Tracker Season 2, Episode 19, “Rules of the Game” is clearly wiping the slate clean so that the CBS show can have a massive finale. But even with that in mind, it’s a fairly nail-biting episode. Bolstered by the presence of several recognizable faces amongst the guest cast, this episode is a standalone story that still delivers an emotional punch, even if its fallout is very quickly skipped over.
“Rules of the Game” wraps up the recurring storyline of Reenie Greene’s newest client, Leo Sharf. From Leo’s introduction it was clear that there would be something going on with him, and this episode reveals that and then some. Naturally, this puts Reenie in the crosshairs, and making the situation personal gives this Tracker case an emotional edge that it constantly benefits from.
Tracker Season 2, Episode 19 Delivers a Clear-Cut Case of the Week
The Audience Can See a Definitive Beginning and End
“Rules of the Game” efficiently wraps up the ongoing subplot of Leo Sharf and Reenie’s dealings with him. It’s not the most unexpected story; the idea of the ruthless businessman being made to pay for the sins he’s committed has been played out in countless TV crime dramas and a few movies, too. But it falls in line with what viewers already suspected about Leo’s character, so the audience is easily able to go along for the ride. On top of that, there are enough plot twists to keep people interested, even if a few of them — such as the reveal of the true antagonist — are easy to predict. Fans just want to see what will happen; they don’t mind if they know how they’re getting there.
There is a slightly different, and perhaps stronger, episode hiding in plain sight. The catalyst for the episode is the abduction of Leo’s assistant Francie Butler, and the ransom video sent to Leo includes a one-hour countdown clock. But by the time Tracker comes back from its first commercial break, roughly half of that hour is already gone. Viewers immediately know that Colter can’t beat that deadline and that negates the tension that putting a timer on the situation creates. It would have been interesting to either extend the timer to something the show could play with throughout, or to do the episode in semi-real time and make time a much bigger factor.
We can all suspend our disbelief and enjoy, but some aspects of the hit show Tracker will make you want to roll your eyes.
Tracker Gives Reenie More to Do in the Absolute Worst Way
Fiona Rene’s Character Gets Put Through the Wringer
In most TV crime dramas, there is an inevitable episode where one of the hero’s teammates or someone close to them becomes the victim of the week. It’s an easy way for any show to raise the stakes, because the viewer cares much more about someone’s partner or love interest or best friend than a weekly guest character. “Rules of the Game” takes this tried and true concept and executes it almost perfectly. The one “but” is the scene in which Reenie is abducted, because her separating from boyfriend Elliott in an otherwise empty office building is practically right out of a horror movie. Everyone knows she’s just made a huge mistake.
But Tracker doesn’t make Reenie the sole victim of the episode. It doesn’t drag out her captivity with unnecessary scenes of her crying or begging or being tormented. The drama doesn’t come from her fear or hurt; it comes from Colter unraveling the truth to get to her. One great example is when Reenie realizes that the other person being held with her is Leo’s ex-business partner, Sheldon Grimes. Sheldon is the prime suspect in the whole thing — in fact, a lesser show would have just made him the villain — so seeing him there (for the few moments before he dies) immediately adds a new layer of suspense.
The only criticism of the episode’s use of Reenie is that, because of its place in the running order, Tracker basically skips through the effects of her abduction and Elliot being shot. The audience is told that Elliott is recovering in the hospital, and Reenie and Colter have a fairly quick chat in which she insists she’s fine. When Velma just so happens to call, it feels like the writers quickly buttoning up the scene so they can get to the end credits. There’s an opportunity for a much deeper moment there, but since the show has to move on to other things, it gets wasted. For all the drama, it winds up feeling like no big deal at the end.
Years before playing Tracker’s Colter Shaw, Justin Hartley’s breakout role came in this critically acclaimed TV drama.
Tracker Season 2, Episode 19 Lays Out the Plan for a Huge Finale
The Beginning and End Provide Just Enough Clues for Fans
The guest cast in Episode 19, though, is a small joy. Aside from Roxburgh and Morrison, Michael Rady returns as Elliott and Battlestar Galactica alum Tahmoh Penikett plays FBI agent Moss, who actually swoops in to save the day at one point (much better than the cliche of a good guy being a secret bad guy). All of the actors are so fun to see that the audience can’t help but want more from them. However, that’s just not in the cards this late in the season.
“Rules of the Game” has to have the room to tell its one-off story, and then get that story completely finished, so that the show can solely and entirely focus on the Shaw family to end Season 2. And from that standpoint, it’s a success. More can absolutely be done with this idea and this cast, yet it’s satisfying enough as one last adventure before Tracker pivots back to its ongoing mystery.
