Walker Season 2, Episode 7 Return Date: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles Reunion

Walker Season 2, Episode 7 won't air until next year, and while we're all really being patient, there's a bit of wiggle room for being antsy. After all, this is the episode September reports said will be directed by Jensen Ackles, who starred with Jared Padalecki in Supernatural for 15 seasons. So, what should we expect from this long-awaited reunion?

Walker Season, 2 Episode 7 Return Date

The first order of business is to get the bad news out of the way: Padalecki and the rest of the actors will not be appearing on the show for quite some time. How much time are we talking about? Think about it in terms of a month and a half.

The show is currently scheduled to return alongside Legacies on Thursday, Jan. 27, which is a really unusual return date given the context. There are a lot of other series that are taking significant hiatuses around February to accommodate the Olympics, but The CW has clearly decided that this isn't something that is as important to them. They're good with airing opposite it, and they've decided they're not scared of any issue.

And according to Cartermatt, Walker fares so well on The CW app and DVR that the network doesn't have to be concerned about live ratings. As a result, they're bringing the show back in January, where it'll most likely air for the next few weeks.

So, what can we expect from the next hour in terms of direction? There aren't many details yet, but we expect Walker to keep true to what we've seen for most of the year so far - action, but also a strong emphasis on family and relationships. This is what helps the show stand out from the rest of The CW, let alone all of television.

Jensen Ackles in Walker

Back in September, news outlets overzealously reported of the great J&J reunion in Walker Season 2.

Despite Padalecki's intention for Ackles to play Walker instead of himself, he ended up taking the part, hoping to see his old co-star at some point. His wish has obviously come true, albeit in an unexpected way.

It may seem weird that Ackles is returning as a director rather than a cast member, but it's not as bizarre as it appears. Ackles began directing Supernatural in 2010, and he went on to direct six episodes over the course of the show's run. He also starred in it. He already has directing experience with Padalecki, so this is a good fit.

For now, we wait.