While Colter and his brother Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles) worked through troubles of their own throughout Tracker season 3’s premiere, the pair’s time together was spent somewhat differently than the way viewers have seen them in the past. Colter, who’s typically the person saving others in almost every scenario, appears like he may become someone who needs saving of his own.
With a bold new ability to move confidently into the stories it’s telling, Tracker season 3 opened with one of the show’s best episodes in some time, and made it clear that there was going to be an entirely new status quo. After Tracker season 2 saw Colter and Russell’s father’s murder come to a somewhat clear resolution, the floor quickly fell out from beneath the brothers.
As Tracker has forged ahead, moving away from the Shaw family dynamic hasn’t worked as well for the series as moving increasingly closer to it has. Instead of backing off the Tracker family plot, the show seems to be choosing to gravitate towards it, and in doing so may finally deliver on a long held-off promise to put Colter in actual danger.
Tracker’s Putting Colter Shaw In Real Danger For The First Time
Hartley Shared This Could Come Sooner Than Many Expect
With a new development in the way Tracker’s logic is going to work, it’s clear that the show is looking to establish itself as a series that’s far more than one-note. Colter being put in genuine danger, going from the tracker himself to the person being tracked, is a fascinating twist that will lend itself to Tracker’s strengths as a series.
Allowing viewers to see Colter working from a disadvantage, in some ways, could endear him to the audience in a whole new way. While Colter always seems to figure out what he’s doing when he’s in a crisis, knowing that someone is coming for him and presumably is working at least one step ahead is a challenge that he hasn’t had to face before.
Tracker’s Personal Storytelling Style Is A Bold Move For The Show
Moving Into More Personal Territory Could Open The Series Up
With Russell showing up fairly quickly during Tracker season 3’s opener, the show wasn’t resting on its laurels in a way that made Colter out to be the picture perfect savior, and the brothers got the chance to lean into their dynamic more freely than they have before. Allowing the characters some space to breathe, viewers got to see Russell and Colter in a new light.
If Tracker season 3 continues to choose to add more personal storytelling into the mix, the show will be far better for it. While Colter can sometimes be a stifling protagonist, the way he’s able to work through his internal savior-complex with his family present is fascinating. Giving Tracker more personal stories will allow the series to expand in a natural way, rather than adding plot-heavy material.
Tracker Can Keep Moving The Needle By Raising The Stakes & Keeping Colter On His Toes
A Tonal Shift Will Keep Tracker Fresh For Viewers
Rather than allowing Colter, or any of the characters out in the field on Tracker, to be steady in their surroundings, the series should choose to keep its characters on their toes. After Tracker season 2 spent half its season on a mystery that didn’t really pan out for viewers, the show was able to find their footing in the second half of the season.
Even so, it was tough to regain confidence in where the story was headed once Tracker made the move to rectify its overall storytelling. As the show prepared to return this season, it was clear the series knew it needed to shift things around. Not only did Tracker find two of its secondary characters on the cutting room floor, but the show rejigged its agenda.
Now, knowing that Tracker was planning to lean more into Colter and his backstory, the moves make sense. Refocusing the show on Colter and those close to him is a great move, and allowing the natural danger that lives within the Tracker universe to seep into the story is a fun touch. Putting Colter’s life in danger, even for just a little while, will help keep Tracker fresh.
