The chemistry between Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas is at its peak as the pair reunite for season 2 of Tracker.
In the show’s latest episode, which aired on Sunday, October 27, Colter (Hartley) teams up with his ex Billie (Pernas) as she tries to solve a case in her hometown. As a result, Colter learns more about Billie — including why she’s running away from her past.
“My mom took care of me and my sister on her own. To make ends meet, she became a con artist. Sometimes she used us to help distract a store clerk when she was shoplifting, and she even made us shake a donation can at Christmas one time,” Billie revealed after she and Colter found a missing high school baseball star. “But her oldest child got a job at City Hall. She was the bookkeeper and embezzled almost half a million dollars from the treasury. The town couldn’t pay salaries and pensions that year and people were talking. My family’s name was ruined.”
Colter tried to comfort Billie, saying, “You’re a kid, it’s not your fault.” According to Billie, she is still being punished for her mother’s actions.
Did Justin Hartley’s wife Sofia Pernas return to ‘Tracker’? What did they say? “Do you think it matters. My sister was 20 so she left town and I was a senior in high school just hanging on until I graduated. I will never forget how cruel people were,” she recalled. “It doesn’t matter that the FBI said I was a victim too, they still blamed me.”
When Colter asks why Billie would return to a place where she wasn’t welcome, she replies, “I know, but I want to do something positive and lasting here. … The thing is, I was a kid, but I knew what my mom did was wrong, and I didn’t stop her. I loved her and I hated her at the same time.”
The deep conversation allows Colter and Billie to bond over their “dark family” secrets. But when Billie asks what they should do about their similar trauma, Colter suggests they “don’t talk about it,” and the fictional couple drinks in silence at the bar.
“They have a beautiful scene where she really opens up to him,” Hartley, 47, told TVLine in a joint interview with Pernas, 35, about the pivotal scene before it aired on screen. “The way you delivered that scene was great. Your performance showed that you’ve never shared [this information] with anyone, ever.”
A Look Back at Our Favorite ‘Tracker’ Scenes Featuring Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas Ahead of Season 2’s Return Colter’s undeniable connection to Billie has been explored on the show since season 1. According to Hartley, they always planned to have Pernas come along for the ride in a major role.
“I just thought it would be a really cool idea. It was my idea from the beginning to have this character appear that you just mentioned,” Hartley explained to Deadline in May. “I think in the second episode, there’s a big reward for a car. There’s a line where one of the women says, ‘Word on the street is Billie’s working on the case.’ rolling. If you really pay attention, you’re like, ‘Oh, he’s got a rival, this Billie guy.'” Hartley, who is also an executive producer on the show, recalled laying the groundwork for Pernas’ character before she even showed up, adding, “My idea was to tease that and intentionally name the character Billie, and then reveal that Billie, of course, is Sofia.”
He continued, “We didn’t tease that as much as I wanted to, just because we were in such a rush. But that was the intention. Then when she showed up, to be honest with you, I’m not sure how much of the character aspect that she brought was actually written.”
Justin Hartley and wife Sofia Pernas’ sweetest quotes about working together on ‘Tracker’ and more However, Billie isn’t the only woman in Colter’s life. In the season 2 premiere earlier this month, fans were introduced to Camille (Floriana Lima), who was involved in an unsolved case that Colter couldn’t solve.
“I think the relationship changed based on the trauma bond. That’s exactly what it is — a trauma bond,” Hartley told TVLine at the time. “It’s really, really sad, but it’s like couples who lose a child and they can’t be together anymore because they see their child in the other person.”
As more episodes delve into Colter’s past with Camille, viewers will learn more about him. “[This storyline] was built in a way that when you look at it, you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, that was a pivotal moment in Colter’s life that changed the way he approached his work and his relationships with other people,'” Hartley explained.
