Watching the trailer for Tracker season 2 made me realize that the CBS series needed a major change to make it even better. Justin Hartley stars in the series as Colter Shaw, a self-proclaimed “reward man” who lives on the streets, doing his unorthodox job of finding missing people in exchange for reward money from his Airstream trailer. In Tracker season 1, Colter traveled across the United States, taking in a new location in each episode. Tracker season 2 will add a full season of episodes with the same premise, adding even more locations to Colter’s mobile repertoire.
The stunning scenery in each episode of Tracker season 1 adds to the immersive experience that Hartley’s procedural series provides. Since Colter has a mobile operation, his team supports him remotely, managing his business, scouting for new opportunities, and providing “reward” with important intelligence while he’s out in the field. While most parts of Tracker’s winning formula remain the same, there’s a significant opportunity for a subtle, groundbreaking change. The Tracker season 2 trailer released ahead of the first season’s premiere shows Colter back on the open road. He briefly took a break at the end of Tracker season 1 after returning several missing people to their loved ones during the show’s initial run. Returning to a key theme from the show’s first season, the Tracker season 2 trailer shows Colter Shaw operating in remote locations ahead of the season 2 premiere. Colter’s penchant for working in these areas was established in the show’s first season, with most of the episode titles reflecting Colter’s location.
Tracker season 2 premieres on CBS on Sunday, October 13, at 8 p.m. ET.
In Tracker season 1, Colter took his bounty hunting operations to places like Klamath Falls, Oregon; Missoula, Montana; and Cascade, Idaho. The wide-open American West locations are perfect for Colter’s operations, as people are likely to get lost in large, remote locations. Colter’s Airstream trailer and large GMC pickup are perfect for the wide-open spaces and less activity in crowded cities, where mobile parking complicates his work.
While the great outdoors and wide-open spaces make up Colter Shaw’s best moments, the show needs to vary them from time to time. Occasionally, I’d like to see Colter Shaw searching for a missing person in a crowded city, which would diversify the show’s action premise. The show is self-aware of its preference for more rural locales, as evidenced by a joke Colter’s handlers make at the end of Tracker season 1, episode 4, “Mt. Shasta.” At the end of the episode, as Colter sets up his next job, his handlers offer a tantalizing tease.
Tracker was renewed early for season 2 after season 1, episode 4, “Mt. Shasta.”
At the end of “Mt. Shasta,” Colter’s handlers joke that they’re taking him to Manhattan, asking, “How do we feel about Manhattan?” Colter assumed his handlers meant New York City, and responded, “The Big Apple? Where would I park this thing?” That’s the problem with Tracker expanding into the big city: Colter’s mobile operation was built for the wide, open highways of the deserted United States. Even so, Tracker needs to include more cities in season 2 to diversify its service.
Colter visited a number of urban centers in Tracker’s first season. However, there are exceptions to bringing Colter into the city. Colter tackled cases in St. Louis, Mo.; Chicago, Illinois; and Lexington, Kentucky, in season 1. That said, Colter’s move to more crowded destinations is the exception to his practice, not the rule. Colter needs to visit more urban areas in Tracker’s second season to diversify the landscapes he navigates and the people he encounters. Plus, the series should finally pay off its Manhattan tease by taking Colter’s bounty operations to New York City. A hub like Portland or Seattle would be a great place to start Tracker season 2. However, keeping with the trend of bounty hunting in the Western United States, there are still plenty of cities that Colter could visit on the West Coast. Colter was last seen in Oregon in the Tracker season 1 finale, so he could take a job in a city closer to his current home. I’d love to see Colter in a major city, and a hub like Portland or Seattle would be a great place to start Tracker season 2.
