Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from Tracker season 2, episode 2, “Ontological Shock.”
Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw returns in Tracker season 2, episode 2, and he brings with him a few Supernatural Easter eggs, including one that appeared in season 1. Ackles played Dean Winchester in all 15 seasons of Supernatural on The WB/CW, making it his most famous role. It would be hard for any show to surpass Ackles’ fictional TV series resume. However, since Supernatural ended in 2020, Ackles has taken on notable roles on shows like Big Sky, The Boys, and Tracker.
Jensen Ackles is expected to reprise his role as Russell in multiple Tracker season 2 episodes following “Ontological Shock,” but details, including which episodes the actor will appear in, are unknown as of this writing.
Ackles plays Colter’s older brother, Russell, in Tracker. He first appeared in season 1, episode 12, before returning in season 2 to help find Colter after he went missing and assist him in his latest case. For years, Colter believed that Russell was responsible for their father’s death when they were children. After the Tracker season 1 finale, Colter was unsure of what the truth was. As a result, the brothers have a better relationship, and Ackles has a reason to appear as Russell in later episodes as Colter gets closer to finding out what really happened to their father.
Russell’s Car in Tracker is a SUP As first seen in season 1 of Tracker, Russell arrives and drives his 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible in the season 2 episode, “Ontological Shock.” While not the exact model, Russell’s car is definitely a nod to Dean Winchester’s 1967 Chevrolet Impala (which Dean flamboyantly calls “Baby”) in Supernatural. Jensen Ackles’ character even calls his car “baby” during Russell’s appearance in season 2 of Tracker. So it’s clear that the writers intentionally had Russell drive a car similar to the one Dean drove in Supernatural.
Robin Weigert played Teddi Bruin in the main cast of Tracker season 1, but the actress left the show before season 2 premiered.
In Ackles’ first Tracker episode of season 1, the CBS action-drama introduced fans to Russell’s car. At first glance, the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible looked quite similar to Dean’s 1967 Chevrolet Impala. However, after episode 12 of season 1 aired, TVLine confirmed that Russell’s car was a different model than Dean’s iconic 1967 Chevrolet Impala from Supernatural. Despite being contrasting models, Russell’s car in Tracker and Dean’s “Baby” in Supernatural look very similar, which is no coincidence.
Outside of the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible, Tracker season 2, episode 2 used Russell to add another Supernatural Easter egg related to Dean Winchester’s eating habits. As many Supernatural fans know, Dean has been known to snack and/or eat on screen throughout the show’s 15 seasons. So, Ackles’ Tracker character is clearly referring to Dean in season 2, episode 2, since he eats quite a bit over the course of the hour.
It seems like the writers and producers of Tracker (and presumably Ackles) are committed to weaving as many Supernatural and Dean Winchester references into the CBS action drama as possible. Of course, they all had to be woven in naturally, and so far, they have. When Ackles returns as Russell in future Tracker season 2 episodes after “Ontological Shock,” viewers should keep an eye out for the actor’s most notable role. Unfortunately, Ackles’ next appearance on Tracker season 2 is still unknown.
The story in Tracker season 2, episode 2, is a perfect fit for Jensen Ackles because it revolves around UFOs and the supernatural. Ackles is quite familiar with the fantasy genre, having spent 15 years playing all seven versions of Dean Winchester on Supernatural on The WB/CW. So it’s fitting that Ackles reprises his role as Russell in “Ontological Shock.”
While Colter is a skeptic, Russell is more open to believing in the supernatural, which couldn’t be more fitting for Ackles’ character in Tracker.
This time around, Colter takes on a case about a missing man who’s been tracking unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), also known as UFOs. Russell steps in to save his brother after he’s taken to a Department of Defense black site. Colter and Russell then work together to solve the case. While Colter is a skeptic, Russell is more open to believing in the supernatural, which cannot be ruled out.
