Tracker Boss Breaks Down Potentially Fatal Cliffhanger — Plus, Get Exclusive First Look At Midseason Premiere

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The last new “Tracker” of 2025 saw Colter and Keaton, both bleeding out from gunshot wounds, driven off the road — potentially to their deaths. But fans of the Justin Hartley drama needn’t wait 11 weeks to find out if our rugged rewardist will live to see another day.

TVLine has your exclusive first look at Season 3, Episode 10. The midseason premiere doesn’t air until Sunday, March 1, 2026, when the series will return in a new, later time slot (9 p.m.), following new episodes of “Yellowstone” spinoff “Y: Marshals.” But we can confirm that, yes, Colter Shaw survives this one. (We know, shocker!)

The fate of Keaton (played by recurring guest star Brent Sexton) is a bit murkier — and it was one of several questions we brought to Elwood Reid. Below, the showrunner of broadcast TV’s No. 1 series tees up the remainder of Season 3 — 13 episodes remain, with “Tracker” confirmed to deliver a full 22-episode run this go-round — including what lies ahead for Colter as he pursues the truth about his father, and whether former guest stars Jensen Ackles, Melissa Roxburgh, Jennifer Morrison and Wendy Crewson could return. Along the way, he also offers clues about Reenie, Randy and Mel’s respective storylines, and confirms a “This Is Us” Easter egg.

R.I.P., Keaton?

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TVLINE | Keaton helped Colter chase his white whale in last year’s fall finale, and now he’s back in another midseason cliffhanger. Beyond the symmetry of that, why was now the right time to bring him back — and what would it mean for Colter to lose him at this point?
It’s funny you bring up the symmetry — I didn’t even think of that until you pointed it out. That wasn’t intentional. We’d been intending to bring Keaton back in a natural way, whether that was through a cold case or as a retired cop investigator, like Reenie mentions early in the episode. That was already something we’d been talking about.

Then the idea of doing a two-parter came up, and honestly, you never know when you write these characters if they’re going to have emotional resonance with the audience. You don’t know until you cast them, see it, and put it out there. Keaton turned out to be one of those guys who really stuck.

We thought we’d have to do a big reintroduction, but it turned out we didn’t — because of what he and Colter went through together. They did this really dark thing, formed a bond, and they play off each other really well. That’s one of those freebies you get sometimes as a writer — a character that really sticks with the audience.

And for Colter, as much as he can have emotional connections, he does feel something with Keaton. So yeah, it’s interesting. And good catch on the symmetry.

TVLINE | Keaton’s coughing up blood before the car even goes over the edge. What are the chances he survives this?
I can say that he was initially dead [in the first draft of this episode]. Now, whether that remains, I don’t know….

What Will Happen in Season 3, Episode 10?

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TVLINE | When we pick up in Part 2 (airing Sunday, March 1), we’ll see Colter pull himself out of the wreckage — but is he going to need backup to finish the job?
A lot. And it’s funny — you saw a rough cut of this episode. We didn’t even have all the bullet strikes [added in post-production] yet. Colter is shot pretty bad at the end.

When we pick up in Part 2 — and I didn’t tell anyone else this — he’s in really bad shape. He’s the only one who crawls out of that car, and then he’s got bigger problems. Without giving too much away, he becomes a wanted man because he’s been at the scenes of these crimes, and people start wondering if he’s in cahoots with the killer. There’s another plot that helps explain that, but the short answer is yes — he needs help. We’ve got a decent cast of characters, and you can probably guess who he calls.

Is Midseason Cliffhanger Connected to Greater Mythology?

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TVLINE | Before I saw the episode, I half-expected the cliffhanger to tie directly into Colter’s investigation into his father’s death. Is there any connection made when we pick up — or is this case completely separate?
It’s standalone in nature. But it’s funny you ask, because there was a lot of discussion in the room early on about how much to connect things.

There is going to be connective tissue coming out of the university setting — because remember, his father was a college professor. It’s not explicit, but there are going to be multiple threads Colter starts pulling that lead him back into his past.

We’re setting up things about why his father lost his mind, why he was paranoid, what government forces might have been allied against the family, and the idea of PSYOPs. You’ve already seen episodes where he’s continuing to pick at that scab. We’re starting to see the end of that road now.

This Is Us Easter Egg Confirmed

NBC

TVLINE | I’ve been dying to ask this since the name first came up: Was “David Pearson” — the man behind the phone number in Ashton’s journals — chosen as a nod to “This Is Us”? Or is that a coincidence?
It’s funny, because we’ve tried other names like that and they won’t clear legally. So you end up putting a generic name like David in front of Pearson, and that one cleared. We’ve tried a bunch of other references that we just couldn’t get approved. But yes — good catch.

TVLINE | In Episode 7, which aired Nov. 30, we learned that, in addition to David Pearson, Ashton had been working with a neurologist by the name of Walt Fleming — and all three of them are now dead. What does that tell us about Colter’s dad — and does it force him to approach the investigation differently in the back half of the season?
Yes. And I’ll give you this: In last season’s finale, there was a big scene with Otto where he talked very specifically about things that were going on with Colter’s father. We ended up cutting it because it took focus away from the mother — a woman dealing with a husband who was losing his mind and trying to protect her kids.

We may or may not learn that that was the whole truth — I don’t know yet. But Colter is now getting glimpses of this world — this program his father may or may not have been involved in — and it might still be active. I’ll leave it at that.

I’ve actually banned the writers from talking about it too much in the room because every time it comes up, they’ll spend three hours on it. We’ve still got six episodes [left] to write [in Season 3]. But now I can see the end of the march, and that’s good.

What’s Next For Reenie, Randy, And Mel

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TVLINE | You mentioned last time we spoke that Reenie was struggling coming out of last season, and we’ve started to see her unravel this fall. When do the others take notice — and how soon does that story come to a head?
I was literally on a plane last night writing the last scene between Colter and Reenie — for Episode 16. Colter finally asks her what’s going on because Randy has told him something.

That moment wasn’t in the original script, but I realized Randy absolutely would’ve said something. Mel and Randy clock that something’s wrong with her, and that’s coming to a head.

TVLINE | Mel mentioned her mother’s unsolved murder early on. Is she here, in part, because she eventually wants Colter to solve that case?
I hesitate to say yes. A lot of people assumed she was a mole or part of something dirty, which is honestly a great f–king idea. I should steal that. But really, we were looking for a different vibe in the office. She’s eager, a little quirky, but she has this pain you don’t immediately see. And if you think about what happened to Colter, they share something very real. They haven’t met face to face yet, but that’s coming.

TVLINE | Will they meet in the back half of the season?
Yes. We’re going to get them together. We’re still figuring out how — whether she opens up to him, or he intuits something and offers help. We want to let that play out slowly because it gives both actors something really juicy to play over multiple episodes.

Will Fan-Favorite Guest Stars Return in 2026?

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TVLINE | Looking ahead, is anyone from Colter’s family confirmed to return — Jensen Ackles (Russell), Melissa Roxburgh (Dory), Wendy Crewson (Mary)?
Nothing locked yet. I’ve literally been texting Jensen this morning. [Holds up phone to reveal text exchange.] He’s always someone I want to work with, so there’s always a possibility. Melissa’s tougher because of scheduling. She’s shooting [Season 2 of NBC’s “The Hunting Party”] in New York right now.

With Wendy, we haven’t shot anything yet because she was in Ireland for a while. When Colter goes back to his mother, it has to be for the right reason. I want that moment to deliver something about his father’s past — not just closure, but new information.

TVLINE | One last name that feels relevant is Jennifer Morrison’s Lizzie. Any chance she factors back in?
She’s actually coming back to direct soon. It’s funny — I wonder if she’d do a twofer, and act and direct. I should talk to her about that. You’re right — Lizzie could absolutely factor back in as the truth comes out.

What did you think of the “Tracker” fall finale? Grade it via our poll, then leave a comment with your full review — and your hopes for the remaining 13 episodes of Season 3.