‘Tracker’ Finally Addressed a Puzzling Plot Hole Justin Hartley’s Show Has Been Ignoring for 2 Seasons

‘Tracker’ Season 3 Addresses Colter’s Ability to Illegally Obtain Hackable Information

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Whether it was Bobby Exley (Eric Graise) or his cousin Randy (Chris Lee) behind the monitor, Colter Shaw has always had a tech guy that he could call when things get tough for him to track. While some might argue that the rewardist relies a bit too much on his technical experts, the truth of the matter is that we live in a digital age where all of that information is quite relevant, and Colter doesn’t come across as the type of guy to scour social media on his own. In Tracker Season 3, Episode 8’s “Eurydice,” Colter uses Randy to get around the legal red tape that Detective Tyson West (Franco Lo Presti) would have to go through in order to find a missing girl, and the detective is more than willing to let it slide. Likewise, “Good Trouble” makes a similar comment on how law enforcement is willing to “look the other way” regarding Colter’s ability to find out secure information, as the rewardist does much more good than harm.

While it’s a small thing, the fact that Tracker is acknowledging this is an important development, especially since the show has conveniently strayed away from it in the past two years. In the very first episode, “Klamath Falls,” Colter is arrested when accessing security cameras after being told to steer clear due to the fact that he wasn’t a cop. This led to his temporary arrest and Rene (Fiona Rene) having to be called in to get him out.

Since then, Colter hasn’t been as “hands on” in the hacking department, but Season 3 is aiming to fix that. “Good Trouble” puts our hero in immediate danger as he sticks around to access an Armenian mafia boss’ security cameras, forcing him to get in on the action and engage in the illegal activities in order to get around the law’s inability to track down the right suspects. There’s no argument that what Colter does outside the law isn’t exactly legal, but, as recent episodes have pointed out, it’s the only way that the rewardist can save the day.

Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw Gets Away With a Lot on ‘Tracker’

For a guy who wanders into town the moment anything bad is going on, Colter Shaw gets away with far more than he probably should. Again, comparing the show’s first episode to later Tracker installments, we can see that Colter has become increasingly confident in his ability to work alongside law enforcement or around them without any legal repercussions, making us wonder if Reenie might be of better use on the show if Colter got into some more trouble while on a case.

We’ve asked before as to why people inherently trust Colter Shaw, and the answer ultimately boils down to his confident charisma, as the rewardist strolls into each new scenario with not a care in the world. At least now the show is taking the time to address the elephant in the room that was his behind-the-scenes hacking, with law enforcement being willing to allow Colter to help if it helps them catch a perpetrator in the long run.

Of course, even if Tracker were to lean more into the legal consequences of Colter’s case-by-case operation, it’s such a vital part of the show that it would never have a major impact. Addressing what Randy is up to is a good thing, especially since sometimes Colter’s work alongside local detectives feels a bit out of the box. This way, it covers each episode’s supporting players, making them more realistic and thus further grounding Tracker in possible reality. For a show about a guy who makes his living collecting rewards like some sort of Old West bounty hunter, that’s certainly a step in the right direction that could continue to reinforce the idea that Season 3 is the best batch of episodes yet.