‘Tracker’: Colter’s Dad Mystery Left Unanswered!

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As Tracker moves forward in its second season, it spotlights main character Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) delving into a myriad of peculiar and intriguing missing persons cases. This action-drama is episodic, with each episode presenting a fresh case for Colter in various parts of the United States. Yet, an encompassing narrative about his personal family background was initiated at the start of the show.

Despite the mystery being left unresolved as the season draws to a close, hinting at no resolution until Season 3, luckily, the series Tracker has been renewed. This, however, leaves fans eagerly anticipating insights into Colter’s shady past and pondering when that narrative thread will be picked up again.

The Mystery of Colter’s Past in ‘Tracker’

At the start of the show, viewers discovered that Colter’s father, Ashton (played by Lee Tergesen), met a tragic end – found dead at the foot of a cliff not far from their off-grid residence. A highly respected academic, Ashton became progressively anxious and relocated his family to the wilderness, imparting survival skills to his children, which eventually inspired Colter’s career choice.

In the closing moments of Season 1, Colter meets up with his estranged brother Russell (Jensen Ackles) once more. Russell denies any involvement in their father’s death, a belief that Colter had harbored since finding their father’s body atop the cliff. Russell further reveals that he saw another man in the woods on the day of the incident, someone Colter’s mother had previously spoken to. Although Russell is unsure of this mysterious figure’s identity, he believes it was a man he himself had encountered before.

Regarding his mother, Mary (Wendy Crewson), she lives on her own and backs Colter’s choice not to engage with Russell. Interestingly, she even advised him against it, implying potential harm might arise from such an interaction. This advice stirred doubts about the truth behind Ashton’s disappearance, the nature of his work, and just how much Mary knew that she wasn’t sharing with Colter.

In the second episode of Season 2, titled “Ontological Shock,” Reenie (played by Fiona Rene) reaches out to Russell for assistance when she becomes concerned about Colter’s well-being, as it turns out, he was in danger. During his investigation at a covert government facility researching extraterrestrial life forms, a man reveals to Russell that he is recognized and hints that his father asked too many questions. This implies that Ashton may have been correct in his suspicions and had a valid reason for relocating his family.

On another occasion, as Colter journeys to aid Lizzy (Jennifer Morrison), a long-standing family acquaintance, he uncovers a shocking secret: his father was involved in an affair with her mother. Despite his belief that this was common knowledge, Colter is utterly taken aback by the revelation. Moreover, Lizzy discloses that Ashton had paid a visit to her mother prior to his demise, and they apparently clashed during their conversation.

She informs him that she discovered a box containing Ashton’s possessions among her late mother’s things and handed it over to Dory (Melissa Roxburgh), Colter’s younger sister. This conversation between them had just taken place, with Colter bringing up their father as a topic, but she didn’t disclose anything about the box. This new development only intensifies the curiosity regarding Ashton’s whereabouts, what he knew, and why both his siblings and mother appear to be keeping secrets from Colter.

The ‘Tracker’ Mystery Has Taken a Back Seat

Throughout Seasons 2, the enigma we’ve been following remains largely unresolved. Ackles’ character hasn’t appeared in “Tracker” since the second episode of Season 2, while Dory was last seen during the first season. Instead, Colter delved into a different cold case, that of his friend’s missing sister, which became the focus for multiple episodes. This plotline has now been concluded.

I’m eagerly awaiting the return of Ackles, Roxburgh, Crewson, and Morrison to their roles, but it seems increasingly uncertain if we’ll see them this season. If it doesn’t happen, it could mean a suspenseful cliffhanger ending that leaves us on tenterhooks for Season 3.

At present, the latest reference to Colter’s family occurred when he shared a meal at a diner with Reenie following their successful resolution of a significant case. She playfully noted his decision for pancakes as an evening meal, and he reminisced about his past. He explained that during his father’s “outbursts,” his mother would prepare pancakes for the children as a symbolic act to mark a fresh start for the day.

It seems like Colter hasn’t talked about his family for a while, but now he has, which could indicate that Dory’s advice to forget the past might not have stuck with him. However, given his character, it’s hard to believe that he would abandon an investigation, especially one concerning his own family.

Why Was the ‘Tracker’ Mystery Paused, and When Might It Come Back?

As a movie reviewer, I found myself pausing my anticipation for “Tracker” due to unforeseen circumstances rather than deliberate prolongation for suspense. The primary reason seems to be that two crucial actors have been engrossed in other ventures. For instance, Roxburgh is currently spearheading the NBC series titled “The Hunting Party,” a gripping crime drama which debuted in mid-January. While it’s possible that both shows were filming simultaneously, they were both shot in Vancouver, BC, suggesting that scheduling conflicts could have arisen.

Meanwhile, Ackles took on a voice role for the 2024 movie “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths” as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. He also has two projects under development. One is titled “Countdown,” a crime drama set to premiere on Prime Video where he plays the main character. This production took place from September 2024 to March 2025 in Los Angeles, indicating that it may have consumed a significant portion of his time.

Apart from appearing in, he’s also serving as an executive producer for the upcoming series “Vought Rising“, a prequel that brings back his character, Soldier Boy, from the show “The Boys“. As of now, the release date for this project is yet to be confirmed, which suggests that he’s likely to dedicate most of his time to it, making it difficult for him to accept guest-starring roles on “Tracker“.

Amidst mounting anticipation among fans, intriguing speculations persist within the Tracker community. One recent conjecture revolves around Season 2, Episode 13 titled “Neptune.” With the season finale approaching, there’s a growing belief that this episode may unveil another important detail. In this installment, a character named Deputy Director Bartholomew is introduced, though not visually shown. This elusive character heads a clandestine government organization, and many fans speculate that they could be somehow connected to Ashton.

As I delved into the mystery surrounding a missing colleague connected to that clandestine government unit, I received an enigmatic call from an unidentified source, urging me to keep my distance. Upon resolving the case and apprehending a renegade agent, Reenie was greeted by a letter from Deputy Director Bartholomew, acknowledging Colter’s contributions. However, even Reenie couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease, suspecting that the letter might be disguising a cryptic warning instead.

Is it possible that this event could rekindle the Shaw family enigma, or will it be a solitary occurrence with no further mention? Only time will tell, and it might take until Season 3 of Tracker for more details about this intriguing predicament to emerge. Watch Tracker on Paramount+.

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2025-04-13 21:05