WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Walker Season 2, Episode 10, "Nudge," which aired Thursday, March 3 on The CW.
Cordell Walker may be a celebrated lawman but he's also a man that hasn't quite been able to reconcile the vulnerabilities in his life, both unable to articulate his growing feelings for longtime family friend Geri Broussard and feeling unmoored in the wake of losing his partner, Micki Ramirez. Fortunately, Walker has just received a new partner set to shake up his life and career, pushing in a direction where he can finally be more honest about himself while continuing to keep the Lone Star State safe from crime.
Walker moves to investigate a Ranger named Miles who went missing and was presumed dead after Captain Larry James discovers he's linked to a crime ring trafficking stolen cars. Though Captain James is working diligently to find Walker a new partner, Walker moves forward with his assignment alone, though his friends notice he's becoming increasingly lonely on the job. Scoping out a stolen car, Walker is mistaken for the thief by a woman who uses a taser on him and dumps him in the car's trunk for a high-speed interrogation through the streets of Austin. The woman reveals herself to be Texas Ranger Cassie Perez, from the Dallas Ranger office, who stops the awkward showdown after checking Walker's information with James.
Returning to the Austin Ranger office, Cassie reveals she is on an indefinite leave of absence after her partner was kidnapped, intent on getting to the bottom of the car-stealing case from her own perspective as it's linked to her partner going missing -- Cassie's former partner was Miles. Noticing how the two Rangers play off each other and feeling Cassie provides her own valuable insight, James decides to partner up Walker with Cassie, despite Walker's vocal protests. Meanwhile, Cassie pays a surprise visit to the Walker family ranch to learn more about her new partner and the circumstances surrounding his former partner Micki's departure from the force.
Gail Davidson has a tense run-in with Abby Walker before dropping off supplies at the Side Step and commiserating with Geri over losing people close to them. Meanwhile, August Walker notices Colton Davidson is still pining over his sister Stella, advising him to be patient and let her romance with their classmate Todd run its course. Inspired by her conversation with Geri, Gail later decides to pay Abby a visit at the ranch and finally have the uncomfortable discussion about what Abby and Gail's late husband Marv talked about before he died. As this takes place, Liam and Trey Barnett begin surveying the land between the Davidsons and Walkers, learning that the property lines may have been misinterpreted all along.
Walker and Cassie realize where the car-stealing ring's base of operations is, investigating a warehouse and busting the crook inside after an extended fight, with Walker successfully talking Cassie down from employing excessive force. In the aftermath, Cassie admits to Walker that she doesn't carry a sidearm as her gun was stolen from her and linked to Miles' disappearance and has wrestled with the guilt that her gun may have been used to kill her partner.
Impressed by her conduct, James formally offers Cassie to reinstate her as a Ranger under her command, partnered with Walker. Cassie takes him up on this offer, advising Walker to stop sitting on his laurels and pursue a romance with Geri, which Walker accepts, ending the episode with a romantic interlude.
Developed for television by Anna Fricke, Walker airs Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT on The CW.