Abby takes advantage of her new job while Hoyt makes amends to the town he deceived.
Warning: This is an overview of Episode 103 of Walker: Independence, so there will be scads of spoilers here. We strongly recommend that you not read this if you have not yet watched the episode.
Despite their growing friendship, Abby and Kate are determined to uncover each other’s secrets. Despite their fractious relationship, Hoyt and Calian must join forces to battle bandits. Despite Sheriff Tom’s clever plotting, he may not grab as much land as he covets. What are we to make of this? Here are our five takeaways from “Blood & Whiskey,” Episode 103 of Walker: Independence.
Takeaway No. 1
After two weeks of attention-grabbing set-up, the series seems to be settling into a smooth groove of confident storytelling and character development. Front and center, appropriately enough, there was Abby (Katherine McNamara), once again demonstrating gumption and self-determination by ignoring the counsel of would-be protectors Hoyt Rollins (Matt Barr) and Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez), and accepting the job as legal advisor to Sheriff Tom (Greg Hovanessian) — if only to keep tabs on the guy who, you know, killed her husband. She was not particularly proud, or happy, when her first assignment entailed foreclosing on a loan made by two shopkeepers, sisters whose collateral included a sizeable piece of property just outside of town. But with a little help from dancehall girl (and undercover Pinkerton agent) Kate Carver (Katie Findlay) and restaurateur/laundry owner Kai (Lawrence Kao), Abby managed to help the indebted siblings raise enough cash with an “All Things Must Go” sale to pay off their loan. Better still, Abby was able to delight in telling Sheriff Tom that, gee, there was no need for a foreclosure. Sheriff Tom, it should be noted, did not look happy about this turn of events. Maybe because he co-signed on the loan in the first place, and would have gained ownership of the land had Abby not been so… helpful.
Takeaway No. 2:
Meanwhile, Hoyt and Calian established something like a peaceful co-existence pact, if not a close friendship, after Hoyt was dragooned into returning to Angel Springs, the town he fled in the premiere episode after being unmasked as a fake preacher. The good folks of Angel Springs needed someone to ride shotgun on deliveries from the town’s renowned distillery — and the criminally inclined Hoyt appeared to be a well-suited (and, better still, eminently disposable) candidate. As it turned out, the bandits who were periodically preying on the delivery wagons were Hoyt’s former partners in crime. But that didn’t stop Hoyt, with assistance from Calian, from decimating the gang, delivering the whiskey — and, again with Calian's, continuing his self-rehabilitation process by again posing as a preacher. The big difference this time was, he put on the clerical collar to help a dying old-timer ease along in his journey to the other side.
Takeaway No. 3:
On the other hand: Hoyt is none too happy about Calian’s making such a good impression on the family of his sweetie Lucia (Gabriela Quezada) — and on Lucia herself. Calian doesn’t appear to be entirely uninterested in the young woman, but is more concerned with brokering an alliance between his Apache tribesmen and Lucia’s dad, to deal with cattle rustlers and other mutual threats. Trouble is, his people are starting to complain: Perhaps Calian is spending a little too much time with the white folks.
Takeaway No. 4:
Deputy Gus (Philemon Chambers) sure is acting like he’s ambivalent at best, regretful at worst, about shooting that escaped prisoner last week. So maybe we were wrong to suspect he was secretly in league with Sheriff Tom. True, Tom greatly benefitted from the demise of a former cohort who could be conveniently blamed for the murder of Abby’s husband. But he’s openly suspicious of his deputy — maybe the guy is too good for Tom’s own good — and there’s a growing tension between the two men that doubtless will have some sort of payoff down the line. Meanwhile, Gus did his best to make some kind of peace with himself by delivering the dead man’s belongings to his favorite gal at Hagen’s. But she is not the least bit grateful, and tells him what he really doesn’t want to know: Gus killed a man whose m.o. never included murder.
Takeaway No. 5:
Just because Abby and Kate are roomies — and, dare I say it, a tad flirtatious? — doesn’t mean they trust each other. Kate rummages through Abby’s things after she leaves early; Abby makes a similar search when she arrives back at the room before Kate. When the latter returns unexpectedly, Abby — having just found a gun among Kate’s belongings — asks: “Who are you?” “Isn’t that funny,” Kare replies. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.” And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a textbook example of how to end an episode by leaving the audience eager to tune in next week.
Photography: Geraldine Agoncillo
