Tracker premiered last year to stellar ratings and has become the most-watched series on broadcast television. Tracker stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a rewardist who uses his survival skills to track the lost and missing. Shaw usually works solo in the field, but he is backed by a brilliant team that helps him navigate legal barricades, hack surveillance photos, and more.
Tracker has already been renewed for a third season and will be returning this Fall. Production is scheduled to begin mid-July, and Showrunner Elwood Reid has already started teasing who will be back for season three. Fans can expect to see plenty of returning fan-favorite characters.
9 Colter Shaw Will Continue to Unravel the Family Secrets
Played by Justin Hartley
Tracker doesn't exist without Colter Shaw. Justin Hartley will be back as the lone-wolf survivalist. After the bombshell dropped in the season two finale, Colter will still be reeling from his discovery. He is going to have a lot of questions for his mother.
Hartley, who serves as a producer on Tracker, also has plenty of exciting story ideas for what's next for Colter Shaw. When Hartley spoke with Variety about the shocking finale, he talked about how he plays Colter's evolution, remembering the lessons he's learned and using them to inform Colter's behavior, saying, "Those are things that I will try to build and carry with the character as it goes on and on, hopefully beyond Season 3."
8 Reenie Greene Will Take on a Larger Role
Played by Fiona Rene
Reenie Greene is Colter's lawyer, legal consultant, and friend. Fiona Rene will be back as Reenie and will still be recovering from what she went through in the penultimate episode of season two. Reid has been open about how he plans to expand Reenie's role on the show, and told TV Line that "… Fiona is really game to grow her character."
Elwood Reid implied that Reenie's world may include other familiar faces as they figure out how they want to develop and grow the character. "I think the main character we want to build out is Reenie," Reid told Screen Rant. "What does her world look like, and how do we build out that world a little bit more and include Randy or whoever else in that world?"
7 Bobby Exley Is a Main Player on Colter's Team
Played by Eric Graise
Image via CBS
Eric Graise should be returning as Bobby, Colter's go-to tech support. Bobby was noticeably absent for six episodes during season two, causing some backlash from the audience. When addressing Graise's absence, Reid cited scheduling issues as the reason and indicated that Bobby is expected to be back next season.
Both Reid and Justin Hartley have stressed keeping the format of Tracker fresh and dynamic. Reid said, "I think it’s [about] constantly challenging the format of the show — and to do that, I have to use all my players: Bobby and Randy, and Reenie and Velma." While he has plans for Bobby's return, he also pointed out that not every character will be in every episode (except for Colter Shaw, of course).
6 Randy May Be Working With Reenie in the Future
Played by Chris Lee
Image via CBS
Bobby's gummy-worm-loving cousin, Randy, will be back in season three of Tracker. When Elwood Reid spoke with TV Line, he implied that Randy might factor into growing Reenie's character when the show returns, saying, “… Chris will be back. I think he brings a lot to the show. He’s a friend of mine … And I know how to write for him. I know what his voice is. So I think part of that goes towards building out what Reenie’s world is going to look like.”
Randy first appeared in "Nightingale" to cover for Bobby, who was grieving the loss of an old friend. After Bobby's return in "The Mercy Seat," Randy stuck around, giving Bobby someone to play off of and adding a fun new element to the show. In "Memories," viewers got to learn more about Randy when he went into the field with Colter to help Randy's ex-girlfriend.
5 Velma Bruin Will Be Back as Part of Colter’s Team
Played by Abby McEnany
Image via CBS
Velma Bruin is Colter's handler, feeding him jobs and helping him research his cases. Following the departure of her other half, Teddi, Velma works out of Reenie's offices. Near the end of the season, Velma took on the role of looking after Reenie post-kidnapping. Velma will be back, but her storyline may take a backseat to season two's cliffhanger for a while.
When asked if Velma would take on a larger role in season three, Elwood Reid told Screen Rant that she would have "a little bit" more to do and said, "The big mess that I have to clean up is what [Colter] learned about his mother, and how does he then deal with his brother and his sister? Then we'll go into all those other storylines and try to figure out how those fit into the season."
4 Mary Dove Shaw Will Have Some Explaining to Do
Played by Wendy Crewson
Image via CBS
When Tracker returns for season three, Colter is going to have some questions for his mother. When Elwood Reid spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, he teased what might happen, saying, "I think Colter is going to get an answer; he’s going to get some lies. I mean, look, it’s families. Families are f*cking messy. Family will lie to your face."
Mary Shaw lying about her involvement or motivations in Ashton's death isn't a stretch, considering she let Colter believe his brother was responsible for decades. Reid elaborated on what viewers can expect, saying, “What’s interesting about Colter—it’s like—what does he do with whatever his mom tells him? Does he believe her? Can he forgive her, even if she tells him the whole truth? I don’t know.”
3 Russell Shaw May Have Another Piece of the Puzzle
Played by Jensen Ackles
Colter's mysterious older brother, Russell Shaw, played by Jensen Ackles, long held the blame for the death of their father, but when the brothers rekindled their relationship, Russell revealed someone else was in the woods that night. Following the revelation of who killed Ashton Shaw, Colter will want to tell Russell what he learned. Reid teased Russell's return, saying, "I don't want to give too much away, but I think Russell always knows more than everybody else in the family."
At the Supernatural's The Road So Far convention last weekend, Jensen Ackles said, "I don't think you've seen the last of Russell Shaw." He also revealed that Tracker had tried to get him back near the end of the season, but the scheduling didn't work out. Ackles is hopeful that he will be able to return to Tracker in an early episode before The Boys spinoff, Vought Rising, starts filming in August.
2 Dory Shaw Needs to Hear What Colter Discovered
Played by Melissa Roxburgh
Dory Shaw is the furthest removed from the family drama, but she may not be as disinterested as she appears. In season three, Colter will share the revelation about their mother with Dory. Melissa Roxburgh has expressed interest in returning to Tracker and will likely return in season three.
When she spoke to Us Weekly, Roxburgh said, “So I’d love to go back. Justin is a friend, and it’s nice to play with your friends, and I love the show, so we’ll see.” One of the major plot points Reid has been teasing when doing press is how Colter and his siblings will react to the news, so they will definitely do what they can to get Roxburgh on the show next season.
1 Billie Matalon Is One of Colter's Main Love Interests
Played by Sofia Pernas
Image via CBS
Fellow rewardist, Bille Matalon, and Colter grew closer in season two. Reid discussed how the characters' relationships have evolved. "What was important to me this season," Reid said, "was showing that there’s a different level there. It wasn’t just two people sleeping together, right? There was a deeper connection made there [once] he learned something about her."
Reid also briefly touched on the love triangle between Colter, Renie, and Billie, saying, "...I do think as the season goes on next season, there are more chances for Billie to come into it, and there are more chances to deepen whatever the Reenie relationship is." Since Sofia Pernas is married to Tracker's star, Justin Hartley, it's a safe bet they'll get her back for season three.
