Abby and Hoyt's Relationship in Walker: Independence, Explained
While cowboys in the Old West were fond of saying, "This town ain't big enough for both of us," we believe there is always room for another Western. If you have been paying attention, a prequel to the much-loved Walker series starring Jared Padalecki as the titular hero is inching the premiere set for October 6.
Walker brings the themes of the old West to modern-day crime drama. The story follows Cordell Walker, a Texas Ranger, as he brings down the toughest outlaws of our time. For fans of the show, the announcement of a prequel was welcome news.
Unlike most prequels, the story of Walker: Independence would not feature many characters from the original. Rather, the story takes place in the 1800s during the height of the Wild West. It would, however, feature the ancestors of the characters we know and love from Walker. For instance, Cordell Walker himself and his polar opposite Hoyt Rawlins.
Walker: Independence follows Abigail Walker (or Abby for short) in a new twist on the Old Western. Rather than featuring a rough and rugged, no-nonsense sheriff or outlaw, it features the story of a widow as she tries to get justice for her husband's murder. A female perspective in a genre where they are often relegated as mere damsels in distress is a welcome change.
One thing which is unanswered as of yet is the dynamic between Abby and Rawlins. While the Walkers and the Rawlins family were on the opposite sides of the fence in the original, there seems to be more nuance in the prequel.
In the trailer, it is explained that Abby's husband was to be the sheriff of the town called Independence before his death. After she gets there, we meet "the many weird and wonderful characters" that call the town home. Among them Hoyt Rawlins. (Played by the same actor who played a character with the same name in the original, we might add)
Fans speculated that the two characters would eventually fall into a relationship. As far as drama tropes go, this is perhaps the most likely scenario, but we're keeping our minds open. It is too early to tell yet, and much remains to be seen.
Will we see the ancestors of Walker and Rawlins hooking up, or perhaps there is more to the dynamic than we thought? Abby may have multiple children, each following a different path, leading to the status quo we see in the original. One of them might be fathered by Hoyt. Regardless of whatever happens, this sure has the fans talking.
Any unanswered questions are sure to be resolved when the show hits the screens, and we can begin to speculate about other aspects of the show. Walker: Independence premieres on Thursday, October 6, 9/8c, on CW.