Overview: Walker and Trivette investigate a cache of missing gold and the legendary murder of a Texas Ranger.

DVD Verdict: There are three crucial elements for a great 'Walker, Texas Ranger' episode: A particularly vile villain (drug dealers, rapists, baby-stealing politicians), coolly delivered Chuck-isms ("When I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you"), and, to quote Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard), Walker's new, more by-the-book partner, the "squinty-eyed make-my-day stuff" that Walker punishingly dispenses near the 40-minute mark of nearly every episode!

'Walker, Texas Ranger: Flashback' is a Season 3, Episode 20 "flashback" from 1995, for sure; so quite why it merits its own stand alone DVD is beyond me. But, it has gotten one so let's investigate, shall we. In this one, Walker pursues a group of killers seeking the lost treasures of Hayes Cooper, a Wild West Texas Ranger. During the pursuit, Walker is attacked by a rattlesnake, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he may pull through just fine!

Indeed, this episode was the first appearance of 19th century Texas Ranger Ace Cooper. In his episode we learn that Cooper was killed in the line of duty while trying to recover a cash of gold stolen by a ruthless gang. However in the last season of the show we learn that Cooper not only survived but took over as the sheriff of a small town and has a family (this family will eventually lead to a Great Great Grandson that Walker helps at the beginning of the season).

Along with that is two different tellings of how Cooper became a Ranger. In the first version he was avenging the murder of his parents and was offered the badge. In the second he was a bounty hunter that took over for a Ranger that was killed by outlaws. Anyway, sliding somewhat off the path there, the show was so much fun back then to watch and is again today, trust me.

I loved it as a kid and I still love it now when I see it in reruns or on DVD. Again, not too sure why this particular episode got the special stand alone DVD treatment release after nearly 20 years, but I most certainly enjoyed reliving the what-seems-now hilariously hokey exploits and scripts of 'Walker, Texas Ranger'! This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with a Digital Copy on VUDU.