'Walker' Series Finale Ends With Beloved '90s Star in Cliffhanger Cameo

James Van Der Beek showed up in the final seconds of the 'Walker' series finale as the mysterious new neighbor.

By Megan Behnke

Spoilers ahead for the Walker series finale ("See You Sometime")

The Walker series finale has aired and it ended on quite a cliffhanger that included a big '90s star. The Season 4 finale, "See You Sometime," was not meant to be the series finale, but The CW canceled the Jared Padalecki-led drama last month. While the finale seemed to have a pretty fitting and satisfying end despite the cancellation, a brand new character was introduced in the final seconds who could have really shaken things up, and he was played by James Van Der Beek.

The Dawson's Creek alum was revealed to be the Walkers' new neighbor after a very dramatic reveal. Wearing an all-white outfit and dropping off a gift, Van Der Beek's mysterious character just missed the Walkers, which is why he only dropped off a gift and a note. Whether or not he was a good guy is unclear, but it wouldn't be surprising if he was going to be set up to be the latest bad guy Cordell and co. had to deal with.

As for why specifically Van Der Beek was chosen for the part, he actually has a strong connection to Walker. Back in March, the actor posted a video on Instagram of him visiting the Walker set. He had some friends working on the reboot who worked on Dawson's Creek, including Walker creator and showrunner Anna Fricke, who wrote on the early '00s teen drama. With his daughter in tow, Van Der Beek pretended to be a stand-in so he could surprise Fricke, and he documented it all. It's not surprising to see that he very well could have had a big role in Season 5 and it's a true disappointment that it won't happen.

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James Van Der Beek's surprise appearance was not all that went down in the series finale of Walker. Ashley Reyes' Cassie was still reeling from the loss of Justin Johnson Cortez's David Luna, but it didn't get in the way of her Lieutenant's test. While she thought she bombed, she actually aced it and Cassie became the department's newest Lieutenant. Meanwhile, Jared Padalecki's Cordell was also preparing for some life changes, as he was planning to propose to Odette Annabel's Geri Broussard, yet another story that fans won't be able to see continue. Then there's also Keegan Allen's Liam Walker, who got a call to help the governor with something, but of course, fans never found out what.

There is always the hope that Walker could be picked up elsewhere, and it certainly needs to after these several stories that are still as open as ever. It's also sad to know that Van Der Beek would have likely been a big part of Season 5, but with the way The CW has been going in recent years, Walker's cancellation was expected. That doesn't make it hurt any less, especially following the finale.

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