Russell's Tracker Season 4 Story After Season 3's Shocking DARPA Twist Teased By Showrunner

EXCLUSIVE: When Tracker comes back this month, Jensen Ackles' Russell Shaw will be involved in a dangerous situation.

Ackles joined Tracker in season 1, playing Colter Shaw's estranged brother. He then returned for five more appearances, including the season 3 finale, which showed Russell being shot while trying to save the DARPA test subjects. He was also given shocking information about his late father and left town to begin another mission away from his brother.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns, showrunner and executive producer Elwood Reid teased that, during Tracker season 4, Russell won't be on one singular mission. He's gotten himself into a situation where he's "at the beck and call of somebody who is leveraging this knowledge" by using Russell's skills for their own gain and not necessarily with the best intentions.

Ackles recently returned to the Tracker set to film episode 5, and Reid hopes that the actor's busy schedule will allow him to come back for at least a couple of additional episodes so that viewers can see more of the trouble that Russell has gotten himself into.

"What would that look like if Colter has to come and save his bacon?" the showrunner pondered, adding that he wants to "mine a lot of good story out of that secret" Russell discovered at the end of Tracker season 3. As Colter's older brother, he feels like he's protecting his sibling by holding on to that information, and he might never open up to Colter about it.

Ackles has exceptional chemistry with Justin Hartley, who plays Colter. Reid noted that isn't always the case when trying to pair up actors to play siblings or other family members. But for Ackles and Hartley, "those two slipped into it so naturally, and it's just so fun to see."

Having the time to flesh out their dynamic more depends entirely on Ackles' availability. "I'll take all the Jensen I can get," Reid joked. "It's not for lack of trying on my part." The problem is that Ackles' career continues to skyrocket. Reid acknowledged that he is "a very popular guy who's in a lot of demand."

Elwood Reid: As far as Russell goes, and I'm not spoiling anything by saying this, it's not one mission. He's being roped into a situation where he's at the beck and call of somebody who is leveraging this knowledge in the beginning into using Russell's skills, maybe not always for the best purposes. So, we're going to pick up a piece of that.

"It's funny we're talking today, today's the first day of Jensen on set, for episode 5. We're hoping, Jensen's schedule permitting, we can get him for a couple more episodes, but we do hope to have Russell get into trouble with one of these jobs, and what would that look like if Colter has to come and save his bacon? So, that's one of the things we're toying with. But again, it's all up to the graces of being able to free up Jensen for a couple days to come shoot with us.

"I think we can also mine a lot of good story out of that secret that was leveraged at the end of last season. He may never tell Colter why he's doing that, or what that's about. There is still a little bit in their dynamic, at least as far as I'm concerned, that, 'I'm your big brother, I'm protecting you from all of the information.' So, I think that's something that's really important as we flesh out their relationship ongoing, and are able to bring Jensen back in the show.

"Believe me, as I've said multiple times, I'll take all the Jensen I can get. [Laughs] It's not for lack of trying on my part. He's just a very popular guy who's in a lot of demand, and I know he's got the prequel for Vought in The Boys universe, and he's got a bunch of other irons in the fire. But I'm always trying to cook something up with Jensen, and there's just been this really fun natural relationship that he and Justin have in real life that plays on the screen.

"I've done this a million times, when you cast people that are supposed to play family or relationships, are they going to have that chemistry? Is the audience going to buy it? Those two slipped into it so naturally, and it's just so fun to see. I'm loving it. Jensen's very fun to write with, and I think, when they're on screen together, he pushes Justin's character in a way that we don't normally get to see, which is really fun. Last season, one of my favorite episodes was the last episode, with just those two together, and just hanging out with them and seeing the way they talk and bust each other's balls and go back and forth and try to figure things out."

Ackles spent 15 seasons starring in the long-running series Supernatural. Just two years later, he was cast as Soldier Boy on Prime Video's The Boys, which ended this year after five seasons. Just because The Boys is over doesn't mean his schedule is suddenly free, as he'll be reprising Soldier Boy in the upcoming spinoff Vought Rising, which will premiere sometime in 2027.

Until audiences find out more about Russell's future on Tracker, they can tune in to season 4 this fall and see Ackles and Hartley alongside co-stars Fiona Rene, Cassady McClincy Zhang, Sofia Pernas, Brent Sexton and Michael Malarkey.

Tracker season 4 premieres Sunday, October 4 at 9:30 p.m. EDT/9 p.m. PDT on CBS.

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  Colter Shaw

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  Abby McEnany

  Velma Bruin

Colter Shaw travels across the country making his living by collecting missing persons rewards, utilizing sharp instincts and expert tracking skills. With help from a small support team, he works alongside private citizens and law enforcement while staying one step ahead of violent suspects.