Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw returns in Tracker season 2, episode 2, and he has a few Supernatural Easter eggs, including one that was seen 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 to top the fantasy drama series on Ackles’ resume. However, after Supernatural ended in 2020, Ackles has taken on notable roles on shows like Big Sky, The Boys, and Tracker.
Ackles plays Colter’s 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 young. After the end of Tracker season 1, Colter was unsure of what the truth was. As a result, the brothers had a better relationship, and Ackles had a reason to appear as Russell in later episodes as Colter got closer to finding out what really happened to their father.
As he first appeared in Tracker season 1, Russell arrived and drove his 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible in the season 2 episode, “Ontological Shock.” While not the exact model, Russell’s car is definitely reminiscent of Dean Winchester’s 1967 Chevrolet Impala (which Dean flamboyantly calls “Baby”) on Supernatural. Jensen Ackles’ character even called his car “baby” during Russell’s appearance in Tracker season 2. So it’s clear that the writers were intentionally trying to have Russell drive a car similar to the one Dean drove in Supernatural.
In Ackles’ first Tracker episode of season 1, the CBS action series introduced fans to Russell’s car. At first glance, the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible looked a lot like Dean’s 1967 Chevrolet Impala. However, after the 12th episode 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 cars, Russell’s car in Tracker and Dean’s “Baby” in Supernatural look very similar, which is no coincidence.
In addition to the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible, Tracker season 2 episode 2 uses Russell to insert another Supernatural Easter egg involving 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, as 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, it all has 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 a close eye out for the actor’s most notable role. Unfortunately, Ackles’ next appearance on Tracker season 2 is still unknown.
The story of Tracker season 2, episode 2, is a great 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 would reprise 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 a better fit for Ackles’ character on Tracker.
The hour follows Colter as he solves a case about a missing man who is tracking unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), also known as UFOs. Russell steps in to save his brother after he is 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 couldn’t be more fitting for Ackles’ character in Tracker.
