Our fictional missing persons expert, Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley), has kept audiences happily on the edge of their seats ever since Tracker debuted two years ago, and Season 3 in particular left audiences with quite a major cliffhanger — all thanks to one secret that Colter’s estranged brother, Russell (Jensen Ackles), has been keeping from him in regard to their father’s very checkered past. At the end of Season 3, Russell was blackmailed by the same government organization their father was a part of, threatening to release information to Colter about what his father did to him unless Russell helped work a case for them. And while a reunion between the Shaw brothers in the upcoming Season 4 has been confirmed, what exactly Russell is hiding may not be revealed any time soon.

CBS

Recently speaking with TV Insider about the upcoming season, Hartley revealed what fans can expect to see in Colter and Russell’s dynamic:
“We’re going to put that away for a little bit,” Hartley said regarding that Season 3 cliffhanger. “What he [Russell] has been up to, he won’t tell me. Well, he kind of can’t, right? I mean, there’s a quid pro quo thing that happened at the end of Season 3, and he’s like, ‘As long as my brother doesn’t find out about this, I’ll do this thing for you.'”
Even though this news might be disappointing, Tracker still promises that some of Colter’s background with his father will circulate — just from different angles that subvert expectations. In fact, Season 4 is reported to push a primary emphasis on Colter’s emotional throughline, placing the violence and body count typically seen in the show more in the back seat this round. Aston’s (Colter’s father) story has slowly begun to unravel throughout the series, giving clues as to why he used such an intense survivalist parenting approach on his three kids, and what people and circumstances may have played a role in his mysterious death. But this season will hopefully give audiences some more solid footing on what exactly happened with Colter and his father and — more importantly — where that leaves Colter, Russell, and their other estranged sister Dory (Melissa Roxburgh), who we have not seen since Season 2 in that brief Airstream meetup.

This promise to shift from the otherwise fast-paced thriller style toward something with more emotional roots could be an intriguing turn for the series, perhaps adding some more depth to the rewardist character and evolving what we think we know about him and his family more profoundly. And while Season 4 may not immediately dish the long-awaited answers on Colter’s past and his relationship with his brother, if there is one thing to know, it’s that trouble always seems to find Colter just as well in the present.

As seen in the recently released teaser for Season 4, it still looks like a dangerous road for Colter, with him taking on new missing person cases and dodging boulders and bullets throughout the trailer’s 30-second run. So regardless of where Season 4 takes Colter, it will certainly be an adventure. Tracker Season 4 is scheduled to release on Oct. 4 and will be available to watch exclusively on CBS and Paramount+.

Release Date

February 11, 2024

Network

CBS

Showrunner

Elwood Reid

Writers

Ben H. Winters, Hilary Weisman Graham

Justin Hartley

Colter Shaw