Some Yellowstone Fans Are Questioning Walker's Longevity On The Show
Being a neo-Western that centers on the most disputed and potentially profitable patch of land in the state of Montana, "Yellowstone" features a disproportionate amount of hard-as-nails modern cowboys and ruthless businesspeople. Since a disconcerting percentage of the show's characters have been known to maim and even murder people who stand on their way, it can sometimes seem that the main thing keeping any given character in the land of the living is their allies and allegiances.
Against a backdrop like this, any character who survives in the show's increasingly harsh landscape for a prolonged period is bound to have plenty of connections and abilities, as well as the requisite amount of sheer dumb luck. Take ranch hand Walker (Ryan Bingham), for instance. A former convict who carries the Dutton Ranch brand as a sign of his loyalty, Walker has punched in appearances on all four seasons of the show, clashed with a number of characters, and even spent some time at the 6666 Ranch — thus laying the groundwork for potential future appearances in the upcoming "Yellowstone: 6666" spin-off. Still, despite all this, some "Yellowstone" fans have been questioning Walker's longevity. Here's why.
Some fans think Walker gets away with far too much
Walker is many things in the show, but he does have a tendency to rub others the wrong way. In one way or another, he's clashed with multiple characters in the show — including fellow ranch hand Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) his supervisor and a strong contender for the most dangerous man in the entire "Yellowstone" franchise. It probably doesn't help that Walker has a fairly close connection with Rip's wife, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), to a point that "Yellowstone" fans have been vocal on how they'd feel about a potential romance between the two.
Because of this, redditors like u/carolinamary409 have wondered just how Walker keeps surviving. "I can't figure out why they haven't killed him yet," they wrote. "It makes no sense with all he knows and the trouble he's causing with Lloyd. Is it because he's branded? Even in previous seasons, he pushes Rip reeeeally far, shows his lack of loyalty outright (when he won't fight after the bull in the bar) and he's still around." Others agreed. "I want to like Walker," u/jd_adopt_me wrote. "He's shown a human side several times, but he's been pushing Lloyd for awhile, and really has a problem with authority figures." "I hate him so I keep wanting for them to kill him but he somehow is the cockroach of the show XD," u/azul360 wrote. Over on Twitter, users like @DejaCQQ99 and @mbrookeg have also wondered how Walker keeps on surviving despite his various antics.
Some people on the Reddit thread suggested potential reasons for Walker's apparent plot armor, which range from Kayce's (Luke Grimes) protection to his potentially important prison background. Regardless of how the character has managed to survive all this time, fans who are wondering about his safety will no doubt be watching carefully.