Walker's Jared Padalecki Talks Finale's Murder Threat, Why He's 'Excited and Nervous' About Cordell/Geri Future (2023)

Warning: The following contains spoilers for ThursdayWalkerfinals. Proceed at your own risk!

Walkerfans are no doubt relieved that the CW series wasrestoredafter watching the season 3 finale on Thursday.

Among the episode's biggest events: Captain James and Kelly remarried; Auggie told Cordell that he wanted to join the army, while Stella announced that she was going to college in the city in the fall; Cassie was seriously considering joining the FBI task force (and maybe leaving Austin for good?); Geri and Cordell share a kiss, which is interrupted by a call informing Cordell that a serial killer from his past known as the Jackal may have killed again; and Stella and Sadie happened after a burglary, leading to a fight between Stella and the outlaw, Witt, who was accidentally shot with his own gun during the struggle. But when Stella returned to the scene of the crime with Liam, Witt's body was MIA.

Below, star/executive producerJared Padaleckibreaks down those twists and reveals what he's most excited to explore in Season 4.

TVLINE|First of all, congratulations onobnova!
Thanks a lot! Definitely a relief. We all waited with bated breath. So to get that vote of confidence was a huge, huge thing. And [Wednesday was] Odette Annable's birthday. [Thursday] is Coby [Bell's] birthday. [Kale Culley's] birthday is this month. So they all kind of mentioned in the thread with acting lyrics like, "Best birthday present ever!" It was really nice to be able to share that great news with the gang.

TVLINE|You planted a lot of seeds for the next season, so thank God you got that renewal. Which storyline are you most excited about in Season 4 coming up after the finale?
Well, I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I kind of have a lot of interesting stories that deal with a character who has to deal with past traumas. Obviously I've been doing this for many, many yearsSupernaturallike Sam Winchester. And so, the story of the Jackal, this case that went cold that really ate away at Captain James and Cordell Walker years ago, the fact that it could be reopened is very exciting. We've seen Captain James stand firm for the entire Ranger organization and for his friend Cordell. So I think it's nice that, hopefully next season, I'll be able to return the favor and be there for him when he has to remember some of his past trauma. So I don't want to say I'm number 1 on my list, but definitely high on my list.

I also like the bombshell in August who wanted to go into the military and Cordell didn't know how to approach it and said, "Well,anddid that. So who am I to say: 'Don't do it'? I just say, 'Don't do it yet.'"

And I'm veryveryexcited for the Cordell/Geri storyline and seeing where they go. They kind of gave a preliminary shot and it didn't take off. But now that their lives are different and they've had time to really think about it and digest it, I think they could be a good tag team for Stella and Auggie.

TVLINE|But between a serial killer and an FBI task force, how worried should we be that the job will get in the way of Cordell and Gera's rekindled romance? Or are they finally ready to really try?
[he laughs] I think we can be sure that it is sowantget in the way, and that's going to be an exciting part to explore and play out and discover with the writers and the audience, to see how realistic it is for Cordell to find love again and for Geri to find love again. Obviously, we saw Hoyt return in episode 17 of season three, so we know she was happy with someone. There were asterisks, obviously, with Hoyt, and I guess there are with Cordell, because his job is serious and it can be dangerous and it can, as we've seen, kind of bleed into his home and his family and everything. So I'm excited and... I don't want to say hesitant. I'm excited and nervous to explore that with the writers next season.

TVLINE|Ondidhe asks her to stay with him over the summer. So can we at least assume that he definitely won't take the FBI gig?
Well, it wouldn't start before summer anyway. And so, he'll have time to think about it, and he'll have to measure in some way whether it's important enough. He doesn't want to do Rodeo Kings again. He doesn't want to cling to anything again and I think he's starting to really put down roots with his family and the people he loves. I'm obviously not talking to the writers right now because they're on strike, and I'm very supportive of them. But once we all get back in the pool, I can't wait to see what they think about what Walker's decision will be.

TVLINE|We also have to talk about Walker's second child because that cliffhanger with Stella was pretty dramatic. And it was interesting that she decided to go to Liam and not her father for help. Do you think it will cause a rift in the family?
That's a good question. I don't think so. That is possible. I can understand why Walker would be upset. And maybe this is unimportant or uninteresting, but the reason it happened the way it did is because of the location issues we had. So at first Liam was just supposed to be the first person she ran into, like she'd just see him while she figured out who to tell. And so he was the first person [she saw], and she couldn't call her dad, so she told Liam. But also, Walker probably didn't have his phone on him, didn't check it much. He helped with bacon and eggs at Side Step for the after party. [he laughs] I think Walker always finds himself in a situation - and God, I guess Jared also found himself in the same position - that August went to Bonham to talk about recruiting. Stella seemingly went to talk to Liam about the crazy situation she and Sadie found themselves in at the end of the episode. So he might pause, but I think eventually he will understand.

TVLINE|I wondered if it might have something to do with the fact that he is an authority, that he is part of the police force, so to speak, so it puts him in an ethically compromised position, too, if she goes to him.
Yeah, you know, for that purpose, maybe thatworksupset Walker. Thinking about it now, now that I know we're going to explore it next season, Walker would definitely feel kind of bombarded. His son comes at him saying, "Hey, I talked to Grandpa about this," and his daughter ends up having to admit, "Hey, I talked to Liam about that." You might find yourself in a position like, “Wow, what am I a chopped liver? This is what I do, keep my family safe, keep the people of Texas safe as best I can. So why don't you call me right away? Why don't you come to me?" I'm sure Walker will find out what happened very quickly and I hope he can focus on the task at hand and not get too emotionally involved with feeling hurt.

Walkerfans, what do you think about the end of the season? Rate below and then hit the comments!