An overlooked villain from Tracker season 1 would be the best returning character for the show’s second season. Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw, a self-proclaimed “rewardist” who lives on the open road and solves missing persons cases, has many enemies in Tracker season 1. While the show’s first villain, Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw, turns out to be a good guy, most of the people Colter faces are not. That includes Ryan Robbins’ Seth from Tracker season 1, episode 2. Seth was introduced in the show’s second season, helping to establish who Colter Shaw is and how he operates. Colter’s actions in “Missoula” demonstrate just how far he’s willing to push traditional boundaries—and how much he’s willing to risk for his job. The second episode of the series also introduces a villain who helps peel back the layers of who killed Colter’s father in Tracker. The character is set to return in season 2 to shed more light on the situation.
In Tracker season 1, Ryan Robbins joins the cast of Tracker as Seth, the leader of a strange cult called Positive Light. Colter’s missing persons investigation leads him to the cult that Seth runs with a woman named Rebecca Pendergast. Concerned parents Mark and Eden Cheong hire Colter to find their 27-year-old son, Jackson, who has been recruited and brainwashed by Seth and Rebecca. As Colter begins investigating the cult, he discovers Seth and Rebecca waiting for him. Seth has important information about Colter’s past that the previous rewarder didn’t know.
When Colter tracks Jackson down, he’s able to talk to him at the Positive Light compound — but first he has to talk to Seth. Seth learns secrets about Colter’s father from a file Positive Light has compiled on Ashton Shaw. It becomes increasingly clear that Positive Light uses blackmail to lure people into joining their cult, and Seth attempts to blackmail Colter with the information he has on his father. Colter eventually retrieves the file and tapes Seth made of him when he raided the Positive Light offices.
Seth is the missing link between what Colter believes about his father’s death and the truth. Seth’s file on Ashton Shaw includes his known professional activities and various contracts with the United States Government and the University of California, Berkeley. Although some of the information on Ashton Shaw is redacted, Seth’s intelligence is better than anything Colter has found on his father in over a decade. Needless to say, the Robbins character may be the key to Colter uncovering the events surrounding his father’s death.
Although Seth is a violent and manipulative cult leader, he still values the truth. He feeds Colter information about his own mysteries, and Seth is the one most willing to talk to Colter about what happened to his father. While Colter’s mother (Wendy Crewson) and sister (Melissa Roxburgh) constantly tell Colter to move on, Seth is just as curious about his father’s past as he is. If he returns in Tracker season 2, he could prove to be an asset to Colter’s long-term investigation. In Tracker season 2, Colter could seek out Seth for more intel. At the end of “Missoula,” Colter discovers information that convinces Jackson Cheong to leave the cult, and enough to put Seth and Rebecca behind bars. The Positive Light leaders’ next stop after they walk out of the office in handcuffs is jail, and Reenie assures Colter that there’s enough evidence to lock them up. So Colter knows exactly where to find Seth. And Seth will probably talk to Colter again, even though the rewarder has him behind bars.
[Colter] has to consult Seth to prove that he takes this investigation as seriously as the ones he solves every week.
For example, Seth could open up to Colter for legal help. Reenie could consult with the legal side to get the information Colter needs from Seth, like the intelligence he has on Ashton Shaw. If Colter is serious about getting to the bottom of what happened to his father, he has to consult Seth to prove that he takes this investigation as seriously as the ones he solves every week. Seth may be the only person willing to talk to Colter about his past, making Tracker season 2 the perfect time for the villain’s return.
