Walker, Texas Ranger/Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder
Season 6, Episode 22
Airdate	May 15, 1999
Written by	Michael L. Wilson & Janet A. Wilson
Directed by	Michael Preece
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Walker, Texas Ranger — Season Six

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Jacob's Ladder is the twenty-second episode of the sixth season of Walker, Texas Ranger, and the one hundred fifty-second episode overall.

This episode focused on the heroism of firefighters and the dangers they face each day on the job and some of the other challenges they face in their personal and professional lives. Here, Metro Fire Captain Jacob Crossland is trying to nurture a relationship with his son, Adam, and balance his job duties, and adding to the stress is a gang of drug dealers who are setting fires to houses of witnesses, to prevent and/or intimidate them from testifying in a first-degree murder and drug trafficking trial of a crime lord.

Chuck Norris (Cordell Walker)

Starring: Clarence Gilyard Jr. (James Trivette), Noble Willingham (C.D. Parker), Sheree J. Wilson (Alex Cahill)

Special Guest Star: John Schneider (Jacob Crossland)

Guest Starring: Jorge Cervera, Jr. (Pete Mercado), Anna Navarro (Hannah Sanchez), Mike Gomez (Joe Salizar), Michael Welch (Adam Crossland)

Featuring: Mari Arita (News Reporter), Karen Borta (News Anchor), Olivia Castilleja (Sarita Mercado), Brady Coleman (Fire Chief Devlin), Jerry Cotton (Leo), Dorothy Deavers (Woman), Alcides "Train" Dias (Oso), Teresa Garrett (Lou Ann), David Harrod (Keith Rockwell), Toby Holguin (Blood #1), Cody Linley (Timmy), Ben E. Loggins (Elrod), Guillermo Neach (Edmundo "Loco" Chavez), Vanessa Paul (Josie Martin), Eddie Perez (Spider), Roland Rodriguez (Chato Gonzalez), Gilbert Rosales (Chiva), Everett Sifuentes (Man), Jane Simoneau (Judge Smith), Brandon Smith (Defense Attorney), Todd Terry (Dr. Brown)

Plot Overview

A drug kingpin, with ties to the underground weapons and drug markets, is on trial for a brutal murder, and his underlings are determined to help free the man by intimidating witnesses in a very chilling way: Setting fire to their houses. And when local fire departments respond to put out the fire, the firefighters are ambushed with gunfire, making their jobs impossible. While Alex finalizes evidence for trial, the Rangers learn of the gang's actions and come up with a plan to stop them and ensure that justice against the drug lord is carried out.

The main focus of the story is Jacob Crossland, a fire captain who has been spending more time on the job than recently. The job is wearing on his family life and especially his 12-year-old son, who just wants to play ball and do other father-son bonding things. However, Jacob is busy dealing with the stress of more and more of firefighters under his command not coming in lately, either due to recovery from gunshot wounds or because they're afraid they'll be shot and killed in the line of duty as the attacks escalate. One night, at the scene of a fire, after he had just saved a baby from a roaring inferno moments before the burning house collapses, is interviewed by a news reporter; Jacob angrily vents and wants action against whomever is responsible.

Later, Jacob is still fuming from another ambush attempt and gets into an argument with his wife about how wise it was to comment. Adam, who is trying to get his dad to pay attention to him, is shouted at ... and Adam in turn makes an angry comment about how he wish something bad would happen to him, so as he could be forced to spend more time with him.

It's like they say, "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it."

While responding to another fire, the gang returns and – just as Jacob is pulling an elderly man from his burning home, Jacob is seriously wounded. Adam really regrets his words in anger and holds a bedside vigil as Jacob is unconscious at the hospital and his chances of making it are slim.

In the end, the gang sets fire to a day care, where several of the listed witnesses and their children are employed. This time, they use high-powered assault rifles to drive them back into the burning structure ... only for Walker and Trivette to show up and defeat the gang for good. The witnesses, who were previously intimidated, see that the gang members are no longer a threat and agree to testify at the upcoming trial.

There is a miracle, and Jacob regains consciousness, and he and Adam make up and share a closer bond than ever. In the final act, set several months later, Alex reveals that the drug lord has been convicted on all charges and sentenced to life in prison with no parole, and the other thugs were also given long prison sentences. And, the topper: Jacob is given a medal of valor for his heroism, to a standing ovation and the admiration of Adam (and the rest of his family, the fire department and the entire community).