Jensen Ackles Gives an Update on His ‘Tracker’ Season 2 Return

Jensen Ackles has confirmed he is returning for the second season of CBS’ surprise hit series, Tracker, in a post on social media. Tracker follows Colter Shaw, a skilled survivalist and tracker who assists law enforcement and private citizens in locating missing persons and solving crimes, often in exchange for reward money. Ackles appeared as Russell Shaw, the estranged brother of Colter (Justin Hartley), in episode 12 of the show’s debut season, and the star of Supernatural and The Boys will be reprising the role.

The show is based on the novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver. The main cast includes Hartley as Colter Shaw, Fiona Rene as Reenie Greene, Robin Weigert as Teddi Bruin, Abby McEnany as Velma Bruin, Eric Graise as Bob Exley, Jennifer Morrison as Lizzy Hawking, Sofia Pernas as Billie Matalon, and Melissa Roxburgh as Dory Shaw. The show was a huge hit for CBS and was quickly greenlit for another season.

The series averaged over 11 million live viewers per episode, with the first seven episodes drawing an average of 19 million viewers per episode across all platforms, including broadcast and streaming, within a 35-day viewing window. Since its debut, more than 81 million viewers have watched as Colter solved crimes and protected the innocent. Throughout the first 13-episode season, Tracker gained popularity, culminating in the season finale, which attracted 7.36 million live viewers and was the most-watched broadcast of the evening across television.

What’s Colter Shaw’s Relationship With His Brother?

Speaking to Collider’s Christina Radish, back in May, Hartley spoke at length about his role in building the series and went into great detail on the process behind casting Ackles, as well as the dynamic between the two Shaw brothers.

When it was time to cast Russell Shaw, I was like, “We built this whole thing up. It’s important that we get somebody in there that is just a juggernaut. Somebody that you would believe because he’s gonna go toe-to-toe with Colter, in a good or bad way, and that you also believe is his brother.” And I just thought Jensen would be perfect for it.

As far as he knows, Colter’s brother killed his father, so that adds a different dynamic. The relationship with Dory is strained for other reasons. It’s not like he suspects her of doing anything wrong like that, but it’s strained for different reasons.

Stay tuned to Collider for more on Tracker.

Tracker

Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist, uses his expert tracking skills to assist law enforcement and private citizens across America. Traveling in his old RV, Shaw takes on various cases, from missing persons to complex criminal investigations, always seeking the truth and the rewards that come with it. His journey is fraught with danger and moral dilemmas, as each case reveals deeper layers of conspiracy and human struggle.

Cast

Justin Hartley , Lee Tergesen , Oscar Chark , Eric Graise , Fiona Rene , Wendy Crewson

Main Genre

Crime

Creator(s)

Ben H. Winters

Network

Paramount