Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki Reunite On The Walker Set for ‘No Such Thing As Fair Play’

Last Thursday was a big day for Supernatural fans who miss seeing “Sam and Dean” on their screens. It marked the first time series star and Executive Producer Jared Padalecki was reunited with his Supernatural brother and costar Jensen Ackles – this time as Director of an episode of his new show, Walker. To say that I was bouncing with anticipation for this episode would be an understatement!

Because this was a special episode, I’ve gathered together some of the behind the scenes interviews and photos and posts here along with my review of the episode itself – I want to remember how much fun it was!

The episode title is ‘No Such Thing As Fair Play,” but the SPNFamily will always think of this episode as “Don’t You Cry No More”, the title that we all saw on director Jensen Ackles’ working copy of the script – our first clue that this was going to be a very special episode for all of us who love Supernatural and now love Walker. (And a big hint that Kansas would play an integral part in this reunion episode)

Katherine Alyse, the writer of the episode who is a bona fide Supernatural fan, explained in a tweet after the episode aired:

Katherine: To atone for the heart break I’ve caused I offer to you a fun fact about why the episode title changed. Using song lyrics for an episode title is actually very expensive. Like eat up your whole music budget expensive. But we all know what the episode title in our heart is.

Yes we do, Katherine.

The episode marked the first time that Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki had been on set working together since Supernatural finished filming over a year and a half ago. While the two didn’t technically have time onscreen together (though both appear in the episode), it was a new kind of collaboration too, with Jared an Executive Producer and Jensen the director.

The anticipation leading up to the episode airing was like the old days of Supernatural fandom, everyone online and constant content coming in every single time I played a little hooky from work to check in on social media. We even got a Walker cast and crew TikTok thanks to Ashley Reyes:

Walker TikTok

There were multiple interviews with Ackles about directing on his friend’s show, which made it clear that he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. He told TV Line that it gave the duo a whole new audience for their fifteen years of jokes.

Jensen: Jared and I kind of laughed about…all the jokes that we repeated for 15 years, they’re now landing on fresh ears – we have a whole new audience! This is amazing!

Ackles spent his birthday on set with Padalecki, which he said had happened so many times that he’s lost count, and appreciated that Jared had told the cast and crew how much he’d learned from Jensen (and vice versa clearly).

Jensen: I was walking a little taller that day. It was very sweet and so typical of Jared to give some good shoutouts and some honor… He’s that guy.

On working with Padalecki again, he told EW:  It was fun to get back into the shorthand with him with performance notes, with technical notes. I can even use a reference to a movie and he knows that I’m actually giving him a note. There’s nobody else I can do that with. He and I have that, and we’ll always have that. That’s not something that fades away.

There were a few photos leading up to the episode airing, which at one point made up about 99% of my social media feeds. Keegan Allen proved himself one of us with his post of the photo of Jared and Jensen from EW, saying that “It was a joy to see this in person – totally understand the fandom because I am a fan as well.”

Padalecki quipped that the horse didn’t get the memo – about their matching outfits!

KsiteTV also posted some bts photos of Ackles directing, which whet our collective appetite even more.

And EW posted some behind the scenes shots of Jared and Jensen on stage with Kansas, looking like total fanboys themselves – and how could they not be? It’s Kansas!!

Jensen Ackles, whose social media posts are a rarity, posted his own excitement about the episode, his love for the Walker cast and crew, and the experience of working with Padalecki again.

Jared Padalecki was equally excited for everyone to see the episode, and grateful for everyone who made it so special.

Even Jensen’s director’s assistant, Sebastian Sada, posted his bts photo with “the boss man” and said what a great experience filming had been.

Gen Padalecki joined in the excitement too, posting her own Instagram reminder of the special episode coming up.

Jared, Jensen and Clif Kosterman were also together again, after fifteen years on Supernatural together.

Odette Annable posted some bts photos and messages of her own and so did Violet Brinson, including at the Kansas show.

Odette also posted a little video of their private Kansas concert, so fandom got a preview too!

https://twitter.com/WalkerGifNInfo/status/1514670251849314310?s=20&t=qKky-axfTLRpvBMKcZo8RA

@xmiamigal also posted a little behind the scenes snippet with Jared and Jensen rocking out together.

https://twitter.com/TheWalkerWiki/status/1514671213968334853?s=20&t=qKky-axfTLRpvBMKcZo8RA

Even Jensen posted a little bts video of him watching Kansas and getting totally into it.

https://twitter.com/TheWalkerWiki/status/1514661185148395529?s=20&t=qKky-axfTLRpvBMKcZo8RA

So needless to say we were all over the top excited even before the show began airing. It felt like the ‘old days’ of Supernatural for me, as I grabbed my food and drink and settled in to watch. Both Padalecki and Ackles had told the fandom to expect plenty of Supernatural Easter eggs – which was perfect, since Easter was a few days after the episode aired – so I had my glasses clean and was ready as soon as it began. And I didn’t have to wait long! Some fans had made up bingo cards for the reunion occasion, and though pie and pudding were on there, this one should have been too – bacon! Dean Winchester’s favorite breakfast was front and center at the Walker family breakfast, with director Ackles making sure we got a nice close up. Good thing I had some queso for the episode, since a plate of bacon definitely makes me hungry!

Cordell tries to get Stella and Augie to weigh in on what they’d like their new house to be like, looking at it as an opportunity to design their dream house. The kids are less than enthusiastic, still reeling from the loss of, as Stella says, “our ancestral family home.” Cordell’s right, though, staying in a rental forever wouldn’t feel good either.

Geri joins them with a “hey team,” and shares some bacon while awkwardly finding out that Cordell told the kids she’s a Davidson. The episode begins with Geri very much on Team Walker, saying family is about more than where you came from, it’s who stands by you.

Cordell and Geri go out on the porch to talk, and Ackles frames them in an interesting way, encased in the narrow deck, bars on the front, and the two of them facing off. There’s a notable distance between them as they begin to talk, and while it’s clear there’s a tremendous amount of genuine affection there and a desire on both their parts to bridge the gap between them, nevertheless it’s there. Inevitably, it’s there.

Geri tells him that she had a visit with Gale, and says that she cried when she saw her and was more interested in getting to know her daughter than rehashing the past. Cordell attempts to be understanding but still calls Gale an odd duck, while Geri already is expressing some empathy for Gale’s situation – finding out your husband gave away your baby is a Big Deal, no matter who you are.

They agree not to talk about it too much, and Cordell invites Geri to join the Walkers at the Rangers Fair – where Kansas is playing.

Geri: Kansas? Dust in the Wind Kansas??

Everyone watching: No Geri, Carry On Wayward Son Kansas!

Cordell after Geri walks away: Wait, that’s the song you go to?

Easter egg number two!

(And yes, they are Easter eggs even when they’re obvious – that’s the whole point, they’re obvious to us but not to anyone who didn’t know Kansas has a song that’s Supernatural’s theme song).

The camera lingers on Cordell’s face as Geri walks away – Padalecki (and director Ackles) do a great job of showing us the little bit of doubt that’s already creeping into Cordell’s mind.

Bonham, Abeline and Liam unpack the boxes of stuff they moved, Abby upset because her go-to tote bag is missing. She’s such a mom and I am here for it. Bonham and Liam both encourage her to talk to Geri at the fair, reminding her that she couldn’t have known that the baby Marv gave up was Geri.

Liam appears with something to replace the tote bag for their sandwiches and drinks – and it’s none other than The Green Cooler! Easter egg number 3!  Sam and Dean’s ubiquitous cooler was with them throughout the 15 seasons of Supernatural, so having it onscreen for Jared and Jensen’s reunion was priceless.

“It was with Cordi’s stuff,” Liam says. They’re all happy to see it for a second (along with all of us), until they open it and it apparently does not smell too good and is not empty.

Bonham: Oh lord, what kinda heathens…

Us: Maybe it’s from the werepire severed head that was in it…

He pulls out a beer left behind, and it’s even the beer we see Sam and Dean drink, Larklair Tejas beer, immortalized in the Season One episode ‘Hell House’, where Sam glues Dean’s hand to it in the middle of the brothers’ prank war. I was so happy to see it again!

Writer Katherine Alyse (a bona fide Supernatural fan) wanted A green cooler – Ackles offered up THE green cooler, which lives in his garage with the actual Impala. And he even had the beer from the Supernatural set to put in it!

According to EW, the Easter eggs were partly the writer and partly the director. When Katherine mentioned the cooler, Ackles wanted to do it one better.

Ackles: I was like, how about the actual green cooler? ‘I’ve got it, should we use it?’ And then the plate of bacon, that’s a no-brainer.

It was a blow to the Supernatural fandom when the Walkers sent the cooler away, but apparently Ackles thought that would be amusing too. Mitch Pileggi’s “what kind of heathens…” line was an ad lib, going right along with the SPNFamily fun as another Supernatural alum.

The Walkers head to the fair, which the crew did an amazing job setting up and Ackles did an amazing job filming.

It felt like we were right there – the sights, the sounds, the chaos, the colors. I could almost smell the food-you-shouldn’t-eat-but-can’t-wait-to-anyway. There were some subtle little maybe shout outs, like a sock monkey that recalls Supernatural castmate Misha Collins and a dinosaur that looked a bit like the one in the Scoobynatural episode.

We got a definite shout out when Radio Company’s song “All My Livin’ Time” (the band that consists of Jensen Ackles and Steve Carlson) played in the background as Cassie and Captain James stroll along, pronouncing carnival games they can’t win “rigged”. They make an amusing duo.  James spots Trey (winning a medal in a strong man bang the hammer and ring the bell game) and greets him.

When Trey says he wouldn’t miss out on a chance for deep fried cookies, Cassie is skeptical.

Cassie: Like YOU eat fair food…

I really like Cassie. She is so very Dean Winchester.

There’s an inevitably awkward conversation as Trey finds out this is Walker’s new partner, and Cassie quickly picks up on it.

Cassie: Okay, what is with this eye convo, and can I get a quick translation?

I kinda love Cassie’s just-come-out-with-it manner. I wish I had more of that!

The awkwardness is interrupted by Cassie seeing someone from her past walking over.

Cassie: I just spotted trouble from Dallas.

(This part was actually offered to Jensen, which would have made that line even funnier since he’s from Richardson, Dallas-adjacent. He felt it would be too difficult to create a new character onscreen while also trying to direct, so suggested his friend Josh Hopkins for the role. The two had worked on the Rust movie and drove back to Austin together after that tragedy happened. There’s also another line of “hey if anybody from Dallas gives you crap today come find me” which would also amusingly apply)

Turns out it’s her old boss, Capt. Fenton Cole, the one who rushed into closing the investigation into the disappearance of her partner Miles and pronounced him dead. Cassie is even more bristly when it turns out that Fenton is now with Rita, Miles’ wife. She protests that he’s only been missing for 6 months, but Rita insists that Miles is not coming back.

Cassie walks off in a huff, looking for her new partner to ask for his help.

The Walker family arrives at the fair, Ackles giving us some sweeping shots from the top of the ferris wheel that almost give you that dizzying feeling of doing too many rides and eating too much bad food that fairs inevitably come with. All the kudos to Action Ackles for making us feel like we’re right there at the fair! Cordell warns his kids about the food part and sends them off with tickets.  I love the framing of this shot, Cordell with his signature cowboy hat and broad shoulders.

Cordell and Geri share an affectionate hug, and Cordell shares one with Randall his Ranger friend too. Geri and Randall together talk him into doing a partner blindfold contest for a prize, Geri encouraging a reluctant Cordell with “c’mon, it’ll be fun to boss you around for a little while!”

One of Padalecki’s real life MMA friends played the competition, and everyone – especially director Ackles – had way too much fun putting Jared through his paces. He told Nerds and Beyond that at first he kept his eyes open to sort of see through the blindfold, but that made it too hard to act as though he couldn’t see, so he ended up just closing them. And tripping over the tires a time or two!

Jared live tweeted: YEAH!!! Definitely the only physical competition I could win against Frank Trigg

Ackles films it from multiple perspectives, which really gave us the feel of the course and added to the fun. The scene highlights what good partners they are, as opposed to the bickering other couple, who end up losing to them. Odette clearly enjoyed this scene!

Jensen told TV Insider that he could have watched Jared traverse a tough mudder type course all day.

Ackles: We didn’t have the time and obviously we needed to service some of the other actors. But I would’ve spent all day watching him go through a variety of obstacles that I had deviously created.

Andre Williams, who plays fan favorite Randall, tweeted that the scene was “HILARIOUS.”

Andre: I mean, the creative improv that was going on, the chemistry we had and just the fun. I wish the stuff that was edited out was in – the world will never know!

Damn.

Cordell wins Geri a giant sock monkey (in GISH colors). When she gets a call from Gale, Walker encourages her to take it. He really is trying. Geri steps away to talk, and Walker puts his arm around the life size monkey.

Cordell: C’mere, big guy. How you doin?

Jared live tweeted the episode and let us know that was a director Ackles suggestion – and one of my favorite little moments in the episode.

Padalecki: “How you doin?”… Tried to do my best Joey impression…I think it needs a little bit of work… (Our director’s idea)

Cassie interrupts Geri and Walker’s celebration of winning, asking him to be a ringer. She wants him to try to get the truth out of Fenton, since he hasn’t met Walker yet. Geri worries that it might get Cordi in trouble, but doesn’t stand in the way. Cordell is hesitant too, but Cassie is determined. Cassie understandably feels like Cole closed the case too quickly with her gun never found and no blood on the scene. She can’t access the file to get any other evidence and she’s frustrated.

This was also, I think, the moment that Ackles played a prank on Padalecki. He has a real life fear of bears, so Ackles had one of the AD’s put on a bear suit and jump out at them. Ashley Reyes was in on it but jumped a mile, while Padalecki stood his ground.

Ackles: He didn’t run away like a scared child, I must say he stood his ground…. He’s growing up. They do that.

Big brother Jensen channeling a little Dean Winchester there.

Daniela Campos (who played the bear) posted a little video of the priceless moment:

https://twitter.com/__dacampos/status/1514649487788101632?s=20&t=qKky-axfTLRpvBMKcZo8RA

Cordell has his doubts but agrees to have her back as he promised. She demands “how real was that promise?” and he won’t go back on it. I took issue a bit with Cassie in this scene – she really is putting Walker’s career at risk and she guilt trips him to do it, pushing hard and not giving him time to really think about it. In fact, she literally physically gives him a push toward Fenton.  It turns out okay in this case, but it rubbed me the wrong way. That’s fine with me though, I like complex imperfect characters who sometimes do shitty things – like most of us.

Ackles does a great job directing Padalecki throughout the episode, which is not surprising considering he’s done it multiple times before, but I particularly liked the subtlety of this scene, as you can see Cordell work through it and come to a reluctant decision. He’s a loyal friend and partner – some of his defining characteristics. Ackles offers more close ups than the show sometimes does, which make these deeper character moments where there’s a lot going on non-verbally come through loud and clear.

Cassie insists that if she can get her hands on the file, Rita will see that the case was closed too soon. So Cordell does as she asks, striking up a conversation with Fenton.  Cordell pretends to be having ‘problems’ with his new partner, but Fenton has only praise for Cassie, saying she closed down more cases in a few months than most Rangers do in a year. He also easily sees through what Cordell is trying to do. When Cordell realizes, he asks about Rita.

Once again, Ackles shoots this with effective close ups, so we can see the tension between the two handsome men in cowboy hats, cutting to Cassie looking on with apprehension from time to time.  (Also this would have been a great scene if it had turned out to be Ackles and Padalecki in it!)

Cordell confides that he understands how you can be friends with someone for a long time and “there’s always a little something between you”, talking about him and Geri, and Fenton agrees. Cordell is pretty brilliant here, using empathy to get Fenton to open up. He confides that Rita needed the insurance money for her mortgage and for her daughter.

Cassie, unable to wait, confronts Rita, accusing her of prioritizing money over her husband. Rita insists Miles is dead and that Cassie is too locked into her own version of the story to see the truth – a theme of this episode. Frustrated, Rita says that they found new evidence and asks Fenton to share it.

He tells them that they found Cassie’s stolen gun, along with Miles’ blood – not where the casings were found, but in a black van that Miles was forced into and then shot from outside. No prints, no leads.  Rita asked Fenton to file the paperwork for the insurance, needing the help when she had no one. Fenton said he thought it would have made it easier for Cassie not to know, but now he’ll declassify the case and send the file over – that he hopes she finds peace.

Cassie is shocked, trying to apologize to Rita. Cordell gives her a supportive hand on the shoulder as Fenton and Rita walk away. There’s so much of that in this episode – walking away. Another theme that Ackles makes clear with the way he films those scenes.

Meanwhile, Abeline runs into Geri and asks to clear the air, which was a good impulse, but it quickly goes south. Interestingly, Abeline both reiterates that a man who gives up a baby wasn’t who she knew Marv to be, and also says that he told her that the baby (Geri) was happy and healthy – which wouldn’t have been the case since at the time she needed heart surgery. Abeline also says that she thought Gale couldn’t handle the information even after Marv had died, and Geri questions whether that was her choice to make, which I do think she has a point.  Abeline protests that Gale attacked her son (Cordell) at the time, which also is an understandable point, and Geri does say that she knows it was Marv who should have told Gale, not Abby. But she admits she also feels defensive.

Abeline: Trust me, Gale Davidson doesn’t need anyone to defend her. That woman can defend herself just fine.

She’s smiling as she says it, and it’s clearly a dig, and Geri does just what she said she would do – she gets defensive.

Geri: Well, maybe she’d lighten up if anyone else was ever on her side.

Ackles films Geri walking out, and we see Abeline look into the distance, distressed.

It’s a positioning we see multiple times in this episode, which is full of relationships being pulled apart and people not understanding others who they are genuinely trying to relate to. It’s also the recurring theme of this episode playing out – Abby has her story of what happened between the Walkers and the Davidsons, and she can’t see that Geri’s story is now, inevitably, a different one.

And then we get a brief break from the angst with an actual freaking Kansas concert (in the Novak Auditorium, presumably a shout out to Castiel’s vessel Jimmy Novak in Supernatural)! I don’t think Jensen Ackles ever thought he’d be directing concert footage, but I love the way it’s done, cutting between the perspective of the audience watching the band, hands in the air and cheering and singing long, the camera sweeping back and forth, to the Walkers and Trey and Geri enjoying the hell out of it. Keegan Allen singing along was particularly believable – that would totally be me, Keegan.

Apparently director Jensen walked through the concert at one point, but he still had his mask on from directing so it couldn’t be in the shot – hopefully it’s in the outtakes and we’ll get to see it someday. Ackles told TVInsider:

Jensen: There was a moment in the concert where I walk by, and he (Jared) and I look at each other – but it was more of a gag. I did it and nobody was expecting it. I just threw the headphones off at the last second and walked into the scene. I think I even still had my mask on.

I so hope we’ll get to see that moment!

Hearing Carry On again, in an episode of television that included both Jared and Jensen, was almost overwhelmingly emotional for me.

I teared up with the first notes, just as I did when Kansas surprised us at the Supernatural panel in Hall H at Comic Con a few years ago. That band, and that song, are inextricably tied up with Supernatural for me, forever. Also? Kansas rocks!

Gale texts Geri in the middle of it and Cordell tells her to tell Gale to leave her alone, she’s at a concert. He’s dismissive of the text, which is almost childish. Geri responds with ‘c’mon, don’t do that’, but he doesn’t get it this time, just wanting her to enjoy this moment with him.

Cordell: She’s being a little obvious, no?

Geri walks out, and Cordell follows, while Kansas plays on.

I loved the little touch that the text was not really developmentally appropriate for Geri, a grown woman in her thirties. That makes so much sense to me – Gale lost a baby, her baby girl – and although intellectually she knows that was 30 some years ago, she just got that baby back. She missed all those years, those decades, of being able to love that child, and now she wants to do that. I’m guessing that Katherine’s writing, and it’s brilliant. My psychologist self might have gasped and then grinned. And then went back to being teary eyed, because while it makes total sense, it’s also really tragic.

Geri is thrown by the text and Cordell’s reaction to it, and his well-intentioned suggestion that she dismiss her mother’s attempts to derail her fun evening (even if that wasn’t Gale’s intention, we don’t know yet – but it’s Gale, so it might have been!)

She throws out a ‘Dolly’ safe word, meaning they’re headed in the wrong direction. Cordell asks if this is about Gale, and Geri looks incredulous. Of course this is about Gale!

Geri: Cordi, she’s my birth mom. Have you given yourself time to think about that?

He stammers that he hasn’t really had the time, and Padalecki and Annable are so good here. He’s clearly lost his footing, doesn’t really grasp why she’s so upset, and she’s hurt and frustrated that he doesn’t get it. They’re both scared too, wanting this relationship and terrified they won’t get back on the same page, back in sync.

Geri tries to explain that she’s different now – that she’s not who she always thought she was.  She tells him she was angry at Abby earlier, and defensive of Gale, and that she’s scared that if she tries to be part of the Walker family now, things will be awkward – and it will hurt. I so feel for her, trying so hard to  navigate what has become an incredibly complicated situation.

Cordell is trying so hard too, telling her that he understands, framing her face in his hands and trying to make her believe him. Again, this is beautifully directed; Ackles slows down and doesn’t rush it, letting the two actors really inhabit the moment, and they both show all the complicated emotions that the characters are feeling.

Cordell: Geri, I still feel the same way about you.

Geri: And I feel the same way about you. But I can’t do this together right now, I have to know where I stand.

And who she is.

Cordell: Here we are again, always at the end of the world together, right?

But this time it won’t be together, at least not right now.

She apologizes, kisses his hands tenderly, and walks away.

You can see Cordi’s face slowly collapse, his affectionate loving gaze turning distraught as he realizes what’s happening; as Geri walks away.

Once again, the camera stays on the one left behind, the hurt and fear and love plain on Padalecki’s face.

All the kudos, Action Ackles – and to Odette and Jared for some powerful, nuanced acting. Ouch.

The fair also changes things for Stella and Colton. Earlier, Stella and Todd peruse fair merch. Stella can’t stop thinking about all the loss they’ve just gone through with the house, while Todd tries to cheer her up. She agrees, but also points out that sometimes they need to talk about the serious stuff too – another recurring theme of this episode is the importance of communication, even when it’s hard (and in a drama series, it is ALWAYS hard). Not that it isn’t hard in real life too!

They play a water gun race game and Colton joins them, the two boys busy competing against each other as the admittedly competitive Stella actually wins. I noticed things like filming angles more because I was wondering how Jensen would direct something not Supernatural, and I liked that the race was shot from the perspective of the targets too, the spray splattering right in front of us on screen. Again, I could almost feel it!

Colton tries to apologize, saying he didn’t think his family was really going to go through with taking their ranch, that he’d thought they were just ego tripping. It’s a sincere apology, I think, but Stella protests that it had a real life impact and she and Todd walk away. Poor Colton.

He takes his frustration out throwing balls at great velocity at another carnival game (with a similar perspective of the targets again), and Geri finds him there.

Geri: Kinda aggro for a family event.

Colton confides in her that he tried to apologize and feels like an idiot, and they walk together. Out of all the people trying to relate to each other, Colton and Geri actually do the best job of it. He openly expresses how weird it is that they’re suddenly related, that she’s now his aunt, and he’s also comfortable asking her how weird it is to meet her bio mom. They relate as two people who know what it’s like to be adopted and to feel like they don’t quite belong, and she answers him without any of the defensiveness that characterizes her communication with others. She tells Colton that his grandma Gale was so welcoming, even though that’s not usually the vibe she gives off, and he can just laugh with her about it comfortably.

She confides in him that she’s worried that the Walkers are set in the way that they see the Davidsons, even though now she is one – that they have their story and they can’t see alternate narratives that don’t line up with it. She also advises him to talk to Stella, and tell her that he understands what she lost. Poor Geri, she really is trying – in an impossible situation.

Colton finds Stella again as the fair closes, and says they don’t need to talk, but he found a necklace of hers and wanted to give it back – it’s her mother’s. He also says it hit him, everything she lost.

Colton: Stella, I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t mean much, but I am.

He finally tells her that the song that Todd sang, he wrote for her, but didn’t think he stood a chance against Todd. Stella thanks him, closes the distance between them and looks like she wants to say more, then turns away.

She leaves with Todd, but looks back over her shoulder at Colton. That was another nice shot, Ackles – full of meaning, and a contrast to all the other shots of people leaving without looking back, without that ambivalence.

Despondent, Cassie finds a palm reader tent and goes inside, still drinking from her bottle of tequila. The music and the whole feel changes suddenly, and for a moment I thought I was back watching an episode of Supernatural, actually expecting something scary to happen. It’s a beautiful scene, lit by candlelight, the lights reflecting off the crystal globe on the table.

Trey joins her, asking “you okay?”

Cassie: Oh, “you okay?”…every woman’s favorite question…

I love Katherine Alyse’s writing so much. They tweeted about that line:

Katherine: Can’t even lie that was a fun thing Jensen and I spit balled on! It felt right for Cassie!

Cassie and Trey clear the air and she says she’s ready to go full Walter Mercado and give him a tarot card reading – though she has no idea what they mean. She lays out some cards, making it up as she goes, with Strength being his present, and then the last one being his future. Except it turns out to be Death.

Trey: I’m not claiming that one!

Cassie: That one’s definitely for me. Damn it, Miles.

Trey tells her about the silent conversation between him and James, that seeing Walker’s new partner threw him after he was so close to his last one.

Trey: Also you’re very off putting at first, so I had to let him know that too.

Cassie: I’ll drink to that.

They toast to different types of strength, and then get routed by the fortune teller, rather hilariously.

The episode ends in a dark field at night, Fenton’s pickup truck driving out to a trailer in the middle of nowhere, lit by moonlight and a fire in an old oil barrel and the headlights of the truck. It’s an eerily beautiful scene – nice job, director Ackles.

Fenton grabs some drinks and heads toward the trailer, ominous music playing, when the door swings open.

 

I think just about everyone watching gasped in recognition of the silhouette of the man standing in the doorway – and his bowlegs.

Fenton: We gotta talk.

Jensen Ackles confirmed in all the interviews that aired immediately after the episode that yes, that was him in the trailer. He told TV Insider:

Jensen: That’s me! Just look for the bowlegs and you’ll see ‘em. They hadn’t cast Miles yet – they’d actually pitched it to me. They said “We have this character and we want to tease him at the end of the episode but we haven’t cast him yet…unless it’s something you want to do”. But I couldn’t commit to what they needed [time-wise] for the character, so I said “Look, unfortunately I’m already committed to some other stuff. However, if you’re looking to get some ambiguous figure [now] and cast it later, we can shoot that and instead of hiring some random dude, I’ll step in. I’ll be the random dude.

The rest is history.  Ackles joked that fans would recognize his bowlegs.

Ackles: That’s my M. Night Shyamalan. I said to our DP, is there light between my knees? Okay, we’re good, we can shoot. They were like, ‘no one’s going to recognize that is you’ and I’m like, the right ones will.

A smug fandom: Damn right we will.

To make a wonderful episode even better, both Jared and Jensen posted on social media during the day about how much fun they had working together again and that they hoped we enjoyed the episode.

Padalecki live tweeted the episode, as he often does, much to the fandom’s delight, ending with this tweet:

Jared: Alright WalkerFamily, thanks SO MUCH for joining #Walker tonight! Hope y’all enjoyed the show. And, the SHOW! Thanks Jensen Ackles for comin out and steering he ship, and watching Kansas together again. Hadn’t seen em live since Comic Con. Signing out.

Jared told Nerds & Beyond that having Jensen on the Walker set felt “seamless”, since he was already friends with Odette and Mitch, so a lot of the people he was working with he either already knew or had worked with before.

Jared: It felt awesome. It felt like I was proud to be showing off my brother, so it was fun. I think a lot of my crew got a sense of how I might have ended up the leader that I am on Walker because I’ve been learning from this guy as well. So it was nice to have that kind of come full circle.

Jared also told Nerds and Beyond that the crew ended up loving Jensen even more (if that was possible) after he faceplanted himself right into the birthday cake they got him. You can read that full interview here:

Nerds and Beyond Interview with Jared

Jensen posted a reply to one of Jared’s IG posts:

Mitch Pileggi told Looper how great it was to have Jared and Jensen on set together again, with lots of shenanigans: To have those two knuckleheads together was… phew, you can only imagine!

We so can.

Meanwhile, fandom immediately began playing the game of “spot director Jensen Ackles in other scenes” since Padalecki mentioned that he’d have alot to choose from. My timeline is full of options right now…

Is that you, Mr. Ackles?? Or how about here?

Perhaps we’ll find out at the upcoming convention.

So now that this episode has aired, Kansas and Jensen are now officially a part of the Walker family. My heart.

In fact, Kansas did some tweeting too, replying after Odette Annable posted a photo of the cast at the concert.

Kansas: But in full disclosure, this was before we found out Geri is a Davidson…

Clearly they were already Walker fans!

Thanks to everyone on the cast and crew for a wonderful episode – I thoroughly enjoyed it! Looking forward to finding out more about mystery man Miles when Walker returns to conclude its second season.

Beautiful caps from spndeangirl

– Lynn

You can read all about Jared Padalecki and

Jensen Ackles’ experience on Supernatural

and with fans in their chapters in Family

Don’t End With Blood and There’ll Be

Peace When You Are Done – links here or at: