The CBS seriesTrackerhas been playing fast and loose with its characters. While Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw remains at the center of every episode, and others like Reenie (Fiona Rene) and Velma (Abby McEnany) are mainstays, there has been a merry-go-round of missing others. Bobby (Eric Graise) wasmissing for a handful of episodes, while Robin Weigert had already long departed the series as Teddi.
One guest star in particular,Jensen Ackles, quickly became a fan favorite when he first appeared on the show. Fans were even more delighted when it was announced that he would return and have a bigger presence going forward. However, that didn’t materialize. With only a few episodes left in the second season, and thus little opportunity for him to appear, fans are hoping that Ackles' Russell will have a bigger storyline in the confirmed third season.
Russell Shaw Was a Shining Light With an Air of Mystery in ‘Tracker’
Jensen Ackles first appeared inTrackerin the penultimate Episode 12 of Season 1, called “Off the Books.”He playsColter’s estranged older brother Russell. The two hadn’t spoken in years, ever since Colter caught Russell at the top of the cliff where he found his dead father lying below. Colter always believed that Russell had something to do with the death. His mother, Mary (Wendy Crewson), also encouraged him not to speak to his brother because “nothing good would come of it.”
This wasn’t for lack of trying on Russell’s part. While he had gone off to join the military and then was working with a team of mercenaries, he repeatedly tried to contact his younger brother, to no avail. In this episode, he finally says enough is enough, finds Colter, and confronts him. It’s not just to make things right.He does assure his brother that he had nothing to do with their father’s death, even revealing that he saw someone else in the woods that day. But it’s also because his old army buddy is missing, and he needs Colter’s help. Unable to resist a case, Colter obliges, and through the investigation, the two reconnect.
I’m Sorry, but ‘Tracker’ Season 2 Isn’t Living up to the First Season
‘Tracker’ almost seems like a different show in Season 2, abandoning the overarching story, missing characters, and becoming more violent.
Russell is the antithesis of Colter in many ways. He’s arrogant but hilarious, not taking life as seriously as Colter. He flirts with Reenie and even tries to use his charms on others, much to Colter’s embarrassment. He’s the typical big bro, razzing his little brother and showing that he deeply cares.
With his military training and thesame survival skillsColter learned while growing up, he can match Colter toe to toe. While Russell abruptly departs at the end of that episode, he leaves a token of appreciation for Colter: his pocket knife, letting his little brother know he cares and will always be there for him.
Russell Only Shows up Once in ‘Tracker’ Season 2
Despiteteasing that Ackles would have a bigger presenceon the show, he only appears once more in Season 2. In Episode 2, “Ontological Shock,” Colter is investigating the case of a missing man who had gone looking for aliens. When Colter himself goes missing, Reenie panics and calls Russell for help.
As expected, Russell came running. He finds Colter, and together, the two save the man. But they also uncover a deep government blacksite, and a potential cover-up involving extraterrestrial life.This episode plays into the story of their father as wellwhen the man who kidnapped the person Colter was looking for tells Russell that he knows who he is and that his father “asked too many questions” and that he has a “long family history of getting in the government’s way.”
Hopefully ‘Tracker’ Doesn’t Completely Waste This New Mysterious Character
‘Tracker’ has been slowly piecing together the case of what really happened to Colter’s father, and a new character might prove pivotal to it.
Russell doesn’t seem surprised at this notion, as if he already knows things Colter doesn’t. The suspicion has always been that Russell, Mary, and even Colter’s younger sister Dory (Melissa Roxburgh) knew more about what Ashton (Lee Tergesen) was doing and what happened to him than they are letting on.
Even Colter’s childhood friend Lizzy (Jennifer Morrison), who was also supposed to return, knew more about Ashton than he did. It was Lizzy who revealed to Colter that Ashton was having an affair with her mother, but she thought he knew. Since then, anymention of Colter’s familyhas been few and far between. However, in Episode 19, “Rules of the Game,” Dory returns for a short cameo, and Colter finally gets a step closer to learning more about the mystery.
Fans Need More of Russell in ‘Tracker’
Not only is Russell a fun and dynamic character, but his chemistry with Colter is fantastic, along with the fun banter between him and Reenie. IfTrackerever dives back into the Colter family mystery anduncovers what really happened to Ashton,it will be essential for Russell to come back and be part of that. Based on Mary’s reluctance to let Colter interact with Russell, he clearly knows something she doesn’t want revealed.
Fans hope that Russell is back in some way before the end of Season 2, and that while Season 3 continues with the usual formulaic, procedural style, the overarching story about Colter’s personal life is explored, too. That means bringing back all those missing characters, chief among them being Russell.
This could very well happen. Hartley did tellTV Insiderback in February thatthe family mystery would be touched on again in Season 2 and that it “gets real.”So, there might be a lot to look forward to in the final episodes of the season. For his part, Ackles is busy these days with the fifth and final season ofThe Boys, set to premiere in 2026, and he may appear in the second season of its spin-off seriesGen V, though there’s no official launch date for that. In this same franchise, he will star in the prequel seriesVought Rising, which was announced at San Diego Comic Con in 2024 but has yet to receive a release date.
10 Standout Justin Hartley Roles Before ‘Tracker’
From the early days of soap operas to his more recent forays into the world of prestige television, Justin Hartley has an impressive acting portfolio.
Ackles will also be starring in the upcoming Prime Video seriesCountdown, which is scheduled for release on June 15, 2025. That series was filmed in Los Angeles from September through December 2024. Filming forTrackerSeason 2 took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from July 2024 through April 2025, creating an overlap. Still, it’s possible he found time to film scenes for the final episodes ofTracker’s second season.
Fans will be crossing their fingers, and Hartley’s hints to TV Insider suggest that maybe there will be a teaser of some kind before Season 2 wraps up. “I don’t like the idea of wrapping things up in a pretty little bow just for the sake of the fact that it’s the final episode of the season,” said Hartley. “I’m more interested in propelling the story in a way that makes sense.” Translation: We might have a cliffhanger ending that possibly includes Russell.
If not in Season 2, the show needs to bring back the bearded, charming,big brother for Season 3to solidify his status as a fan-favorite character.StreamTrackeronParamount+.
