Jared Padalecki is dead right slamming the CW for its new direction

Walker just wrapped up its run on the CW with a series finale that wasn’t intended to be that way. And to no surprise, star Jared Padalecki is pretty open about his feelings about the CW right now. 

Caution: The article contains SPOILERS for the Walker series finale

While not intended to be the series finale, season 4 of Walker still ended on a strong note. Cordell took a leave of absence to spend time with Geri and his kids and was seen pocketing a ring box, hinting he was going to propose to Geri. Just as Liam and Ben agreed to move in together, Liam got a call from the governor for a secret mission. Also, Cassie got the lieutenant job over Trey. 

A big turn was the final scene of James Van Der Beek as the new neighbor for the Walkers with the producers revealing the plan for season 5 was for his character to be the chief villain as a cult leader. 

Of course, season 5 won’t happen, as the CW canceled the series. It’s just one of the many shows falling victim to the network acquired by Nexstar with an emphasis on reality, sports and TV shows from Canada. That includes the spin-off Walker: Independence being canceled after just one season.

Fans aren’t happy over this new direction for the network and they’re not alone as Jared Padalecki has chimed in about it. 

Jared Padalecki justly slams the CW

Speaking to Variety on the show’s cancellation, Padalecki didn’t hold back on his feelings on the CW. He clearly loved the network, given he starred on Supernatural for 15 seasons (including the first on the old WB). 

Padalecki talked of how “I really would’ve done the show forever. I just loved my character.” He then unloaded about seeing the CW transform how it has.

"I feel like The CW that I was a part of last year is not The CW that I was a part of under [former chairman and CEO] Mark Pedowitz for that entire, almost 20-year stretch. They’re just changing the network around, where it’s not really going to be a TV network as much as it’s going to be, “Here’s something fun for an hour that you’ll never watch again, but hopefully you watch it. And it’s cheap!” And I hate to say that, but I’m just being honest. I mean, f— it. They can’t fire me again. I’m just being brutally honest. I think it felt to me like they were looking for really easy, cheap content that they could fill up time with."

Padalecki did share how he’d love to work with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, including the Prime Video hit The Boys which featured his old Supernatural co-star Jensen Ackles. He said he first plans to take some time off and focus before deciding on his next project.

The actor’s anger speaks to a lot of fans, not just of Walker but also of other CW shows that have unceremoniously ended because of the network’s new direction. The CW used to boast fantastic and inventive series that other networks wouldn’t feature and built a great following. To see that all flushed away by the new owners thinking cheaper content is better than imaginative storytelling is heartbreaking for lovers of genre TV.

It's truly bothersome the majority of scripted shows on the CW now come from Canada or abroad as they focus on reality and game shows and brush off the spirit that set the network apart. The network that once boasted the motto "Dare to Defy" is now terrified to take a chance on its own material.

As Walker rides off into the sunset, one hopes Padalecki’s attitude can sway some at the CW to realize that maybe scripted drama still has a place there.

Walker season 4 is streaming on the CW App and cwtv.com.