With the new season of Tracker, the show seems to be moving in the right direction. Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) is as dynamic a hero as ever, and after recent episodes like “The Old Ways” and “No Man’s Land,” we’re confident that the lone wolf survivalist rewardist (say that three times fast) can handle just about anything thrown at him. But if there’s one thing that the show needs to deal with at some point down the line, it’s the false notion that Colter needs nobody else in his life. Episodes end with our hero watching others reunite with those they love, but he never has the chance to do so himself. If the show wants to best utilize its cast, that might need to change.
Colter Shaw Watches Everyone Get Happy Endings, but Refrains From Enjoying One Himself
Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) puts down his gun on ‘Tracker’Image via CBS
The fifth episode of this new season, the aforementioned “The Old Ways,” clevery juxtaposes Colter’s own survivalist upbringing under his father, Ashton Shaw (Lee Tergesen), with the lives of siblings Sara (Ava Marie Telek) and Jaden Canfield (Preston Oliver), who are kidnapped by their own loner father who wants them to learn his off-the-grid lifestyle. It’s a purposeful meditation on Colter’s own backstory that allows him to be the hero in someone else’s life that he likely wished had walked into his own. If someone had shown up, perhaps he would be living a more normal life now… Instead, Colter watches as Sara and Jaden reunite with their family before he drives off again on his own to whatever new job he has. But before he leaves, there’s a sad moment where Colter looks at this family, and it’s hard not to read more into it than the show is able to convey. After all, his own family has been split since the death of his father, and ever since, they’ve been unable to come back together. It makes one wonder if Colter will always be alone.
This is where audiences will likely be a little torn. On one hand, Tracker is a show that obviously works best when Colter is out on his own taking new cases and encountering new groups of people. It’s often the way that Jeffrey Deaver‘s original Colter Shaw adventures play out, and it allows for the show to bring in stellar guest stars and focus on one-and-done plots that are accessible to anyone tuning in for the first time. The standalone episode is a lost art these days, even on network television it seems, though Tracker is one of the few newer programs that still holds fast to the weekly case load — it’s something we’ve praised about the show from the very beginning. But in order for that concept to work, Colter needs to be out there on his own. Sure, being joined by Russell (Jensen Ackles) sporadically is a fun change, but Colter is much like the Western TV heroes of old in that he works best when he’s carrying the series by himself. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exactly offer many opportunities for a “happy ending.”
Past episodes have noted that his previous romantic partners, namely Camille (Floriana Lima), Billie (Sofia Pernas), and even Reenie (Fiona Rene), were not “meant to be,” but in moments like this, as he longs for the same familial embrace that comforts those he saves, we almost wish that Colter Shaw had someone to go home to. Sure, Tracker is a show that requires Colter to always be on the road, but the addition of a supporting cast in Denver could easily give him a base of operations to return to while not on the job. While we certainly don’t want Tracker to go the way of many programs like this (particularly certain Westerns) where the show turns stagnant the moment the cast expands and refocuses to make room where there was none, eventually, Colter ought to be able to learn to trust and confide in those he’s in business with.
‘Tracker’ Needs to Embrace Its Supporting Cast By Giving Colter More Reason to Stick Around
Jensen Ackles, Chris Lee, and Justin Hartley in Tracker Season 3 Episode 2Image via CBS
One of the reasons that many audiences didn’t care too much when Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma (Abby McEnany) left the show is because Colter never felt terribly connected to them. Outside the relatively forced mother-son-like relationship he had with the Bruins in the early Season 1, we never saw these characters truly interact in a meaningful or memorable way. In contrast, the reason others cared about Bobby (Eric Graise) and his Season 2 absence (before his ultimate exit ahead of Season 3) was that the show spent actual time with him in Season 1’s “Chicago.” We saw that Colter cares about his friend, even if he’s unwilling to open up to or experience life alongside him. This was echoed the following year with Randy (Chris Lee) in Season 2’s “Memories,” which likewise gave us a reason to actively connect with the character. In both instances, these episodes gave us hope that, at some point in the show’s future, Colter could grow enough to shed some of those lone wolf ways and lean on those he cares about.
But with Season 3, Tracker is putting more of an emphasis on Reenie, Randy, and newcomer Mel Day (Cassady McClincy Zhang) than ever before, but the whole thing feels a bit strange. For one, bringing in the new character is an odd choice, given that Colter is hardly involved in their office place work life. He has yet to meet or interact with Reenie’s newest employee since he left Denver before she was hired. While the opening two-part adventure as Colter and Russell took down “The Process” offered plenty of opportunity for the Shaws to work alongside Reenie and Randy in the field, Colter can’t be in Colorado all the time. Perhaps if Season 3 struck a more intentional balance between standalone adventures that take Colter across the country and mythology episodes that spend more time in Denver. This would allow Colter to aid Randy in some of the research he’s doing on the men connected to his father, and would open the door for the cast to grow closer, with the characters becoming more involved and invested in each other’s lives. The fact that Tracker moved Randy from Chicago to Denver was an obvious step in this direction.
‘Tracker’ Doesn’t Need to Give Colter a Happy Ending Just Yet, but Some Character Growth Would Be Nice
Don’t misunderstand, we’re not saying that Tracker needs to give Colter a happy ending every week. These things take time. But at present, the Colter Shaw we meet in Season 1’s “Klamath Falls” isn’t too different from the one we see here in Season 3, save for his better understanding of his father’s death. In terms of personality, he’s not gotten much better at asking for help and continues to keep folks in the dark about certain elements of his life. If Colter is ever going to be more than an American nomad, he’s going to have to learn to trust Reenie and Randy in particular. The fact that he is completely neutral about Teddi, Velma, and Bobby’s absences emphasizes his detachment from the rest of the cast, something that ought to change going forward if he is going to develop as a character at all.
This isn’t to say that Colter doesn’t trust Reenie or Randy (or not care about the others), only that, like with everyone, he keeps them at arm’s length. Nevertheless, some still hold out hope that things between Colter and Reenie will one day work out, but in order for that to ever happen, there cannot be any secrets between them. Tracker may work wonders as a one-man show (and perhaps it’s best that way), but if the series continues to insist on emphasizing its supporting cast members and filling out Colter’s team beyond just his tech needs, then the CBS drama ought to give us (and Colter, especially) more reason to be involved in their lives. Right now, his lone wolf aesthetic doesn’t much allow for that type of socialization, but that doesn’t mean Tracker couldn’t shift lanes at some point in the future.
Tracker airs Sundays on CBS and is available for streaming the next day on Paramount+.
Release Date
February 11, 2024
Showrunner
Elwood Reid
Writers
Ben H. Winters, Hilary Weisman Graham
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Justin Hartley
Colter Shaw
