CBS Announces Another Massive Tracker Season 4 Change

Published Sep 17, 2026, 7:03 AM EDT

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019 and is now one of the leading contributors of the TV News team. Having written over 4000 news stories in that time , with his work cited in Buzzfeed and TV Insider, he's always bemoaning that there's too many shows and not enough time. You can contact him at: aalghamdi@hey.com.

Sign in to your ScreenRant account

CBS just announced a massive change to Tracker's upcoming episodes.

The hit procedural has been quietly building the Tracker cast of characters over the past year. It was announced in March that Chris Lee, who plays hacking expert Randy, had been upgraded to a series regular for season 4. Then, earlier in September, it was revealed that Cassady McClincy Zhang will be back in a regular capacity as Melanie Day, the assistant to Reenie (Fiona Rene).

They'll have some company, as CBS has just confirmed, as part of its virtual press day, as Michael Malarkey will recur in Tracker season 4. Malarkey, who is best known for his role as Enzo St. John in the CW supernatural romance adaptation The Vampire Diaries, will play Adam. The character is described in the official press release as “disarmingly handsome, intelligent, and sophisticated.”

• 

• 

In particular, Adam may present a bit of difficulty to Justin Hartley's lead character. Malarkey's latest character is a private investigator at big law firms. He has a bit of a bad boy streak, according to the description, and he runs into Reenie. The two begin to reminisce about their past, since they haven't seen each other in years, and it's teased that they may have a romantic future.

The addition of Malarkey, who is likewise recognized for his recent role in The Night Agent, as well as his leading turn in the conspiracy sci-fi series Project Blue Book, begins to paint a picture of what audiences can expect from Tracker season 4. With the upgrade to Mel Day and the introduction of a potential love interest, it seems as though Reenie is set to have more screen time.

It also continues a lingering thread from the procedural's previous episodes. Mel has made no secret of Reenie's need to be less focused on her work and develop a personal life. That hasn't always worked out. There is Reenie's complicated history with Hartley's Colter Shaw, plus the fact that her other romantic endeavors haven't tended to work out.

But as production of the CBS drama moves from Vancouver to Los Angeles, showrunner and executive producer Elwood Reid still plans to keep a great amount of focus on Colter himself. After the Tracker season 3 ending, Jensen Ackles is confirmed to return as Russell Shaw, Colter's older brother, and the two will have plenty to work through as they investigate a case.

Still, it does sound like, after the exits of Teddi and Velma, as well as Bobby, the Tracker supporting ensemble will be robust once again.

Tracker season 4 premieres Sunday, October 4 at 9:30 PM ET on CBS and streams on Paramount+.