Tracker season 2 proves that Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw should lead a black ops spinoff of Justin Hartley’s hit TV show. The series, which aired on CBS in early 2024, introduced Hartley as Colter Shaw. The self-proclaimed “rewardist” lives life on the open road and solves missing persons cases with the help of his team in Tracker. However, the best Tracker case remains unsolved. Ackles’ character was introduced to resolve a plotline in Tracker season 1, but Shaw’s brother has grown to include more than just the story of his father’s haunting death.
Ackles’ appearance in Tracker season 2, episode 2, “Ontological Shock,” marks the Supernatural star’s second appearance on the series. Ackles first appeared in Tracker season 1, episode 12, “Off the Books.” Russell played a big role in Colter’s family mystery, and his appearance in Tracker season 1 struggled with that. In Tracker season 2, now that Russell has cleared his name, the character is able to grow beyond the mystery of who killed Colter’s father in Tracker and finally begin to show his true colors. And as the character grows, he needs more space to grow.
Russell was introduced in Tracker season 1 as the prime suspect in his father’s murder. However, his role evolved into Colter’s ally after he appeared in episode 12 to clear his name and ask for help. In Tracker season 2, episode 2, Russell shows up after Colter goes missing while searching for someone at a Department of Defense (DOD) location. Reenie (Fiona Rene) calls Russell to find Colter, and Russell tracks Colter down almost immediately. In “Off the Books” and “Ontological Shock,” Russell has a connection to black ops that adds to what he knows and is capable of.
Tracker season 1, episode 12, “Off the Books,” establishes Russell’s military background and post-military career with Horizon Group. “Off the Books” explains that Russell took on civilian contracting work after years in the military. “Ontological Shock” confirms Russell’s high-level connections when Colter went missing, and that Russell was able to quickly infiltrate a Department of Defense facility. In both cases, Ackles steals the spotlight as Shaw’s brother, who is so capable of being a compelling covert black ops warrior that he could carry his own spinoff from Hartley’s show focused on his covert ops background.
A Tracker spinoff centered on Jensen Ackles could expand on Russell’s work with Horizon Group while also building on the mystery of the Shaw family. Russell has been vague about what his work for Horizon Group would look like so far. A Russell-focused series could expand on the details of his career in a procedural format that mixes serialized elements, much like Hartley’s show. An Ackles spinoff could follow Russell on his missions around the world, exposing him to a variety of social and cultural environments. That’s something the Tracker showrunners say is an asset for Colter but also applies to Russell.
