I started watching ABC’s TV-show Killer Women because of Sofia Vergara. All I knew about the show was what she told Jimmy Kimmel. It’s an American adaptation of the long-running Argentinian TV-show Mujeres Asesinas. I continued to watch it because it has good characters, good story lines, and well written episodes. And it has Texas Rangers. Unfortunately, I seem to have been the only one to have this opinion, because the show has now been taken off the air.

Sofia Vergara herself is not in Killer Women. She is one of the show’s executive producers. The lead of the show is Tricia Helfer, who plays Texas Ranger Molly Parker, one of only two women on the force.

Tricia Helfer
Source: Alan, DSC02107

Each episode is a stand-alone case investigated by Agent Parker where the perpetrator is a woman. Because of this plot device, the show so far has tackled issues such as Mexican drug cartels, domestic violence, and PTSD among war veterans from the view point of a woman who takes action.

This format is taken from the original Argentinian show, which in turn is based on the Mujeres Asesinas trilogy written by Marisa Grinstein. Grinstein’s books chronicle actual murders committed by women in Argentina.

The overarching story line of Killer Women is Molly’s attempts to break free from her abusive husband, Senator Jake Colton (Jeffrey Nordling), and start a new life with undercover DEA agent Dan Winston (Marc Blucas). Highlighted here is the fact that in the United States of America in 2014, men and women are not equal before the law.

What I really enjoyed about Killer Women is that it is a new show that involves Texas Rangers. I am a huge fan of Chuck Norris’ TV-show Walker Texas Ranger and his movie Lone Wolf McQuade. I also love Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer winning novel Lonesome Dove, and the mini-series based on the book where, in my opinion, Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones put on the best performances of their careers as retired Texas Rangers Augustus McRae and Woodrow F. Call.

Texas Ranger Badge
Source: Hartmann352

Texas Rangers are a law enforcement agency with a history going back to the 1830s. The first Texas Rangers acted as a security force for settlers against Indians. During the period of the independent Republic of Texas, the Rangers patrolled the Texas-Mexican border. The Texas Rangers’ weapon of choice was the Colt revolver. In other words, it is because of the Texas Rangers the Colt has become the weapon synonymous with the Wild West. Moreover, in 1934 former Texas Rangers officers brought down Bonnie and Clyde.

United States and Texas Flags
Source: Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries

The Texas Rangers merged with the Texas Highway Patrol in 1935, ending its existence as an independent law enforcement entity. Today, Texas Rangers are still active in Texas, among other things adding assistance to local law enforcement in criminal investigations.

Personally, I’ll take a TV-show or a movie about Texas Rangers over the FBI or the NYPD any day. Killer Women provided me with just that.

However, the show has been cancelled. It will be replaced by a show starring Christian Slater and Steve Zahn where one guy is normal and the other guy is out there. That sounds like a show that has never been produced before (Person of Interest, Elementary, Sherlock, Two and A Half Men, Hannibal).

In the words of my friend, the Australian, I shall return.

Sources:
IMDB Killer Women
IMDB Walker Texas Ranger
IMDB Lone Wolf McQuade
IMDB Lonesome Dove
Mujeres Asesinas (TV-show)
Marisa Grinstein Mujeres Asesinas
Larry McMurtry Lonesome Dove
Britannica.com Texas Rangers
Wikipedia Texas Rangers

Note:
Images downloaded from Wikimedia Commons