Reviewed by Alice Chapman Newgen

People of all ages have enjoyed the long running TV series of Walker Texas Ranger. Each week the show kept viewers entertained with Martial Arts action and adventure as Texas Rangers Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris) and Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard, Jr.) went after criminals using their wit, intellect, and oftentimes one-on-one fighting skills. Alex Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson) the County Assistant D.A. and C.D. Parker (Noble Willingham) a retired Texas Ranger and long-time friend helped Walker and Trivette as they pursued the bad guys.

The 2nd season on DVD is a seven disc collection that includes shows from 1994 to 1995. Each one is shown in the order of their airdate. Disc One starts out with Badge of Courage. Texas Rangers, Cordell Walker and Jimmy Trivette, go after an amicable bank robber named Harris. They find the fun loving bandit in Midland, Texas. The rangers have to transport their prisoner back to Dallas, but because of the long ride they decide to lay over in a small town called Adelaide. The stop turns into more than a one night venture when they meet the town sheriff and his deputies who take their jobs way too serious. It's up to Walker and Trivette to straighten the sheriff and his deputies out.

The second episode titled Branded deals with cattle rustlers who unintentionally kill an officer of the law named Bill Cox. This makes things more complicated for the thieves because the murder becomes top priority for Walker and other Texas Rangers who personally knew Cox. Walker and Trivette uncover a big crime ring when they discover the rustlers are transporting stolen beef in eighteen-wheelers over state lines.

Silk Dreams is about a new designer drug named "silk." The Texas Rangers infiltrate the dance club scene to solve a string of fatalities that was caused by the killer drug.

The last episode on Disc One is called Mustangs. Walker rescues a group of federally protected mustang horses from some unsavory ranchers.

Disc Two has three episodes that keep the viewers glued to the screen as Walker and Trivette team up to save lives and bring in criminals. 'Til Death Do Us Part puts Walker in harms way as he struggles to save the life of a young child that is trapped inside a car that was pushed to the edge of a bridge caused by a hit-and-run driver.

Chief Six Feathers' death may not be an accident as was previously thought. His son has cause to believe someone may have wanted his father dead. Walker and Trivette get to the bottom of the mystery in Rainbow Warrior.

The third episode is titled The Road to Black Bayou. C.D., Trivette and Walker catch more than fish during a fishing trip in the Louisiana bayou. They uncover an illegal drug operation and send their "big" catch up the river.

Discs Three and Four continue the thrill for Walker Texas Ranger fans. Drugs and danger are highlighted in Line of Fire when Alex gets shot by a corrupt police officer.

On Payback Walker learns he has a $1 million price tag on his head after he kills a man involved in a carjacking.

Tiger's Eye is about the Japanese mob getting in over their heads after they kidnap the daughter of a wealthy Texas businessman. Walker and Trivette must use their martial arts skills to free the girl from the mob.

The last episode on Disc Three is titled The Big Bingo Bamboozle. This was the first show to air in 1995. Drugs are involved again as criminals use a local bingo gambling hall as a front for a drug-money laundering operation. It's up to the Texas Rangers to protect a star witness in the case.

Money Train continues the series on Disc Four. Stuntmen working on a Hollywood western movie intend to carry out a real train heist. Trivette and Walker happen to be working on the set as technical advisors and find out about the stuntmen's plan. They aren't acting as they go after the bad guys in this episode.

The second show was called Mean Streets. Misguided teens decide to take things into their own hands to get rid of the homeless in neighborhood slums. It takes the Texas Rangers to set them straight and show them the error of their ways.

Cowboy deals with the abduction of a powerful oil executive. Unfortunately, Alex is kidnapped with the executive creating an uncertain future for the County Assistant D.A.

Disc Five starts out with a two part show titled War Zone. Walker goes after a murderer that killed a good friend of the Texas Ranger. The rash of unsolved burglaries related to the case is sure to be exposed when Walker takes a personal interest in the crimes.

Trust No One shows that no one, including Trivette is above the law. He is accused of stealing millions of dollars in counterfeit money. The lawman's innocence rides heavily on his good friend Cordell to prove his accusers are wrong.

Cahill and Walker discover a murdered judge may have had a few unlawful dealings with the adult film industry in Blue Movies.

Indian relics turn up missing from a local museum. Cherokee teenagers believe the artifacts were stolen from ancestral burial grounds. Walker and his team investigate to discover the truth. Sacred Ground is the first episode on Disc Six.

It is rumored that aliens abducted a man from a small Texas town. Many of the people in the community believe the claim that his daughter makes when she suspects that aliens really are responsible for her dad's disappearance. Walker tracks down the man and shows the townspeople that UFOs are not behind the abduction in the show, Case Closed.

Disc Seven concludes the 1994-1995 Walker Texas Rangers 2nd season. Flashback finds Trivette and Walker in search of missing gold and the answer to what really happened to a murdered Texas Ranger.

The last show in the series is called Standoff. Parts 1 and 2 rivets viewers to the TV screen when a Mexican presidential candidate has an attempt made on his life by an assassin during his trip to Dallas. It's up to Trivette and Walker to protect their charge, which can be difficult since the man intends to follow through with his scheduled appearances while visiting the Texas city.

Video / Audio

Audio Options are-- English 2.0 Surround

Spanish

Portuguese

The boxed DVD collection is in Full screen format and has no special features.

Final Words

Each disc I viewed was full of classic shows that made the hit TV series so popular with audiences all across the country.

One of my favorite episodes was The Road to Black Bayou. Although the main theme was about the usual bad guy drug dealers, the setting was completely different with unique circumstances. Camera shots brought the magnificent beauty of the bayou to the screen. It portrayed a mystical and dangerous backdrop that was a nice change from the desert and city scenes normally incorporated in most of the story plots in the series.

The one thing I missed on discs one thru three was the theme song that Chuck Norris sang at the beginning of each show later in the series. Looking back in retrospect, "The Eyes of a Ranger" was the perfect opening for each episode.

I highly recommend this collection of Walker Texas Ranger to those who enjoyed watching the antics of Cordell Walker and his comrades fight criminals and save lives in the second season of the series.