The CW Just Canceled a Major Spinoff Show
While Walker was just renewed for a fourth season at The CW, its spinoff series got the opposite news. TVLine reports that prequel series Walker: Independence has been canceled after only one season. The show followed Katherine McNamara's Abby Walker as she settles in the town of Independence, Texas following her husband's murder and trying to figure out what really happened.
Independence's ratings averaged 950,000 viewers with a 0.1 demo rating and ranked number four in audience, while it was tied for sixth in the demo. Fans have been anxiously waiting for news on the fate of the series since the season finale in March, which ended on a cliffhanger that revealed who was really behind Liam's killing, as Tom and Shane both attacked Liam together and intentionally wounded Abby, knowing she'd live.
Prior to the news, Walker: Independence's fate could have gone either way. It is a surprise that The CW didn't want to keep the two Walker shows paired up with each other, but it seems like since there is a very limited number of spots for renewals, the network probably wanted stronger shows for the 2023-24 season and Independence just wasn't one of them. Networks are cracking down on renewals, and they are definitely being more critical than before. The Nexstar ownership probably doesn't help, either.
It's disappointing that the series was canceled especially following the cliffhanger, but there's always the possibility that it could be picked up elsewhere. As of now, Independence is streaming on HBO Max, as is Walker, so perhaps the streaming platform could save it, even if for just a season, so we could get some sort of closure. Unfortunately, this won't be the only bad news coming from the network, as they're likely to make even more decisions on the remaining CW shows in danger this week or next, so fans will want to be prepared for the worst because no show is safe.
While Walker: Independence may be canceled, it's also possible the storylines could be solved on Walker in some way, be it a flashback or a retelling or something, maybe even a cameo of some sort like one Indy star. The possibilities are endless, so fans shouldn't give up so easily, even if it won't be revived. Anything can happen.