Warning! This article contains spoilers for Tracker season 2, episode 2, “Ontological Shock.” Tracker season 2 proves that Jensen Ackles Russell Shaw should lead a black ops spinoff of the hit show Justin Hartleys. The series, which aired on CBS in early 2024, introduced Hartley as Colter Shaw. The self-proclaimed bounty hunter lives life on the open road and solves missing persons cases with the help of his team in Tracker. However, the best Tracker case remains unsolved. The character of Ackles was introduced to resolve a plot in Tracker season 1, but Shaw’s brother has grown to include more than just the story of his father’s haunting death.
Ackles appears in Tracker season 2, episode 2, “Ontological Shock,” marking the second time the Supernatural star has joined the series. Ackles first appeared in Tracker season 1, episode 12, Off the Books. Russell played a big role in the Colter family mystery, and his appearance in Tracker season 1 struggled with that. In Tracker season 2, now that Russell has tried to clear his name, the character is able to grow beyond the mystery of who killed Colter’s father in Tracker and finally begin to show his true colors. And as the character grows, he needs more space to grow.
Russell was introduced in Tracker season 1 as the prime suspect in his father’s murder. However, his role evolved into Colter’s ally after he appeared in episode 12 to clear his name and ask for help. In Tracker season 2, episode 2, Russell appears after Colter goes missing while searching for someone at a Department of Defense (DOD) location. Reenie (Fiona Rene) calls Russell to find Colter, and Russell tracks Colter down almost immediately. In Off the Books and Ontological Shock, Russell has connections to black ops that add to what he knows and is capable of.
Jensen Ackles is best known for his role as Dean Winchester on the long-running series Supernatural, a show that has earned him a substantial net worth.
Tracker season 1, episode 12, “Off the Books,” establishes Russell’s military background and post-military career with Horizon Group. Off the Books explains that Russell took on civilian contracting work after years of military service. Ontological Shock confirms Russell’s high-level connections when Colter went missing and that Russell was able to quickly infiltrate a Department of Defense facility. In both cases, Ackles steals the show as Shaw’s brother, who is so compelling as a black ops warrior that he could carry his own spinoff from Hartley’s show focused on his background in the undercover world.
A Tracker spinoff centered on Jensen Ackles could expand on Russell’s work with Horizon Group while building on the mystery of the Shaw family. Russell has so far been vague about his work for Horizon Group. A Russell-focused series could expand on the details of his career in a procedural format that blends serialized elements, much like Hartley’s show. An Ackles spinoff could follow Russell on his missions around the world, putting him in a variety of social and cultural environments. That’s something that Tracker’s showrunners say is a benefit for Colter but also applies to Russell.
Of course, if the Tracker showrunners decide to expand the series with an Ackles-led black ops spinoff focused on the Shaw family mystery, Hartley would have to guest star in a similar way to how Ackles appeared on Tracker in seasons 1 and 2. Introducing more of Russell’s government connections and undercover missions would be different from Colter’s work, without straying from the Ashton Shaw mystery that drives the series. In fact, Russell has proven he can add to that. The biggest risk of a Tracker spinoff with Ackles is that it could overshadow the Tracker story as it unfolds.
Jensen Ackles’ four upcoming movies and shows would complicate the actor’s appearance on a Tracker spinoff. The Supernatural star has three other projects in addition to appearing on Tracker season 2 that would compete with his timeline. Ackles will rejoin The Boys for season 5, reprising his role as Soldier Boy. Ackles will also return as Solider Boy in The Boys spinoff, Vought Rising. If that wasn’t enough to keep the actor busy, Ackles is also set to appear in a new Amazon Prime Video series called Countdown, his first starring role since Supernatural ended.
Ackles hasn’t taken on a starring role since Supernatural aired on The CW.
However, while Ackles’ commitments suggest a busy schedule, he
