In most TV crime dramas, there is an inevitable episode where one of the hero’s teammates or someone close to them becomes the victim of the week. It’s an easy way for any show to raise the stakes, because the viewer cares much more about someone’s partner or love interest or best friend than a weekly guest character. “Rules of the Game” takes this tried and true concept and executes it almost perfectly. The one “but” is the scene in which Reenie is abducted, because her separating from boyfriend Elliott in an otherwise empty office building is practically right out of a horror movie. Everyone knows she’s just made a huge mistake.
We all love a good productivity hack, right? Trackers, apps, planners—they promise to simplify our lives, streamline our schedules, and bring calm to the chaos. But what happens when that “helpful” little gadget turns into your worst enemy?
Enter Reenie, a busy woman who just wanted a bit more control over her daily routine. She turned to a tracker for help. Sounds harmless enough. But instead of giving her freedom, it piled on more pressure, stress, and unexpected tasks than she ever imagined. Let’s dive into how one tool meant to help ended up doing the exact opposite.
But Tracker doesn’t make Reenie the sole victim of the episode. It doesn’t drag out her captivity with unnecessary scenes of her crying or begging or being tormented. The drama doesn’t come from her fear or hurt; it comes from Colter unraveling the truth to get to her. One great example is when Reenie realizes that the other person being held with her is Leo’s ex-business partner, Sheldon Grimes. Sheldon is the prime suspect in the whole thing — in fact, a lesser show would have just made him the villain — so seeing him there (for the few moments before he dies) immediately adds a new layer of suspense. Reenie Greene: Thank you for saving my life.
The only criticism of the episode’s use of Reenie is that, because of its place in the running order, Tracker basically skips through the effects of her abduction and Elliot being shot. The audience is told that Elliott is recovering in the hospital, and Reenie and Colter have a fairly quick chat in which she insists she’s fine. When Velma just so happens to call, it feels like the writers quickly buttoning up the scene so they can get to the end credits. There’s an opportunity for a much deeper moment there, but since the show has to move on to other things, it gets wasted. For all the drama, it winds up feeling like no big deal at the end.
So, did Tracker help Reenie? Technically, yes. But in the absolute worst way. It gave her more to do, more to think about, more to stress over. The key takeaway? Tools are just tools. They should serve you, not the other way around. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the very thing that was supposed to help, you’re not alone. It’s okay to pause, reevaluate, and take back control—one non-tracked moment at a time.
