Trackerhas become one of the most interesting procedurals on television right now, and series star Justin Hartley has a great way to make it even better in season 3.Trackerdebuted in 2024 and quickly became one of the top new series on network television. It has continued that momentum into its second season, but if the series is to continue to pull in fans, it needs to find ways to keep it fresh.
Currently,Tracker sees Hartley’s Colter Shaw travel the continental USA tracking down missing people, or in some cases, missing dogs. A self-proclaimed rewardist, Colter makes a living by collecting reward money offered, but he also often does favors for friends. Colter also often operates just on the other side of the law and does not have a problem breaking into buildings, illegally accessing security footage, and continuing to investigate when local law enforcement asks him not to. There have been plenty of sources of conflict for the show so far, but Hartley’s idea could be a winning one.
Justin Hartley Has An Interesting Idea For Tracker Season 3
Hartley’s Season 3 Idea Could Have A Great Payoff
Hartley’s idea forTrackerseason 3 is one that the creative team behind the show has been “kicking around” for a while, according to a 2025interview withThe Hollywood Reporter.Hartley wants Colter Shaw to have to go on the run. His idea is to see the main character framed and have to use his skills to evade capture. When asked about what theTrackeraudience can expect in season 3, he told the outlet:
We have a couple of ideas. One of these is that Colter has all of these skills; he’s a survivalist and he knows how to be alone, and he knows how to find people and he’s gifted in that regard. He’s a great listener. But it would be interesting, I think, to see him be set up. In other words, to see him using all those skills to run from the authorities, because you’ve been set up for whatever reason. I’d love to have all that tie into the family background, the government. So, we’ll see. We’ve been kicking that idea around. We have a lot of different stuff that we’re talking about. We have the underlying theme of what we’re going to do next year, while not really changing the direction of where our story is going.
Trackerhas already played with both supernatural and horror elements in its second season, so seeing the main character at the center of a chase thriller could certainly work. It could also provide the audience with a great payoff - or even more questions - if, as Hartley speculates, the story was somehow tied to the Shaw family and the government. The dynamics of the Shaw family have been complex, and we only have teases of that government connection so far.Trackerseason 3could change that.
Colter Shaw Being On The Run Is Dangerous But Compelling
A Setup Would Work Well For A Series Like Tracker
This idea forTrackerseason 3 is definitely not out of the realm of possibilities for a procedural series like it. Police procedurals like theLaw & Orderfranchise or even the NCIS series have seen one or more of their main characters investigated by their own colleagues when they are under suspicion or framed. Setting up Colter for a crime he did not commit inTracker, however, would be very different from those series because Colter is already mobile. That means, theoretically,it’s already easier for Colter to go on the run.
Colter is not tied down to an apartment, kids, or a family. That’s evident by the repeated digs from his brother, sister, and mother about him not staying in touch with them. His ties to the world lie in the team that gives him his tips. Most of his phone calls and in-person visits are to those who help him on his cases. He spends most of his time in completely different states from them, though, so being on the run would just mean he would have to get creative in contacting them, like using burner phones to make his calls.
Colter already lives so much off the grid, his actual way of life would not change much, but he would certainly be looking over his shoulder more, and he would not be cooperating with local law enforcement as much as he does now. In fact, some of his very allies, likerecurring bounty hunter Billie (Sofia Pernas), could be the ones coming after him. Billie and Colter have been on opposite sides of a case before, but they have also worked together, and spent the night together, so bringing her back for this particular type of story could be a fun shift for their dynamic.
This story could also be hugely compelling because it might force Colter’s allies to dig into his past- whether he wants them to or not. Reenie (Fiona Rene) has proven herself excellent at getting dirt on her own clients, so it’s not a stretch to think she could investigate Colter and his family to help clear his name. Colter has only started to open up to his allies in season 2, usually preferring to keep mentions of his childhood and his family very vague, so tying him being framed to his family would mean he could not avoid it.
Why Tracker Season 3 Needs To Change Its Storytelling Set-Up
Tracker Cannot Become Too Predictable
As the hero of the story, the audience will certainly expect Colter to come out on top, but the fun will be in watching how he gets there…
Part of the nature of procedurals is that a new audience member should be able to start watching at any time and be able to jump right into the show.Trackerdefinitely works that way so far, even with the overarching story about the Shaw family andColter’s father’s deaththat has been teased in the first two seasons. The trouble with most procedurals, however, is that the format starts to become boring for long-time fans. That meansthe show has to find a way to keep people interested.
For procedurals likeLaw & Order: SVUandGrey’s Anatomy, the answer has been rotating in new cast members every few seasons to help shake up the dynamics of the ensemble and reflect the real-world nature of jobs in law enforcement and the medical field. A series likeTracker, however, which already has a small ensemble and is not set in a traditional procedural setting, likely will not employ that tactic. Instead,Tracker’sapproach to telling stories will have to change every so often.
That change might be in playing with the different genre elements of the story, like the show has done already. “The Mercy Seat” leaned into horror in season 2 while “Preternatural” leaned into the more supernatural. “Man’s Best Friend” saw Colter track down a missing dog with an unexpected twist instead of a person. Those ideas have been helping to keep the series fresh with audience members who have been watching since the first season.
Putting Colter Shaw on the run and forcing him to use all of theskills that have been teased inTrackerto protect himself instead of finding a missing person would be another great way to change its storytelling set-up. This would work even better if the series played out the story over multiple episodes, allowing the story to really go in depth instead of operating on a standalone episode approach. As the hero of the story, the audience will certainly expect Colter to come out on top, but the fun will be in watching how he gets there inTrackerseason 3.
