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Warning! Spoiler Alert for Tracker season 2.Jensen Ackles returns for Tracker season 2, and it exposes a harsh reality about Justin Hartley's action/drama series and its lead Colter Shaw character. Tracker launched in early 2024, starring Hartley as the protagonist, Colter Shaw. Tracker season 1 told the story of Colter's childhood, including how his father mysteriously died when he was little. Colter suspected his older brother, Russell, played by Jensen Ackles, was responsible for their father's death. However, when Ackles debuted in the penultimate episode of season 1, he cleared his name and allied with Colter, which carried over into Tracker season 2.
A closer relationship is forming between the brothers in Tracker season 2, and it reflects Ackles and Hartley's relationship in the real world. The actors have been friends for 20 years, having worked on The CW simultaneously. Ackles starred as Dean Winchester in Supernatural, and Hartley was Oliver Queen on Smallville for five seasons. Hartley has commented that while their friendship spans two decades, dating back to their time on The CW, they never had a chance to work together until Tracker. Still, there is a harsh reality of the Tracker cast members portraying brothers.
Jensen Ackles' Russell Saves Colter In Tracker Season 2
Jensen Ackles Appears In Tracker Season 2, Episode 2, "Ontological Shock"
In Tracker season 2, episode 2, Ackles makes his Tracker season 2 return as Russell Shaw. Now that the brothers have seemingly moved on from the possibility that Russell was the one who killed Colter's father in Tracker, the brothers are able to establish a relationship in their adult lives. In Tracker season 1, Ackles' character offered his side of the story, but he also established that he was just as capable a rewardist as his younger brother. In "Ontological Shock," Reenie (Fiona Rene) calls Russell to find Colter when he goes missing on a Department of Defense (DOD) site.
Colter is fortunate to have someone in his life who can do the same job he does.
Due to his military background and contract work with the Horizon Group, Russell determined Colter's location quickly and retrieved him from the DOD site with incredible ease. Colter is fortunate to have someone in his life who can do the same job he does, and more fortunate still that Reenie knows them both and can connect them. Still, the brothers appearing side-by-side highlights a harsh reality of the series, and it's not just that season 2 proves that Tracker needs a black ops Jensen Ackles spinoff, which could expand the franchise with Russell's story.
Russell's Return In Tracker Season 2 Highlights How Boring Colter Is
Jensen Ackles Plays Russell Shaw, Also A Capable Rewardist
Ackles' return in Tracker is a reminder of how much the Supernatural actor adds to the series. Colter's draw in the show is that he is a capable rewardist based on experiences in his childhood wherein his father trained him to survive anything in the wild. Still, Russell has the same upbringing and brings those qualities to the small screen. When side-by-side, Russell is also more fun to watch than Colter. Beyond reward-seeking, Ackles accomplishes an entertaining presence on the screen while not compromising his severity on the job.
Before Tracker, Justin Hartley appeared as Kevin Pearson on NBC's This Is Us.
Ackles' appearance in season 1, episode 12, "Off the Books," helped make it the first season's most popular installment, garnering Tracker's highest rating on IMDb. This proves that Ackles is one of the show's most significant assets despite his limited involvement in guest appearances. Ackles' appearance as Russell, a fun character, highlights the choice to make Colter more serious without the same quirks that Russell has. While Colter isn't meant to be a fun character, appearing with Russell clarifies that the protagonist lacks a more charismatic quality to balance out his serious reward-seeking, making the character dull.
Will Ackles' Russell Have More Appearance In Tracker Season 2?
Jensen Ackles Will Be Back In Tracker Season 2
Ahead of season 2, Ackles' Tracker return got a definitive response from showrunners. Elwood Reid confirmed that Ackles would return for multiple episodes of Tracker season 2. While it was undoubtedly good news for the show, the hype around Ackles' return proves Russell is just as compelling as Hartley's Colter Shaw.
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Tracker Season 2 Makes Up For Reenie's Disappointing Colter Shaw Romance Story With A Better Replacement
Colter Shaw's romance development with Reenie Green in CBS' Tracker series are disappointing, but season 2 offers a better replacement.
The supporting actor will return despite Jensen Ackles' four upcoming movies and TV shows. Ackles' demanding schedule is evidence that the actor is on the rise, which is evident when he appears in Tracker. Ackles could make good use of more prominent screen time on Tracker, and the harsh reality is he is just as intriguing of a "rewadist" as Colter Shaw, if not more so. Still, it's not too late for Hartley's character. Colter has to have quirks from his bizarre childhood, and the narrative could lean more into Colter's weird side to add depth to his character.
Source: IMDb
Tracker follows lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw as he navigates the country as a reward seeker. Utilizing his expert tracking skills, he aids private citizens and law enforcement in solving various mysteries while grappling with issues from his fractured family.
Character(s) Colter Shaw , Velma Bruin , Bob Exley , Reenie Greene , Teddi Bruin , Mary Dove Shaw , Billie Matalon , Russell Shaw , Ashton Shaw , Young Colter Shaw , Sarah Riley , Mark Riley , Gil Brown , Officer Amini , Jesse Bowers , Jack Horvath , Dorian Shaw , Craig Riley , State Investigator , Derek , Ms. Hicks , Milton , Fred , Counter Worker , Patty
Release Date February 11, 2024
Seasons 2
Writers Ben H. Winters , Hilary Weisman Graham
Showrunner Elwood Reid
Creator(s) Ben H. Winters
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English (US) ·