Walker star, Lindsey Morgan, is leaving the series after two seasons. After playing the heartthrob Sam Winchester throughout the 15 seasons of Supernatural, Jared Padalecki switched over to Walker as his second outing with The CW. A reboot of CBS's 1990 Lone Wolf McQuade-inspired series, Walker, Texas Ranger, the new show stars Padalecki as Ranger Cordell Walker, a widower with two children, who after returning home from an undercover assignment, finds himself dealing with the trauma caused by his wife's mysterious death. Walker began airing in January 2021, and its second season is currently underway on The CW.
Although Walker has received mixed reviews from critics, the show is, nevertheless, performing well in terms of ratings. The pilot was the most-watched telecast for the network in 3 years, as well as its most-watched season premiere since The Flash season 4's in October 2017. This success can be credited to the show's amazing cast, which includes notable names like Keegan Allen, Molly Hagan, Coby Bell, Jeff Pierre, Mitch Pileggi, and Genevieve Padalecki. Recently, the show underwent some casting shakeups - Dave Annable and Mason Thames joined in important roles for season 2 while Odette Annable was promoted to series regular. And now again, Walker will witness a significant change within its roster of characters.
As reported by Deadline on Friday, actress Lindsey Morgan who plays Micki Ramirez on Walker has quit the show for "personal reasons." Morgan's exit will take place sometime during the ongoing season 2, although her final episode is still to be declared. The circumstances around the actress' exit are unclear, but as per her official statement, she is leaving the show on a good note. Morgan says she decided to walk away after elaborate contemplation and self-analysis, but she still holds her job in high regard and wishes only the best for her show's team. Read what Morgan said below:
“After much thoughtful consideration and introspection, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to step away from my role as Micki Ramirez on Walker for personal reasons, and I am eternally grateful to have the support of the producers, CBS Studios and The CW in allowing me to do so. The opportunity to play Micki has truly been a blessing as has working alongside the incredible cast and crew of this terrific series. Please know that I will continue to root for my TV family and wish them all the best.”
While Morgan has departed Walker officially, there is still a chance that she might show up as a guest in future episodes, as suggested by The CW and CBS Studios. Right now, Morgan's co-star and Walker's EP Padalecki, as well as showrunner Anna Fricke are all very supportive of her decision. They have only nice things to say about her, and they are particularly in awe of the professionalism and superior work ethic Morgan has shown over the months. In separate statements, Padalecki and Fricke, both said that Morgan will be missed on the sets. Additionally, the studio and network too gave their blessings to the actress.
Morgan's strong-willed, by-the-book Micki Ramirez has been an indispensable co-lead to Padalecki's Walker right from the show's inception. As the first female Texas Ranger, who has been in the Army and on the police force, Morgan's Micki is an inspiration and model for all women. She fights gender discrimination on a daily basis, yet the struggles do not affect the quality of her work, and she always has Walker's back. In season 2, Micki has gotten a bit too mired in her undercover operation, and that is something Walker is considerably worried about. But now that Morgan has announced her exit, fans should inevitably get a conclusion to her mission soon. After that, there is also hope that Micki will show up off and on to keep audiences hooked, i.e., if her Walker exit remains as amicable and smooth as is currently portrayed and does not get blown out into a controversy, like the one surrounding Ruby Rose's infamous Batwoman departure.
Source: Deadline