Tracker Season 3 Lays The Groundwork For Its Much-Needed Change

Published May 4, 2026, 8:28 AM EDT

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Ever since its debut in 2024, Tracker has become the most-watched show on TV. Taylor Sheridan's Marshals is giving it a run for its money, but for the most part, Hartley's series remains ever popular. For a network, Tracker is a fantastic addition to a portfolio, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't have any faults. For starters, the consistent Tracker cast changes have hampered its ability to truly establish an ensemble dynamic, especially since Colter is almost always on his own on the field. Luckily, it seems like CBS is finally making some changes that will address this.

Tracker Sets Up Reenie's Bigger Role In Season 4

In arguably its strongest installment of the year, Tracker season 3, episode 19, "Chain of Custody," not only has an intense and compelling case, it also brings Reenie out of the office and on the ground to actually work with Colter. Admittedly, this isn't the first time that this has happened. As one of the only remaining original characters of Tracker, Reenie has joined Hartley's titular character in his adventures. However, some of their reunions happened towards the end of the outing. This time, both of them are involved from start to finish.

Beyond that, it's the ending of "Chain of Custody" that hints at a major change for Tracker moving forward. Reenie starts learning how to actually handle a gun, which is motivated by her traumatic experience from last year. She admits that for a while now, she has been feeling out of control — something that she hasn't dealt with ever since she went out on her own and became independent following a difficult childhood. Between the emotional talk and Colter helping her train, it paves the way for Reenie to be a bigger part of Tracker season 4.

As the show starts fleshing out her character, she is expanding her role beyond just Colter's legal support system. Her childhood is a new storytelling opportunity — one that the series can explore next season. Additionally, Reenie learning how to handle a gun means that she could join Colter in more on-the-ground operations. Obviously, she won't be as nifty as Billie, but it gives Tracker more ways to utilize her.

Why Tracker Needs To Diversify Its Storytelling Moving Forward

After three years, Tracker's lone-wolf approach continues to be very popular, as evidenced by its weekly ratings. Hartley being at the center of its storytelling works really well, with his story clearly resonating with viewers. That being said, CBS needs to evolve the series if it wants to maintain this level of success. There's a reason why some of the most popular shows on network TV are ensemble projects, as it allows multiple characters to carry it throughout the years.

Giving Reenie a bigger role and making her more prominent is a great step towards this. She's the next most important character in the series after Colter, considering how long she has been in it. "Chain of Custody" also taking the time to show Randy and Mel working together back in the office is a great way to slowly establish an ensemble dynamic for Tracker, even though all characters of the series barely spend time in the same room.

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