Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Walker: Independence Season 1 episode "The Death Of Mary Collins." Read at your own risk!
Abigail Walker has been poking around town for so long that I almost forgot she started off Walker: Independence with the name Mary Abigail Collins. Fortunately, that name was laid to rest with the help of her sister Charlie, who originally came to town from Boston to see if Mary/Abby was still alive. Charlie not only did her sister a solid by helping her fake her death so she could continue her quest for revenge for Liam's murder, but her actions helped set up a key scene that led Abby to believe Sheriff Tom Davidson might not be the murderer she's searching for after all.
Abby confessed this to a table shared by Hoyt, Kate, and Deputy Gus at the episode's end, much to their surprise. Here's what had Abby thinking twice about who killed her husband and why this latest episode should encourage viewers to believe she's right to change her mind.
A Mysterious Stranger Gave Abby Second Thoughts
Abby was on her way home in the evening after a day of searching for "Mary Collins" when she thought she spotted Tom Davidson heading toward her from the other direction. Abby called out to the sheriff, though could only see the brim of his black hat and his goatee due to it being a beautiful but dimly lit western night. It ended up being an entirely different man who tipped his hat and certainly gave a villainous grin before heading on his way.
Unfortunately, Abby didn't really specify why this encounter made her rethink her previous theory about Tom being the killer that we've been poking holes in for quite a while. My guess is that Abby realized she didn't get as good of a look at Liam's murderer as she originally thought and realized she might've incorrectly pegged Sheriff Tom as the killer when it also could be a similar-looking man. Abby is the smartest character in Walker: Independence, so I am a bit disappointed it took her this long to reach that conclusion.
How Tom Davidson's Actions May Prove He Isn't The Killer
I've theorized in the past that if Tom Davidson was the person who killed Liam Collins and tried to kill Mary Collins, he'd know who Abby Walker really was. At first, I thought maybe Tom offered Abby a job working for him as a means of keeping an eye on her. After this latest episode, I think it's possible Tom had nothing to do with Liam's death.
When Charlie came to town looking for Mary Collins, Tom Davidson wasn't the least bit rattled. In fact, he gathered a mass of people to conduct a search for her, hoping to find the wife of the confirmed deceased, Liam Collins. If Tom knew Abby was Mary, he would've picked up on the fact that her sister would've recognized her and maybe even freaked out and tried to make them both disappear.
Tom also had a chance to confront Abby about being Mary when they were alone during the search for Mary Collins. Instead, he thanked her for saving him after his stabbing, so it seems more than likely to me that Tom has no idea who Abby actually is. That, in my eyes, makes it feel very unlikely he murdered Liam, though viewers may learn he's still a shady character for other reasons by the end of Season 1.
Time will tell as Walker: Independence rolls on with Season 1 on The CW on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Its return is just one of the many exciting shows listed on the 2023 TV schedule, so be sure to check out what's out now and in the upcoming weeks as the year gets started.
