how tense or busy things get.

Micki and Trey were also in a pickle when Trey discovered that Micki kept a whopper of a life moment from him.

The hardest part for Trey was that she shared it with Walker. Trey and Micki survived life and death situations while deployed. What could be more challenging than that?

Walker: Seriously, why haven’t you told him.?

Micki: You know when you say something out loud, you kind of have to accept that it’s true?

Walker: Yeah.

Micki: Telling Trey about ‘my aunt’ is that for me.

Walker: Telling me isn’t?

Micki: No, you don’t count.

Walker: Excuse me?

Micki: Look, you’re my partner. Trey’s my person. I, I’m just not ready for that level of acceptance, honestly.

If only procrastination had any influence on the truth. None of us can claim we’ve never procrastinated, hoping that reality would go away, but that doesn’t make what Micki did any easier to take, especially since she did say it out loud, and Trey was in the dark.

Trey has to be one of the best boyfriends on TV right now. He’s kind, funny, caring, and up for just about anything.

He loves kids, he knows his way around an emergency, and he’s willing to listen without passing judgment, even when Micki is carving a nice friendship with her partner, sometimes at his expense.

Trey will hold Micki accountable for her actions in the present, not expecting her to make up for her past mistakes. That’s a great way forward.

If Micki can’t make it work with him, then there isn’t any hope for the rest of us. Here’s hoping she’s serious when she says she’ll be letting him in on the dirty parts as well as those she can keep neat and clean.

All of this is to say that no matter how good Liam’s intentions were in pushing away Bret, it was the wrong decision.

Love is a verb, Liam, something you do actively.
Bonham

Using a fake dalliance meant to hurt Bret to the core won’t be easy for Bret to forget. Once you get that inclination in your mind, it can take root, sprouting up years later for no reason at all.

But shame on Bret, too. He has been engaged to a neat, clean man who rarely lets things get to him. He’s a hard worker who needs his time to prepare for a case, but this goes beyond that.

Suddenly, Liam is wearing a five-day-old beard, his hair hasn’t been brushed, and he’s copping to something that nobody in the family can believe. Bret should know his partner well enough to know that wasn’t true.

But that’s the thing with cheating. So many people are blindsided by it and the after-effects that nobody is willing to disbelieve it if it’s revealed.

Hopefully, Liam will be able to turn this all around. The way Walker plays out, he likely will, but it’s still an aggravating story.

At least he told Walker the truth. Walker took it like a champ, too, just walking away with Emily. Yes, he’s still seeing her everywhere, and while I know it’s a way for Jared Padalecki and his wife, Genevieve, to work together, it could wear thin if it continues the entirety of the series.

If only everyone could behave like Stella, who is too wise and strong for her age.

Stella seemed a little bratty when Walker Season 1 started, but once things got ironed out with Walker, she’s been great. Her blossoming love story with Trevor was even better because of how much they shared.

They both lost mothers and have a desperate desire not to walk in the footsteps of their fathers. Everything she knew, though, came crashing down when she found a prison visitor’s pass in Trevor’s pocket with the name of her father’s enemy emblazoned on it.

I’ve never heard of a permanent pass or one with your prisoner’s name on it, but hey, maybe they do it differently in Texas. It got the story out there, anyway.

Stella didn’t stew in her juices, either. She confronted Trevor, asking exactly what she wanted to know.

After the initial blow about his identity, my instincts about Trevor were that he was a good kid caught between a rock and a hard place. Now I know that he’s caught between a rock and a good place.

I would never do that, Stel. The way I grew up, I didn’t even know if I could love someone, let alone someone as good as you. I wouldn’t ruin that for anything.
Trevor

I’m interested to see where this particular story takes us.

It’s crazy that the kids are wiser than the adults on this series, but that’s proving to be true with this relationship. Maybe there’s hope that the next generation doesn’t have to make the same mistakes.

Which couple’s plight did you find the most genuine?

Are you proud of Stella for asking Trevor if it was all a ruse?

And how cute was Walker’s weirdness talking to another woman?

If you missed “Fine Is a Four Letter Word,” you can watch Walker online to catch up.

Everyone else, please drop below and share your thoughts on the episode!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.