Warning: SPOILERS forTrackerseason 2, episode 9, “The Disciple.”
While the first season ofTrackerbuilt up Ashton Shaw’s death as the primary mystery of the series, it doesn’t look likeTrackerseason 2will give that storyline the resolution that some fans might be anticipating. This season has had to keep a lot of balls in the air, focusing largely on the Gina Picket case and making adjustments toTracker’s main cast. The Shaw mystery, however, received relatively little attention in the first half of the season.
Now thatTrackerseason 3has been officially confirmed, the series could go one of two ways. It could solve Ashton’s case outright and pivot to a new mystery after the summer break, or the series could simply draw the Shaw family mystery out a little longer. As Colter himself likes to say, “everyone’s looking for something.” In this case,fans are looking for closure on what’s now a nearly two-year mystery. But based on recent statements by star Justin Hartley, it seems whether the mystery will be solved in the near future is a bit complicated.
Tracker Season 2, Part 2 Will Finally Revisit The Shaw Family Mystery
It’s The Next Logical Focal Point After Finding Gina Picket
Although the latest season ofTrackershifted gears away from Ashton Shaw to focus on Gina Picket, the latter was ultimately resolved in season 2, episode 9.Colter learns that Gina was murdered by a twisted man who convinces others to do his bidding, causing him to spend isolated time in the mountains between episodes to process his thoughts about the case before returning to work. Solving the case also meant thatCamille and Keaton leftTracker’s cast, freeing Colter up to focus on his own mystery.
Colter’s Team May Be Losing Another Member Before Tracker Season 2 Explains Teddi’s Exit
Tracker season 2 just lost characters, but while it was difficult to say goodbye to them, letting them go is a good sign for the show’s future.
He won’t be on his own for too long, however. Justin Hartley has already confirmedRussell and Dory are returning toTrackerlater in the season, and he’s implied thatthe Shaw family dynamic will receive some weighty attention. However, with both Russell’s Jensen Ackles and Dory’s Melissa Roxburgh working on their own projects at the moment, it’s unclear how much time the show will have to dive too deeply into their storylines. Based on some of Hartley’s other comments, it doesn’t seem like more sizable appearances would necessarily lead to a full break in Ashton’s case anyway.
Justin Hartley Hints That Tracker Season 2 Will Not Fully Solve The Shaw Family Mystery
They Don’t Want The Resolution To Feel Too Convenient
One frustrating thing about getting information on a series from interviews sometimes is thatit’s never really clear how much an actor is even allowed to say about upcoming plot points. In Hartley’s case, he actually tellsTVLinein an interview with them that he merely hopes to see Russell and Dory again before later confirming that their return is definitely being written. However, his statements on the Ashton Shaw case are even more of a head-scratcher. Per the interview:
Yeah, that’s the big thing, right? I don’t like the idea of wrapping things up in a pretty little bow just for the sake of the fact that it’s the final episode of the season, and so we write to the plot so that everyone’s like, oh, great, everything’s perfect and fine, and we can go and make a third season. I don’t really like that idea. I’m not really interested in that. I’m more interested in propelling the story in a way that makes sense, and if it ends up being four episodes or 44 episodes or 144 episodes to tell the most compelling story, then that’s what it is. Not just trying to get more episodes in the bag or trying to finish a story in time. I think there’s a beautiful way to tell a story in sort of the best way, and I think that’s what we should do. And all the writers are on board with that, too, everyone wants to do that.
There are some pretty heavy implications in this statement. Not only does Hartley suggest that he is content to let the Shaw family mystery play out for significantly longer, but he claimsthe writers agree with him that easing the answers out slowly is more effectivethan resolving the mystery all at once. This makes sense, especially considering themost-watched episode ofTrackerhas nothing to do with Ashton Shaw at all. The show needs downtime to keep fans entertained with other interesting stories. And that’s not the only reason delaying answers might work in the show’s favor.
Why It’s Better For The Shaw Family Mystery Story To Be Stretched Out For Tracker
The Story Currently Has Nowhere To Go Once The Mystery Is Solved
ConsideringTracker’s continued high ratings, it’s not surprising that season 3 is already in the bag. However,Trackerseries needs something to build toward to maintain that success. Unless there’s another mystery set up for Colter to solve, the show risks losing one of its main sources of appeal as soon as the identity of Ashton Shaw’s killer is discovered. Stretching this out allows the show to keep up its suspense rather than relying on the strength of its individual cases alone as the primary selling point.
Sadly, Tracker Makes It So Difficult To Care In Season 2
Tracker remains a popular show on CBS, but with questions regarding Gina’s disappearance and Papa Shaw’s death, it’s hard to care about season two.
Keeping the mystery alive also allows for better fan engagement. As of now, there are still plenty of theories as towho killed Ashton Shaw. This leads to more online discussion, which not only continues engagement among those who already watchTrackerbut also potentially draws in new viewers who may be curious enough to dive in and learn more about the big mystery that has current viewers so invested. The series definitely needs to provide answers at some point, but holding off certainly hasn’t hurt the show’s marketability just yet.
Tracker
Cast
Tracker follows lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw as he navigates the country as a reward seeker. Utilizing his expert tracking skills, he aids private citizens and law enforcement in solving various mysteries while grappling with issues from his fractured family.
