CBS Is Holding Back Colter’s Best Tracker Partnership

Published Nov 6, 2026, 10:00 AM EST

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While Tracker has established itself as one of CBS's most successful shows by combining the lone wolf style of Colter Shaw's (Justin Hartley) investigations and the larger mystery surrounding him, the network is consistently holding his best possible partnership back. Every week, viewers get the chance to watch as Colter figures out the best way to track down missing people using the investigative skills he learned from his late father, Ashton Shaw. Typically, Colter does this alone, but he often finds himself in begrudging quasi-partnerships with the people he meets along the way as he rolls through towns in his search.

Although Colter's relationships with his family and the team he's built for himself are infinitely more interesting than the quick hits of intimacy he shares with the local police and other investigators, Tracker has pushed its general focus to feature more of the convenient relationships he has than his long-term bonds. While Tracker season 4 is seemingly establishing more of a home base for Colter, including bringing his team into the mix more frequently and building a new relationship with Jenna Nova (Gillian Bolt), his case-by-case partnerships are wearing down the potential for the show's best dynamic to flourish.

As Tracker has continued, it's become clear that the most fruitful relationships Colter has are few and far between, and his best connection has always been with his brother Russell (Jensen Ackles). While Russell has positioned himself as less of an ally to Colter than usual this season, CBS is continuously blocking the best partnership Tracker's built by keeping Ackles character away more often than not.

Tracker Season 4’s Best Episode Yet Brings Russell Into The Fold

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Tracker season 4 episode 5, "Need to Know," was one of the season's highlights thus far, bringing Russell back into the mix after episodes away. After the Tracker season 3 finale established that Russell was venturing away from his brother in order to track down more information about a childhood secret he was only partially privy to, viewers were curious when they'd see more of Colter's roguish older brother. Thankfully, there wasn't too long of a wait, but Russell's air of mystery was laid on even thicker throughout this episode of the series, which saw him team up with Colter to investigate an unconventional case.

Seeing Colter and Russell investigating is always a highlight of Tracker, and while the pair aren't entirely on the same page with their personal relationship at the moment, watching them work professionally is always a safe bet. Though Tracker season 4 episode 5 doesn't do much work with Russell's quiet behind-the-scenes investigation into Colter's past, the hour highlights what both brothers bring to the table when they work together. Establishing a give and take to their investigative style, seeing the Shaw brothers aligned is always a highlight of each Tracker season, and made it clear what the CBS series is missing.

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CBS Would Always Benefit From More Russell On Tracker

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Although there are reasons beyond Tracker that Ackles doesn't appear on the series as regularly as many want him to, the CBS hit always benefits when Russell is a part of an episode. Whether it's a momentary phone call between the brothers, or a scene between Ackles' Russell and Fiona Rene's Reenie Greene, Tracker is always better off having brought Russell into the mix. With Ackles already appearing in an early episode of the show's fourth season, Hartley has hinted it's far from his only time on Tracker this season. That being said, the best dynamic on the CBS hit is between the brothers, and Tracker would be better off with more of it.

Though there's nothing inherently wrong with keeping Russell as a recurring character who pops up sporadically throughout the Tracker season, seeing a fair bit more of the character would help even things out on the CBS series. Colter, who's far too often happy with his status as a lone wolf, would work far more effectively with the balance of his brother by his side. On top of Russell's presence being a benefit to his professional life, the dynamic between Russell and Colter personally is one of Tracker's best. Seeing them finally reconcile their relationship in a new way that has deep roots would be great for Tracker as the series continues to move forward.