Dear Tracker, Please Stop Wasting Your Best Character (And Not Colter) After episode 4 of Tracker season 2, it’s time to officially demand that Justin Hartley’s show stop wasting its best character. The record-breaking CBS procedural immediately made waves when it premiered in early 2024. Hartley plays Colter Shaw, a bounty hunter who travels the country looking for missing people. Although he’s the main character in the series and works largely alone in the field, the series has a solid cast surrounding Hartley. Colter’s team is small, but all of its members are very good at their jobs. They mostly provide remote support to the bounty hunter as he tackles dangerous cases.
The narrative nature of Tracker means that the cast changes weekly. The first three episodes of Season 2 featured three different guest stars—Floriana Lima’s Camille Pickett, Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw, and Sophia Parnas’ Billie Matalon. All of them have played important roles in Colter’s recent cases. However, in Tracker season 2, episode 4, “Noble Rot,” the show returned to its roots, with the Hartley character working alone, though he did receive some help from the project’s best character. Their partnership was an effective reminder of how inefficiently the CBS procedural was using a major asset.
Fiona Rene’s Reenie was introduced to the Tracker cast in season 1 as an ally of Colter’s. As a lawyer, she often handled the legal aspects of his operation, though she didn’t technically appear to be a part of it. Still, Colter relies on her, so when she asks for his help in Tracker season 2, episode 4, he comes. Reenie has appeared several times in the show’s second season, but this is the first time she’s shared the screen with the rewarder, as they navigate the case of a missing woman in Napa Valley.
It’s clear throughout the episode that Reenie and Colter have great chemistry. Much has been said about the pair’s potential for a romantic storyline, and while Tracker has hinted that they had an affair, both Hartley and Rene have shut down any possibility of that happening. Other than that, though, Reenie is a really great character. She may not be a rewarder like Billie, but she can certainly hold her own. She’s smart and charming, and she thinks outside the box in tough situations. Here are a few reasons why she’s so fun to watch.
As great as Reenie is, Tracker doesn’t use her enough. She appears regularly on the show, but most of her involvement is through remote work. Even in the few times she reunites with Colter and stays with him, she continues to be a supporting character. It’s fair to say that Tracker’s focus is on Hartley’s hero, but the show could benefit from pairing them up more often. First, the banter between them is fantastic—probably on the same level as Colter and Russell. Whether flirty or not, their lines are always witty.
Colter benefits from being around people, and Reenie brings out his more playful side, probably because she’s sarcastic and sarcastic.
Second, being around Reenie actually makes Colter more interesting. When alone, Hartley tends to be boring. He comes off as overly serious and straightforward, which are good qualities for a TV hero, but he’s not fun to watch. Colter benefits from having people around him, and Reenie shows off his more playful side, probably because she’s snarky and sarcastic. Finally, when alone, Rene is great. It would be nice to see more of her personal story, especially since she started her own law firm with Velma after Teddi left Tracker.
It’s not a waste that Reenie doesn’t force Tracker to change its narrative. This could be fixed with a few tweaks in the future. For starters, give Reenie more to do. While she often works remotely with Colter, it wouldn’t hurt the show to see her out in the field more with him. She’s not trained in combat, but she’s resourceful and smart. Sometimes, she can even solve a dilemma better and faster than Colter.
