Unveiled! Stunning Similarities Between ‘Tracker’ and ‘The Finder’ – Is CBS’s Hit a Copycat?

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Since its debut in 2024, the action drama series “Tracker” has been a ratings success on CBS. Starring Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a man schooled in survival skills by his father and now earning a living as a “rewardist,” the show follows him as he traverses the U.S. in an airstream, helping both private citizens and law enforcement locate missing people for reward money. Adapted from Jeffrey Deaver’s 2019 bestselling novel “The Never Game” and developed for television by Ben H. Winters, “Tracker” seems poised to become a long-running network series. The first season was the most-watched scripted show on CBS, averaging over eight million viewers per episode, and the second season’s premiere was the most-watched of the 2024-25 broadcast season. However, it has faced allegations of plagiarism.

Meet the Cast of ‘Tracker’

Though Colter Shaw tends to work independently, much like a solitary wolf, it’s evident that he isn’t self-sufficient. He relies on a special team supporting him remotely with his investigations. In Season 1, the couple Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma (Abby McEany) manage the financial aspects of Colter’s business and present him with cases to solve. Bobby (Eric Graise), being the tech-savvy individual, gathers any intelligence that Colter can’t obtain in the field.

Fiona Rene (Reedie), a former love interest of Colter, is a lawyer who frequently comes to his aid when he encounters legal difficulties and occasionally gets him out of jail due to some questionable tactics he uses. Unfortunately, Weigert decided not to return for the show after the first two seasons, leaving more space for Reedie’s character to evolve. As a result, her cases in Season 2 became increasingly significant, allowing for stronger connections between the characters and adding depth to her storyline.

A show focusing on locating individuals isn’t exactly groundbreaking – after all, there’s not a lot of new territory in episodic television. If the concept feels familiar to you, it could be because it was previously executed with Fox’s 2012 series titled The Finder.

What Is ‘The Finder’ & Why Is It Like ‘Tracker?’

The TV series “The Finder” was a brief Fox production that failed to reach its full promise. In the main role is Geoff Stults as Walter Sherman, a former military member who endured a traumatic brain injury from an explosion, resulting in an enhanced capacity to spot patterns and an irresistible urge to locate items.

Originally, the show titled “The Finder” was born as a spin-off from the hit crime drama series “Bones“, where Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz starred. In an episode of Season 6 on “Bones“, FBI Agent Seeley Booth (played by Boreanaz) enlists a man named Walter, someone he knew from his Army days, to find a hidden treasure using a map found on a deceased body. This particular episode in 2011 functioned as a “backdoor pilot” for the development of “The Finder“.

Who Is in Walter’s Circle?

Just like Tracker, Walter also has a team of dedicated assistants – firstly, Deputy U.S. Marshal Isabel Zambada (Mercedes Mason), who assists him in the field and shares an intimate relationship with him. Secondly, there’s Leo Knox (Michael Clarke Duncan), Walter’s friend, lawyer, and bodyguard, who frequently offers guidance (though it often goes unheeded). Lastly, his tech expert is a troubled teenager named Willa, a Romani girl working at Leo’s bar as part of her probation.

Although The Finder appears quite akin to Tracker in many aspects (both being adapted from the same source material, The Locator novels by Richard Greener), it’s important to note that there are significant differences between the two series that set them apart as unique entities.

What Separates ‘Tracker’ from ‘The Finder’?

As I follow Colter Shaw’s journey across the vast U.S., taking on tasks wherever they lead him, Walter Sherman remains rooted around his beloved establishment, Leo’s bar, affectionately known as The Ends of the Earth, nestled on the tropical paradise of Looking Glass Key in Florida. With a laid-back atmosphere and vibrant hues, The Finder offers a refreshingly cheerful ambiance compared to Tracker, which carries an air of gravity and somberness. Unlike Tracker, with its grave subject matter and heavy mood (Episode 12 of Tracker Season 2 has been the most somber thus far), The Finder presents a more carefree and lighthearted tale.

A significant part of their contrast lies in what each character is specifically looking for. Colter’s mission primarily revolves around locating individuals (except for one missing racehorse), whereas Walter handles a diverse array of searches – yes, including people, but also historical items like decades-old murder bullets, stolen sports memorabilia, and even inheritances. This varied scope provided engaging storylines for The Finder, while Tracker maintains its excitement by presenting a myriad of cases that see Colter rescuing people from hiking mishaps in the wilderness, tracking down secluded cult members, saving kidnapped individuals from criminal perils, and much more.

To put it simply, “The Finder” might be perceived as having a more episodic structure compared to “Tracker,” because its 13 episodes were broadcast in an unusual sequence that wasn’t their original intended order. This led to minor continuity issues, but the show held up well due to each story being self-contained. Conversely, “Tracker” introduces a new missing person case in almost every episode, yet it has a more integrated narrative that encompasses Colter’s family, character relationships, and interconnected cases, making “Tracker” appear more cohesive as a whole.

Walter Sherman vs. Colter Shaw

The two main characters in these shows exhibit stark contrasts. While Walter is known for his quirks and paranoia, often picking cases due to their thrill factor, Colter is characterized by his stoicism, a survivalist at heart, and deeply committed to reuniting families with their missing loved ones. Compared to Walter, Colter’s backstory and complex family history add depth to his character. In contrast, Walter’s military background serves primarily as an origin story for his extraordinary abilities, whereas Colter’s past has significantly molded him as an individual, most notably through the loss of his father who imparted all his knowledge upon him.

It’s clear from the challenges of his past – coping with childhood trauma, safeguarding his mother, and reconciling with his potentially implicated brother over their father’s death – that Colter’s compassion for others stems from personal experiences. His history doesn’t merely account for why he acts, but it shapes his very identity, creating a stronger emotional bond between him and the viewers.

From a movie critic’s perspective, while both series, “Tracker” and “The Finder,” share a common premise, their similarities are not substantial enough to suggest one show copied the other. The former, “Tracker,” has surpassed the popularity of the latter, “The Finder,” despite its potential success if it had been available during the era of streaming. Walter’s extraordinary narratives and peculiar discoveries in “The Finder” were confined within its 13 episodes, whereas Colter’s journey is poised to continue for much longer – provided that “Tracker” Season 3 delivers on its promise.

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2025-03-24 03:44