Roundhouse Kicking Your Way Through Time: How Many Seasons Did Walker, Texas Ranger Run?
Ah, Walker, Texas Ranger. The show that defined martial arts on network television, brought mullets back into questionable style, and made sidekicks everywhere question their life choices. But how long did Cordell Walker and his legendary roundhouse kicks grace our screens? Buckle up, pardner, because we're about to find out, with more twists and turns than a cattle drive through a Texas twister.
The Pilot That Launched a Thousand Roundhouses (Well, Eight Seasons)
Here's the thing about Walker, Texas Ranger: it depends on who you ask (and how many times they've been roundhouse kicked in the head). Some folks will tell you there were nine seasons, counting the initial four episodes that aired at the tail end of the 1992-1993 season. But those episodes are like the warm-up punches before the real fight. They don't quite have the same, well, punch as the full-fledged seasons.
So, for our official count, we're sticking with eight glorious seasons (plus a 2005 reunion movie, but that's a whole other story). That's eight seasons of Walker using his martial arts mastery and unwavering moral compass to clean up the streets of Dallas (and wherever else trouble decided to rear its ugly head).
Eight Seasons of Sidekick Shenanigans, Questionable Fashion Choices, and Non-Stop Justice
Eight seasons is a long time, y'all. That's a lot of denim, questionable facial hair on the bad guys, and James Trivette (Walker's trusty partner) trying (and failing) to keep up with Cordell's legendary fighting skills. It's enough time for Walker to teach us valuable life lessons like the importance of respecting nature (because messing with wildlife usually ends badly), the power of a good handshake (seriously, the handshakes on this show were legendary), and the fact that violence is always a last resort (unless it involves Chuck Norris, then it's pretty much the first resort).
So, the answer is...
Eight seasons, my friend. Eight seasons of Walker showing bad guys the error of their ways, usually with a swift kick to the...well, you get the idea. So next time you're feeling nostalgic for a simpler time, when problems could be solved with a roundhouse kick and a stern talking-to, fire up an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. Just don't try any of those moves at home – unless you want to end up looking more like the bad guy on the receiving end.
