"Sons of Thunder" (5.24) 2-part pilot movie
After Pastor Thunder Malloy's tragic death during the annual First Christian Church of Dallas softball game, his son Trent Malloy, a sergeant in the Army, returns home to care for his family. But after reconnecting with his past, Trent discovers his future is more uncertain than he ever imagined. Meanwhile, Walker and Trivette investigate the coinciding deaths of several police officers at the hands of a serial killer who also has Carlos Sandoval, Trent's best friend from childhood, on his hit list. As one officer fights for his life, another must face his fears to save a life, bringing them all back together to open a new chapter of their lives to help those in need.
Facts: Originally aired May 4, 1997. Chuck Norris' mother Wilma Knight played a small role in part one. This is the only episode in which the entire Malloy family appears. Only episode in which Carlos Sandoval was a uniformed police officer. Served as a pilot for an eventual spin-off series after Trent, Carlos, and others from "Sons of Thunder" reprised their roles in future episodes of Walker Texas Ranger.
"Undercover" (6.18)
Carlos Sandoval, now a detective in the police force, has been working undercover for months now alongside the Rangers to work his way into the organization of Johnny Prima in order to get to the top man El Vaquero who was also responsible for death of Carlos' brother years ago. Yet just as Carlos draws nearer to discovering the high tier, his own cover is put in jeopardy, forcing him into a life or death confrontation. Meanwhile, Trent trains and prepares Tommy and his top karate students for a state tournament against rival Jake Lyons and his students. Original air date: March 7, 1998
"Everyday Heroes" (6.19)
"Undercover" (6.18)
Carlos Sandoval, now a detective in the police force, has been working undercover for months now alongside the Rangers to work his way into the organization of Johnny Prima in order to get to the top man El Vaquero who was also responsible for death of Carlos' brother years ago. Yet just as Carlos draws nearer to discovering the high tier, his own cover is put in jeopardy, forcing him into a life or death confrontation. Meanwhile, Trent trains and prepares Tommy and his top karate students for a state tournament against rival Jake Lyons and his students. Original air date: March 7, 1998
"Everyday Heroes" (6.19)
"Angel" (6.21)
Trivette must face his past when Angel, his ex-girlfriend, reenters his life and asks for help to find her father not telling him her true intentions. As they reconnect, Angel slowly reveals her true intentions in secret, bringing Trivette to the reality that she isn't who she says she is. Instead, she is a professional killer now who now must turn her back on Trivette to eliminate him as a witness. And as Carlos helps Trivette uncover the layers, Trivette discovers that a Jamaican gang on their radar also has their sights set to eliminate Angel for a deed done against them. Original air date: April 18, 1998
"The Soul of Winter" (6.22)
After the tragic death of Adam's friend and faithful congregant Rodney Summers and many vicious attacks, Trent, Carlos, and the Rangers find much of the evidence pointing to Stan Gorman and his cohorts of white supremacists the 'Sons of The Reich' after Pastor Roscoe reveals his past with the man who wanted to and nearly killed him years ago. After a nearby church experiences a devastating fire, Pastor Jones steps up to help them despite his own burdens along with the Rangers to help raise funds for rebuilding. Little do they know that the 'Reich' has plans of their own to shut them all down for good. Guest stars Collin Raye as himself when he consents to do a concert for the fundraiser. Original air date: April 25, 1998
"Test of Faith" (6.24)
When Trent and Walker's good friend Ricardo Lopez, a local high school teacher, stands up against the gangs who are taking over his area and school with their empty promises, his life is put on the line and threatened. Following this tragedy, Walker goes undercover as a substitute teacher to both discover the murderer and combat the gang activity in the school. When a student in the same school steps up to help lead the efforts, her life is also put in jeopardy. Original air date: May 9, 1998
"Trackdown" (7.02)
After Walker and Trivette apprehend Hector Lopez, Carlos' nephew, for a crime he didn't commit to help his young family, its his employer's word against his as false evidence sends Hector to serve prison time. Meanwhile, the gang works to appeal his case and free him for good. On the day he is scheduled to be released, Hector witnesses the death of a fellow inmate who had gathered and held evidence proving the wrongdoings of several prison guards. Now on the run for his life, Hector is treated as an escaped prisoner, leaving it up to Carlos and eventually Walker to save his life and help them all to escape to freedom. Also, Alex purchases the building that will serve as her non-profit organization headquarters to help others in the community. With Walker's genius help, it is named the H.O.P.E. center (Help Our People Excel center). Original air date: October 3, 1998
"Royal Heist" (7.03)
The H.O.P.E. center finally opens its doors to the community and receives its first case in the form of a young single mother who fears her son may join a gang and she can do nothing about it. At Walker's recommendation, Carlos becomes a Big Brother to the young man to help influence his decision for the better. Meanwhile, when an undercover officer dies in a bank heist, Trivette assumes the job in his place only to uncover that a greater operation as at work to apprehend the Crown Jewels of a foreign country. Original air date: October 10, 1998
After Walker and Trivette apprehend Hector Lopez, Carlos' nephew, for a crime he didn't commit to help his young family, its his employer's word against his as false evidence sends Hector to serve prison time. Meanwhile, the gang works to appeal his case and free him for good. On the day he is scheduled to be released, Hector witnesses the death of a fellow inmate who had gathered and held evidence proving the wrongdoings of several prison guards. Now on the run for his life, Hector is treated as an escaped prisoner, leaving it up to Carlos and eventually Walker to save his life and help them all to escape to freedom. Also, Alex purchases the building that will serve as her non-profit organization headquarters to help others in the community. With Walker's genius help, it is named the H.O.P.E. center (Help Our People Excel center). Original air date: October 3, 1998
"Royal Heist" (7.03)
The H.O.P.E. center finally opens its doors to the community and receives its first case in the form of a young single mother who fears her son may join a gang and she can do nothing about it. At Walker's recommendation, Carlos becomes a Big Brother to the young man to help influence his decision for the better. Meanwhile, when an undercover officer dies in a bank heist, Trivette assumes the job in his place only to uncover that a greater operation as at work to apprehend the Crown Jewels of a foreign country. Original air date: October 10, 1998
"The Children of Halloween" (7.06)
The Rangers along with Trent and Carlos investigate the disappearance of several children that leads them to believe that they are being kidnapped by a Satanic cult after clues left at the scene of each crime are recognized by a woman named Cassandra. As they draw closer to shutting the cult down, Alex is kidnapped while trying to stop another child from being taken, leaving the Rangers little time to rescue them before they are sacrificed at midnight on Halloween. Original air date: October 31, 1998
"Survival" (7.07)
Walker, Trivette, Alex, Trent, and Carlos finally are able to get away on a much-needed vacation to the mountains of Utah. They have a long itinerary planned filled with as much fun and relaxation they can handle. Yet just as they get ready to go on the anticipated hike into the mountains, Alex is taken by force by the Trammel brothers, three mountain men with little good intentions to their name. When the guys discover Alex is missing, its up to the four of them to follow the trail and overcome several life-threatening obstacles before the Trammel brothers take Alex for good. Original air date: November 7, 1998
"Paradise Trail" (7.09)
A gem of a birthday present that C.D. is eager to show Alex and Trivette before Walker's party sends the three back in time to the western frontier of Hayes Cooper as he takes down some outlaws and continues on to catch the bounty on the heads of the Tarpin gang. Along the road, Cooper stops an ambush on a wagon train of Mormon settlers on the Paradise Trail headed to Utah. At their leaders' request, Cooper joins them on the trail and witnesses the power of faith and love at work among these people as they anticipate the return of the Tarpins who want nothing but their money and their women. When that fateful moment comes, Cooper helps defend the wagon train against the unruly band of outlaws, allowing for the Mormons to successful finish their journey to their new home. Yet the road there would not be without a few sacrifices along the way. Original air date: November 21, 1998
Facts: Filmed in Utah
"Eyes of a Ranger" (7.10)
Kelly Wyman has always dreamed of becoming a country singer. When rich boy Brad Alt convinces her that he can make all of her dreams come true, Kelly skips school only to land in court after she is arrested during the Ranger's bust on Alt's place for possession of drugs. Arranging community service for the young woman, Alex brings Kelly on at the H.O.P.E. center to serve her time. Through her time there, the ladies discover that Kelly has a beautiful voice, and with Walker's help and a bit of connections, Kelly is set to open for one of the biggest country stars in the nation. Meanwhile, Brad Alt tries everything short of death to intimidate Kelly into not performing. With Trent's help, Kelly ignores Brad. But he doesn't ignore her, putting her in jeopardy just when everything seems to be perfect and her dreams are coming true. Original air date: December 5, 1998
"On the Border" (7.11)
Just shortly after Mrs. Rialto receives wonderful news about her son who drives a truck to support her and the family from afar, she receives another wave of devastating news that drives her to ask Alex for help despite the fact that all the evidence points to her son having been involved with drugs. Reluctantly, Alex asks the Rangers to help. The three of them quickly decide to head to Mournful, Texas, together to find out the truth. Upon arrival, they discover that the law is not as honest as they seem, leaving many questions that are soon answered when the young man's fiancé finally comes forward. Meanwhile, Trent and Carlos take down a group of gun-runners in time to have some relaxation. But Walker soon requires Carlos' help, bringing the young crime solver to Mournful for them all to take down the Sheriff's side operation for good. Original air date: December 12, 1998
"Lost Boys" (7.12)
When the DPD and Texas Rangers team up to take down a high-scale theft operation, one officer is killed, and all the evidence points to Carlos' nephew when the murder weapon is found in his possession. Fearing that his mother Teresa will be hurt if he talks, Jesse stays silent, allowing for everyone to assume his guilt. When he is forced to sign a confession upon the promise that his kidnapped mother will be released, Carlos and the Rangers are left at a dead end until Jesse's best friend Bobby Landrum comes forward with the truth, allowing Jesse to reveal the truth also and to hopefully rescue Carlos' sister Teresa in time and take down the source Blade once and for all. Original air date: January 12, 1999
"Special Witness" (7.13)
After taking down a group of goons who have hurt elderly women at a local retirement home with little hurt except that of a certain police detective's pride, Alex and Trent eagerly await Foley's trial of which Trent is the key witness. Meanwhile, Trent volunteers to take young Sally to her practice for the Special Olympics event she is looking forward to competing in. But when the day takes a turn for the worse, Trent is left fighting for his life in a hospital after a nearly successful attempt on his life leaves Carlos and the others wanting nothing more than to bring the man who did it to justice. Relying on Sally as the eyewitness, Carlos stays with her and her mom for protection while the Rangers continue to track down the professional killer. Original air date: January 16, 1999
"The Principal" (7.14)
When Carlos goes undercover as Billy Gato, a drug dealer in need of a bit of business who gets apprehended by the Rangers, Walker discovers that the drugs in question are being handed out to students at a local high school by way of a wayward security guard. Meanwhile, when Walker's close friend and the principal of that same high school mysteriously dies, Walker poses as the prinicipal with Trivette as his assistant to try weeding out whoever is apart of the school's demise while also bringing hope to the kids every chance they get. With Carlos' help from the outside and much work on the inside, the Rangers slowly discover that they are much closer to the culprit and the true reason for the principal's untimely death. Original air date: Febuary 6, 1999
"Team Cherokee" 2-hour episode (7.15 and 7.16)
Brian and Rachel Falcon live the life of a racing family. For Brian, racing is his heart and soul. For Rachel, it's something she's always supported as her love for Brain grew. But as things change for them, she begins to doubt if he should still stay a race car driver. Although she keeps this secret to herself while Brian continues to win races and make a name for himself. As the next big race approaches, the Rangers, Alex, Trent, and Carlos are all there to cheer Brian on after a brief scuffle with a rival team ends in slashed tires by the end of the race day. But Brian overcomes the odds, making Coltrane angrier by the minute. Meanwhile, Trent and Carlos investigate the kidnapping of a young girl who seems to have fallen victim to a child pornographer. As the trail grows hotter, so does the opportunities for failure when the evidence needed to put the criminal away for good is stolen along with Trent's prized possession at the hands of a would-be helpless bystander. Back at the race track, Walker's investigation of the foul play behind Team Cherokee's near failure is brought to a halt when Brian is involved in a dangerous accident during the race. After much thought and consideration, the team depends on Walker to bring them to victory as the new lead driver for Team Cherokee. Little do they know that the saboteur may be a bit closer than they think. Original air date: February 13 and 20, 1999
"Moment of Truth" (1.01)
After angering a serial killer on national television by calling him for what he really was, Carlos is forced into a game of life and death that requires him to play by the killer's rules. When the killer targets his partner Theresa, Carlos wants nothing more than to find the killer. Yet when he is removed from the case due to an investigation on his actions, Carlos turns in his shield to go after the murderer alone. With Trent's help, the two team up to track down the killer. Meanwhile, after being hired to gather evidence in a wrongful death suit, Trent tries to track down Bobo Barnes, a heroin dealer who shot Trent. Original air date: March 6, 1999
"Fighting Back" (1.02) Transcript of episode
Now in the PI business for real, Trent and Carlos find themselves in the red and not doing well in the business end of their company. Due to some urging from Butch and a stressful interview process, the twosome hire on Kimberly Sutter as their office manager who with her quick wit and spunky personality quickly makes herself at home as she works towards proving herself as indispensable. Meanwhile, Sarah McNulty, the mother of one of Trent's karate students, is victimized at the hands of prominent attorney Myles Wilson. Amidst her recovery, Sarah struggles to return to life as normal, leading Trent and Alex to help bring her back from the misery she experienced. As she gets better, her memory slowly returns, allowing Walker to apprehend the attorney and keep him from doing such a terrible act ever again. Also, Trent and Carlos go undercover as former inmates to uncover an inside computer theft operation. Original air date: March 13, 1999
"Daddy's Girl" (1.03)
Butch's world is turned inside out when a young woman named Nancy Jones approaches him from a distance with possible proof that she is the daughter he never knew he had. Meanwhile, Nancy's fiancé disappears just before he was going to blow the whistle on an anti-government operation which leads the gang on a race against time to find and help Nancy before the pros destroy both her and them to get to the evidence that would put their operation at risk. Original air date: March 20, 1999
"Lost and Found" (1.04)
Financial troubles continue to plague the fledgling PI company as they continue to serve the community and take down thieves with keen undercover work. Their latest quest? Successfully saving Blue Star Trucking from demise. Yet Kim is less than pleased to discover how they were paid. Meanwhile, Alex Cahill approaches the guys with a request that one of them take Walker's place for a day on camping trip for kids from the H.O.P.E. center. After a riveting game of darts, Carlos packs his bags and prepares to head for Lake Welch. Joining them on the camp out is a young girl named Danielle whose father has left her and her mother. When this hits home with Kim, she vows to help find the girl's father only to land her self in it deep on multiple occasions. With a little intervention from Trent and Butch, they eventually help both Kim and Big Joe while also securing the demise of an illegal printing operation and foreign drug deal. Meanwhile, Carlos must help Alex and Danielle when they are captured by a para-military operation after stumbling across it near their campsite. Walker eventually shows up to aid Carlos against the army of criminals to save Alex and Danielle. Original air date: April 3, 1999
"Underground" (1.05)
The gang isn't without a job to do for long when Butch's good friend approaches him about the disappearance of his daughter Jennifer. Although he can barely afford it, the threesome consent to help him and begin the search, scouring all of Dallas and gathering as many people as possible to aid in the search. During their searching, Butch suddenly disappears. Carlos soon begins to question if both he and Jennifer could have ended up in the Underground, a place of utter poverty and destruction where the homeless and destitute live underneath a large portion of the city. With a bit of apprehension, Kim drops the guys off on the street all decked out in the appropriate attire as they go undercover as a part of the homeless. Upon finding the Underground, they guys soon uncover the dark secrets of an illegal organ harvesting operation of which Jennifer is not far from becoming a victim of despite all that she was falsely promised to draw her into their criminal world. Little time remains to help her and the rest of the Underground before Trent and Carlos are also captured and must find a way out before it's too late. Original air date: April 10, 1999
"Thunder by Your Side" (1.06)
Shadows seem to be lifting for Thunder Investigations as Trent and Carlos trail a painting that was stolen from an art gallery that is appraised high and offers significant reward per Carlos' expert negotiation skills. Despite the brief brush with death to rescue the painting and the hurry to start celebrating the business' saving, Kim quickly drops the bomb that their payday won't be so large as they had at first thought. Trent and Carlos trudge onward, going undercover at a local Chinese restaurant only to have Detective Ryan up their case again while receiving a decent but not nearly enough of a payday from the restaurant's owner. Yet both eager anticipation, shock, and suspicion mounts when Jersey genius Anthony LoPiato offers them a sizeable reward for them to track down his so-called girlfriend. After a rant from Kim and quick thinking on Carlos' part, they take the case only to discover that the one they are searching for is the one in greater need of help. After Donna escapes and Kim's life is threatened, Walker steps in to aid the guys in taking down Tony the Shark for good, leaving one less mafia boss in the world. Finally, the gang faces reality and the end of Thunder Investigations when the funds run too low. Even Butch's gracious nature won't help the pocketbook. That is until an unexpected pair of visitors save their day and insure that Thunder Investigations will be around for a long time to come. Original air date: April 17, 1999