CBS Future-Proofs Tracker For Justin Hartley's Colter Exit

Published Oct 10, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT

Antonella Gugliersi (she/them) has been a feature writer for Screen Rant since 2021. While studying for her bachelor’s in Economics & Management, they started writing about movies and TV shows for Turin-based The Unconventional Mag. After a brief internship at TPI, she decided she wanted to pursue journalism and graduated with a degree in International Journalism from Brunel University.

Warning! SPOILERS ahead about Tracker season 4’s premiere.There is no Tracker without Colter Shaw, and yet CBS introduced one storyline in Tracker season 4’s premiere that might protect the Justin Hartley TV series from having to rely on Colter in the future. Kickstarting CBS’s Fall 2026 lineup on October 4, Tracker season 4, episode 1 inaugurated the fourth installment of the crime drama with a compelling case-of-the-week. Charlie’s employment of Colter checked all the boxes, both for where the case brought Colter and the personal interest story that drew Colter to accept, seeing himself in Charlie.

The case in season 4’s premiere made it possible to use Tracker’s new home of California to the fullest, with the port of Los Angeles functioning as an active participant considering how it influenced the case’s direction. Arguably, though, the most interesting thing Tracker season 4, episode 1 introduced was Colter and Charlie’s dynamic, as Colter had to keep an eye out for him after his initiative first led Charlie to trick Colter into accepting the job, and then to follow Colter out in the field, which could have turned dangerous had Colter not noticed him.

Despite the chaos Charlie attempted to bring to the investigation, the encounter evidently influenced Colter in the best way, as his promise to meet Charlie again in the future for payback proved. Colter’s suggestions to Charlie showed his willingness to take him on as a mentee, introducing a completely new story for the CBS crime drama and a way to continue it if Justin Hartley ever exited Tracker.

Tracker Season 4, Episode 1 Sets Up Colter's First Mentee

CBS

The timeline of Colter taking on a mentee is unclear, but his promise to Charlie clearly outlined the terms of the deal: Charlie would have to continue to focus on school, and, after he was done, he would have a chance to “settle up.” Tracker’s procedural nature involving different cases week by week can stretch the time between the promise and whenever Charlie and Colter meet again in whichever way it wants, effectively delaying Colter taking on a mentee in Tracker until the time that it suits the story or Colter’s character development.

Despite the development giving Tracker great freedom on the matter, there is no doubt that Charlie and Colter’s meeting set up such a storyline. While Colter often gave his younger customers more leeway, as his accepting Aiden’s pocket money as payment to find his dog in Tracker season 2, episode 7 proved, he never commented on their instincts or offered to meet up in the future to square up.

Colter’s offer to Charlie to pay him back when he can seems more like an opportunity to let the duo meet again than a chance to get paid, as Colter essentially offered him precious advice that would only be useful if Charlie were to get involved in Colter’s field when the time comes. Moreover, Colter’s invitation to follow his instincts and admission that he would have done just like Charlie effectively counted as mentoring already, even if the goal towards which that advice pushed Charlie wasn’t explicitly stated.

Charlie Can Take Over Tracker In The Far Future

CBS

Colter’s interest in honing Charlie’s instincts in Tracker season 4’s premiere thus set up a future the crime drama never hinted at, as Colter made a point to pursue his calling alone. Even if he often pairs up with others like John Keaton or Helen Brock, Colter generally works alone in the field. Choosing a mentee to train and turn into a rewardist would involve spending a lot of time together on cases, drastically changing the day-to-day of Colter’s job as he knows it.

Such a development would change Tracker’s established dynamics greatly, and it could revitalize the CBS crime drama if it ends up lasting long enough to need to shake up things. Colter training a new rewardist would also ensure that someone would always follow his values when taking on new cases, which could be useful if he ever decided to retire.

It’s impossible not to equate Tracker with Colter at the moment. Still, if Justin Hartley ever found himself wanting to leave the show, Colter training a new rewardist could make that possible without Tracker having to end. This way, CBS guarantees a potential continuation of Tracker beyond Colter’s character without having to turn the crime drama into something else, as a Colter-trained rewardist would embody all the values by now synonymous with Tracker.