What We Learned About Russell in Jensen Ackles’ Debut—Plus a Supernatural Easter Egg!
Supernatural fans who tuned in for a Tracker dedicated to Jensen Ackles were rewarded with a nod to the CW drama.
Ackles appeared in Sunday’s penultimate episode of Season 1 as Russell Shaw, the estranged brother of Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw. Colter and Russell hadn’t spoken in 20 years when Russell showed up at Colter’s Airstream, offering new insight into their father’s death. But before we dive into Tracker mythology, let’s join the Ackle-lytes in revealing a Supernatural Easter egg that popped up less than 10 minutes into the episode….
As Russell walked up to the passenger side of Colter’s truck, a familiar-looking car pulled up next to him. At first glance, it appears to be a 1967 Chevrolet Impala, just like the one Dean Winchester drove on Supernatural. TVLine later confirmed that it was a 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS convertible, a similar model meant to be a nod to the CW show’s iconic ride. Before Russell gets into Colter’s car, he gives Baby—well, not Baby—a pat on the roof.
It’s unclear whether the Chevy is Russell’s until the end of the episode. But when Colter returns to the motel where his brother checked out, the Chevelle is gone. Coincidence? We think not!
As for what Tracker fans learned this week….
At Dory’s urging, Colter contacts Russell and agrees to meet up. Unfortunately, Russell doesn’t show up. A week later, he shows up at Colter’s Airstream and explains that a friend from the Army, Doug Thompson, has gone missing. They were in the same unit for 18 years, then switched to civilian contracts. (Anyone else feel like we haven’t heard the last of this Horizon Group nonsense?) Colter helped Russell find Doug, then Russell went on the run. But it’s clear from the way Colter and Russell left things that Tracker had every intention of getting Russell—and thus Ackles—back. That’s what we want…that’s what Melissa Roxburgh wants…that’s what we deserve.
For the past two decades, Colter has believed that his brother pushed his father to death. “I don’t know if Dad fell or someone pushed him, but I know there was someone else in the woods that night,” Russell tells Colter. “Dad had an enemy…. He was a crazy son of a bitch.”
But why would you let me believe you did it?” Colter asked.
“I don’t know,” Russell replied. “I’d like to think Mom did the best she could, but she has her secrets, believe me.… The man I saw in the woods the night Dad died? I met him once. I saw him talking to our Mom.” Russell doesn’t know if Mom had anything to do with Dad’s death, “but when Dad died, she said it was best for me to leave and keep quiet about what happened. She said our lives depended on it… I was a kid, so I left. Then I got a little older, and I just stayed there.\
“There’s nothing we can say or do to bring Dad back, or make up for lost time,” Russell said. “What happened, happened.” But we all know that Colter will get to the bottom of this. Clearly, Dory Colter’s story about not trusting her mother left a lasting impression, otherwise he wouldn’t have contacted Russell after all this time. Now that Russell has also expressed doubts about Mary, will Colter face the mother he has blindly trusted all his life? Only time will tell.
