Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series) One Riot, One Ranger (1993) User Reviews

Chuck Norris causing a riot!!

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 31 March 2024]

During a bank robbery in Fort Worth, Walker's partner Bob Mobley (Steven Ruge) is killed. It doesn't help that Walker's new partner, Ranger James Trivette (Clarence Gilyard), has a history with one of the robbery suspects. Ultimately, Walker discovers that the heist was a practice run for the simultaneous robbing of four banks...which all happen to be next door to each other. After a bank across town receives a valuable shipment, that bank is bombed but not robbed. Walker alone sees through the diversion and is pitted against the heist's mastermind: former Central Intelligence Agent Orson Wade (Marshall Teague).

A good start with Chuck Norris' Walker getting quickly established as a Texas Ranger who takes no nonsense and whose methods are old-fashioned. Trivets in contrast is more modern, which Walker is sceptical about. There's a nice subplot of Walker protecting Circus performers from thugs and he consoles a rape victim. There's some usual good action and high kicks.

Great start! Possible spoilers.

[jsn_hylnd · 10/10 · 21 May 2010]

A very explosive start to the long-running action-series that lasted eight years so therefore which means the creators must have done something right. The very first scene sees our main protagonist Cordell Walker (played by long-time action star Chuck Norris) a Texas lawman, riding his GMC truck across the border, alone, to take out some vicious bank robbers the old-fashioned way, beating them up with his martial arts expertise which make for the best introduction in T.V history. The main plot involves the murder of Walker's partner who was blatantly shot during a bank robbery gone awry. Walker, along with a new, hip, modern partner named James Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), set out to investigate a spree of similar robberies occurring in the area and find clues which will lead them to the mastermind behind the robberies and also the same mastermind who murdered said partner. A side-plot also includes a young circus performer confiding in Walker as she was the recent victim of a sexual assault committed by three rapists but as soon as the rapists run into Walker, we get a classic beat-down scene of Walker man-handling each of the rapists and even breaking one of their noses. Other characters we are introduced to in the pilot are Walker's friend C.D Parker(played here by Gailard Sartain), a retired Texas Ranger who now owns a bar, and Alex Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson), an assistant district attorney who shares a few flirty moments with Walker before they become stronger in later episodes.

Other notable performances in this pilot are Marshall Teague who wonderfully plays our main bad guy who sets out to rob four banks at one time with his men, and Marco Perella who plays Cobalt, a minor con-man who's knowledge of guns gets him slightly connected with the real baddies and Trivette wonderfully gets the proper information out of him because there was a backstory between Trivette and Cobalt in which Cobalt blames Trivette for a bunch of snakes entering his apartment although Trivette never admits to this but either way he uses Cobalt's fear of him to his advantage. Overall, a great episode and a great start as Walker proves that it only takes one ranger to stop a riot.

Best Pilot Ever

[LieutenantPepper · 9/10 · 29 October 2014]

Unrecognized as one of the best pilots in the history of American television, and one of the best episodes of this series, 'One Riot, One Ranger' conveys the heart and soul of "Walker, Texas Ranger" and illustrates that there was more to this series than Chuck Norris beating-up thugs and lowlifes.

The pilot of this series is a must-see for anybody who appreciates this show. Nobody who has a sour opinion of this show has seen the pilot and given it a fair chance. The pacing is flawless and this pilot features the perfect amount of character development, which leaves viewers adequately acquainted with the characters.

Some of the best plot points in this episode include Walker helping a young girl get her life back after being the victim of sexual assault, Walker and Trivette becoming excellent partners, and Walker avenging the murder of his previous partner. Every scene fits in the episode perfectly.

One Riot, One Ranger

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 28 April 2020]

It took Chuck Norris a while to make it big in the movies. There was that appearance in Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon. Later movies just attracted a cult following.

It was only with Cannon Films and the Missing in Action movies he got an audience very much on the back of the success of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger and the booming video market.

Film success did not last long and by 1993 he went into television.

One Riot, One Ranger is an action pilot. Norris Cordell Walker a half native lone ranger. At the beginning he chases some bad guys into Mexico and gives them a few karate chops and several roundhouse kicks.

Teamed up with a new partner Trivette, they go after some bank robbers who killed Walker's previous partner. The robbers are planning a daring heist to rob four banks with the use of deadly explosives.

Walker also has time to protect as rape victim from intimidation.

A cheesy fun opener with a healthy dose of action and humour. Obviously Walker is just too perfect. When he interviews a bank clerk she hits on him.

This is a modern day western that reflects Norris moralistic tone. In the interest of diversity he gets a black sidekick who grew up in the rough streets of Baltimore and there are some wise words from his Native American paternal uncle. I figured Walker was more on his mother's side.