Tracker: Colter Shaw’s Greatest Strength Is Also His Biggest Weakness
As “Tracker” Season 2 throws us into exciting new adventures, star Justin Hartley continues to prove why Colter Shaw is “America’s #1 New Hero.” Colter’s tendency to go all-in on every assignment, throwing himself in harm’s way for the sake of others, is part of why we love him. In some ways, he feels like a superhero, albeit without a cape and tights. But although Colter markets himself as a “lone wolf” rewardist, the truth is that his inability to open up and share his life with others might be more of a bug than a feature. Yes, we love that Colter can fly solo and take care of both himself and others, but even heroes sometimes need to share the load.
This is especially true when it comes to the Shaw family’s complicated history. Colter keeps his past extremely close to the chest, to the point where he refuses to talk about it with even his closest allies. At the end of the season’s third episode, “Bloodlines,” he relates to Billie Matalon’s (Sofia Pernas) messed-up childhood by hinting at his own, but when she presses him about it, he refuses to open up any further. Billie might not be Colter’s closest confidant, but ever since learning about his father’s potential connections to the United States military, our hero hasn’t said a word to Bobby (Eric Graise) or Reenie (Fiona Greene), despite their willingness (and ability) to help him uncover the truth.
We love that Colter Shaw is a man of mystery, and his past has certainly been invaluable in providing him with the skill sets necessary for the job, but it’s about time our hero begins to trust those around him.
Colter Shaw works better with others than he’d like to admit
So far “Tracker” has made it clear that Colter actually works better with others than he would like to admit. Throughout Season 1, he and Reenie built a strong working relationship that plays to each of their respective strengths. Additionally, he, Bobby, and Velma (Abby McEnany) are clearly a well-oiled machine, with Colter deferring to each one’s expertise when necessary. Even though Colter brands himself as this lone rider, willing to take on the world with nobody by his side, he has plenty of allies who stand with him and are invaluable to each new investigation. Had it not been for them sending in his brother Russell (Jensen Ackles) in “Ontological Shock,” for example, Colter may have been in serious trouble with the feds.
But all of that is still work. When it comes to the more personal stuff, he still keeps others at a distance. Case in point: when Colter arrived in the Windy City back in Season 1 to help track down a friend of Bobby’s, he refused to stick around to socialize in the aftermath. Despite Bobby and Reenie’s protests, Colter pushed on to the next job, leaving them in the dust. Throughout the season, this begins to slowly shift and change, and in Season 2, we see Colter and Billie getting drinks after their latest job. But Colter still has a long way to go if he’s going to learn to fully trust those he calls friends, and with so many personal mysteries still in need of solving — such as the disappearance of newcomer Camille Picket’s (Floriana Lima) sister — we can only hope that he’ll decide to let others in before it’s too late.
Been wondering why “Tracker” star Justin Hartley looks so familiar? Here are the big roles he had before launching the hit CBS series.
