Tracker Season 2’s Shocking Original Character Was Set Up in Season 1 Finale
A Tracker original character is leaving season 2, and while it may seem shocking, their departure was set up in the season 1 finale. It was recently confirmed that Teddi Bruin actress Robin Weigert will be leaving the cast of Tracker ahead of season 2. Either way, this is being framed as her exit as a series regular, which opens up the possibility of her making guest appearances or even returning for another season – more on that later. Regardless, Tracker season 1 laid the groundwork for her departure without the audience even knowing at the time, and it could be a very smart decision.
Robin Weigert’s Teddi Bruin is a former rock band manager who now serves as the manager for main tracker Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) along with his wife, Velma (Abby McEnany). Using her connections and management skills, Teddi handles the crucial logistics that Colter needs to do his job effectively, from finding new jobs, arranging payments, maintaining Colter’s network, and sometimes bailing him out of jail. It will be interesting to see how Tracker season 2’s story explains Robin Weigert’s sudden absence.
The last few episodes of Tracker, and especially the ending of Tracker season 1, have teased that Velma will take on a larger role in season 2. A few brief scenes tease that Velma will be working with Reenie on a project that has so far remained a mystery, suggesting that she will have a larger role in the plot. This is also set up on the Reenie side, with the lawyer leaving in the season 1 finale. Showrunner Elwood Reid also confirmed this at TCA this year, saying, “You’re going to see Velma take on a very interesting role with something that’s been hinted at with the Reenie character in the last few episodes.”
While this is a big change for the show, it’s still unclear why the character of Robin Weigert was written out of Tracker for season 2. So far, despite the producers and Reid teasing out the story for season 2, no one has talked about Weigert’s departure, nor have any of the cast members. That’s not surprising, as the news has only just been announced and it’s likely that, over time, more information about Weigert’s departure will come to light. It’s a shame to lose Weigert, as she’s a phenomenal actress, as demonstrated by her work on critically acclaimed shows like Deadwood and Big Little Lies.
However, it’s entirely possible that Weigert’s departure has been known for a long time, given the convenient setting in Tracker season 1. Of course, it could be coincidental timing and planned from the start to give Velma a bigger role in the series. However, it seems unlikely that the show would have set up a storyline that would put Velma at the forefront of her own work from Teddi if the writers hadn’t known in advance that Robin Weigert was leaving. This is definitely something that needs to be addressed, so the context of Velma’s earlier story suggests that Weigert’s departure has been known since last season.
In fact, it wouldn’t have been difficult to write Teddi off the show. She and Velma, while an important part of Colter Shaw’s operation, aren’t necessarily a big part of the show or its plot. They only appeared in a few scenes in each episode of Tracker season 1 to provide information to Tracker, and as the season went on and Colter became more involved in his cases and unraveling the mystery of his father, they were relegated to the background. Plot-wise, Teddi could be replaced relatively easily in Tracker season 2, with Velma referring to Teddi and/or Teddi’s instructions to Colter via text or phone rather than video chat.
As for Robin Weigert, she already has another project lined up. The Deadwood actress is in pre-production on the black comedy American Dog, which also stars Joel McHale, Dulé Hill, James Roday Rodriguez, Angelica Ross, and Margaret Cho. If filming that movie contributed to her leaving Tracker — network TV shows take up a lot of time, after all — there’s nothing stopping her from making a few guest appearances or perhaps even returning to the show in a larger role after Tracker season 2.
