Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the Tracker Season 2 finale.After that killer Tracker season finale, "Echo Ridge," things are looking down for Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley). Having discovered the truth (or, some of it anyway) about his father's death, the Season 2 finale suggests that Colter may find himself squaring off against a brand-new antagonist next season. But if you thought that Mary Dove Shaw (Wendy Crewson) was the only villain that "Echo Ridge" sets up, you'd be mistaken. In fact, the episode also opens the door for Colter's further dealings with a local drug lord named Ronnie Yates (Artine Tony Browne) — and this could be seriously bad news.
'Tracker' Newcomer Ronnie Yates Could Become a Problem for Colter in Season 3
Image via CBS
Before Colter found out anything about his mother's involvement in his father's death, his investigation into Bill Weaver's (Brian Keane) disappearance in Echo Ridge led him to encounter Ronnie Yates. Yates had found out about Weaver's investigation into Carl Murphy (Shane Leydon) and had tipped Murphy off to that fact. This ultimately led to Weaver's death. However, Yates had no idea that Murphy was involved in a child trafficking ring, and, as such, vowed to take vengeance on the former trucker himself. But Colter doesn't give Yates the chance, threatening the outlaw if he gets in the way. It's clear from the way Browne plays the character that there's a darker side to Yates just waiting to come out (that kinda comes with the drug lord territory), and although he and Colter only share a scene in "Echo Ridge," it's entirely possible he could return as a thorn in our hero's side.
Earlier in the episode, Yates was described by Colter's old childhood friend, Joe Marsh (Drew Powell), as a dangerous individual who one should actively avoid getting involved with. Sometime after Colter left Echo Ridge, Yates moved in and began his operation, and our hero's hometown has never been the same. Though he clearly draws the line at child trafficking, he is still a serious threat to the local population, especially as he continues his operation, making Echo Ridge an even bigger target. To make things worse, Colter pulled a gun on the man, and though he played the whole thing cool, Yates, whose name evokes thoughts of Clint Eastwood's Rawhide character, "Rowdy" Yates, seems like the type of individual who would hold a nasty grudge. This wouldn't be the first time that Colter has gotten himself in the middle of a drug war — he barely got out of Season 2's "Shades of Gray" alive — but it would be the most personal his connection with the criminal underworld has ever gotten.
Could 'Tracker' Throw Colter and His Family in the Middle of Another Drug War?
From what we can tell, it may be possible that Season 2 just introduced a new recurring antagonist for Colter. After all, any self-respecting drug lord who is threatened at gunpoint in his own vehicle wouldn't dare stand for that kind of disrespect, right? It seems possible, perhaps even likely, that Yates would retaliate against Colter at some point in Season 3. One possibility is that Yates may learn more about Colter, only to target his mother, who still lives in Echo Ridge. It's also possible that he could look into some of Colter's allies and threaten them as well. Better yet, if Yates believes that Colter is a threat to his larger operation, he may even try to use the law against him. Who knows, this may even be an interesting way to bring back a character like FBI Special Agent Moss (Tahmoh Penikett).
Of course, this is all largely speculation at this point. The truth is that we have no idea if Yates will return to Tracker next season, if ever. But as more and more characters have begun to recur on this show, it feels like a strong possibility. Given Colter's deep ties to Echo Ridge (especially after all he learned this past season), revisiting his hometown more frequently in the future seems all the more likely. Even if Colter only visits home once a season (as he has thus far), he still risks putting himself in the crosshairs of Ronnie Yates. Considering Leo Sharf (Pej Vahdat) has been a somewhat underwhelming recurring antagonist, maybe a character like Yates is just the sort of villain that Tracker needs?
Tracker is available for streaming on Paramount+.
