"The Walker" follows Walker, a gay man (played by Rightor Doyle) who has just been cut off of his trust fund and now must find a real job. To make ends meet, he starts working as a "walker" (or a closeted gay man serving as an escort) for wealthy women. This new activity tests his close relationships with three straight women. These women include Roz (Betty Gilpin) with whom he has known the longest, who works "behind the scenes" in the entertainment industry. Then there is Sunny (Carey Mulligan), a struggling actress with a sharp tongue. Finally, there is his flighty friend Dot (Zoe Kazan), who spends significant amounts of time with Walker despite having a boyfriend (Arjun Gupta). All three women (who are also friends with each other) depend on Walker for companionship and emotional support. Each episode focuses on how Walker impacts on their respective lives. The series is like "Sex in the City" without the sex.
The strongest aspect of the material is the chemistry between the four leads. They all interact so well in fact, that the viewer is willing to overlook how little is actually revealed about the characters and their relationships with each other. Also, as a web series, with each episode under ten minutes, not a lot is required to sustain interest, particularly with such an attractive cast. Also featured are guest appearances by people who have appeared on some of television's most popular shows.
However, despite an appealing cast, the viewer is left wanting more. Particularly ripe for exploration is Walker's complicated relationship with Roz.
Of the initial run of eight episodes, the fifth episode, "What It Takes to be a Reality TV Star" is perhaps the most intriguing. It takes a humorous look at the portrayal of gay men in the media.
Overall, "The Walker" should be appealing to people who find themselves in similar relationships to the characters portrayed on the series. For those individuals, they might want to binge watch the entire season. However, for others, "The Walker" is best viewed in small doses -- one episode at a time.
