‘Tracker’s Latest Episode Proves Colter and Reenie Are Better Off as Friends
For the first time in this season of Tracker, Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) and Reenie (Fiona Rene) are finally reunited on-screen, solving the case of a missing woman in Episode 4, “Noble Rot.” Reenie scores an invitation to a corporate leadership summit at an exclusive Napa vineyard when she learns that a guest of the retreat, software CEO Quinn Ridgely (Jessica Sutton) has gone missing, prompting Reenie to call her favorite rewardist for help.
It’s great seeing these two characters back together doing their thing and ultimately solving the case, using their unique skills and talents to find Quinn, while also uncovering some dark secrets of the vineyard’s past. Reenie and Colter obviously make a great team and, although there’s still a ton of chemistry between them, it’s clear that, at least for right now, Colter and Reenie are better off as friends.
The Will-They-Won’t-They Dynamic Works for Colter and Reenie in ‘Tracker’
It’s only natural for viewers to want their favorite characters to get together, especially when they have a lot of on-screen chemistry. The terms “shipping” and “endgame” have become a part of TV’s lexicon and, lately, are being used in a much more mainstream way. The emergence of social media has made series creators, writers, and cast much more accessible, giving fans the opportunity to have their voices heard about what relationships they want to see emerge on their favorite shows.
Ever since fans realized that Reenie was sticking around in Tracker Season 1, she has been viewed as a serious potential love interest for Colter. It was revealed in the pilot that the two had a bit of a messy past, but over the course of Tracker’s first season, they became a formidable dynamic duo, with electric on-screen chemistry. The format of a will-they-won’t-they, slow-burn romance is certainly not new to television, especially when it comes to professional partners, with Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) being the most classic example on The X-Files, as well as most recently, Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) in the Law & Order franchise.
The palpable romantic tension between Colter and Reenie is what makes their relationship so dynamic, with a perfect example of this occurring in this week’s episode. As the two scour through surveillance footage, Colter peppers Reenie with questions about the man she brought as her “plus one” to the retreat, a seemingly kind lawyer named Elliot (Michael Rady). Reenie can’t help but smile, while also jabbing at Colter for his recent work with ex and former rival Billie (Sofia Pernas). It’s a great scene that exemplifies why pairing their characters off in a romance now would be a rushed mistake.
Both Colter and Reenie Already Have Potential Love Interests in ‘Tracker’ Season 2
Whatever Reenie may have been feeling about Colter at the end of Season 1, it’s clear that she’s not sitting around waiting for him. Colter’s brother Russell (Jensen Ackles) has even taken Reenie out to dinner, something Colter brings up at the top of this week’s episode. While Reenie assures Colter that there’s nothing romantic going on between her and his brother, Colter shakes it off with a somewhat sad smile. It’s almost like Colter knows Reenie deserves to be happy, and right now, he’ll have to be okay with her finding someone else to do that.
That seems to be the case with Elliot, a former lawyer colleague of Reenie’s. She tells Colter that they used to have a thing, but didn’t want things getting messy at work, so they ended it. Now that Reenie has her own outfit, she reaches out to Elliot, seemingly to rekindle an old flame. It’s refreshing to see how Elliot and Colter treat each other, both when they first meet and at the end of the episode when Colter thanks Elliot for his willingness to step in and help with the case. There isn’t any toxic jealousy on either side, just respect. It wouldn’t be surprising if Elliot returns later this season as he seems like exactly the guy Reenie is looking for.
Meanwhile, in the Season 2 premiere, viewers were introduced to Camille (Floriana Lima), who has been set up as a romantic interest for Colter. Camille’s sister, Gina, went missing ten years ago to the day, a case that Colter has been trying to solve for years. The dark history between the two adds depth to their relationship that goes beyond a casual hook-up. Colter is clearly haunted by this case; he even makes a promise to Camille that he’s going to find her sister, which Hartley pointed out to TVLine is something his character never does anymore. There’s an ease between Colter and Camille, and it’ll be interesting to see how their relationship plays out over the season.
Justin Hartley Is Right About Colter’s Relationships in ‘Tracker’
In an interview with People earlier this year, Hartley spoke out about the possibility of his character settling down on Tracker, saying:
“The fact that Colter doesn’t have a girlfriend, I think that’s one of the things I wanted to sort of keep. I feel like if he has a wife and a girlfriend and a family, and he continues to do all these dangerous things, that’s kind of selfish.”
Hartley certainly has a point here, given that Tracker keeps Colter on the road a lot and, oftentimes, puts him in perilous situations. The other part of this, though, is the amount of baggage Colter needs to unpack after all that he learned last season. He certainly deserves to be happy and find someone who loves him for who he is, but right now, he doesn’t seem ready to settle down. Right now, Colter and Reenie appear to be looking for totally different things, which will only add to the tension and drama when they’re together on-screen.
With Tracker only being in its second season, it’s hard to know what the future looks like for either Colter or Reenie’s love lives. While the writers have planted some seeds for a potential future romance between Colter and Reenie, it’s good they’re not rushing into anything. It wouldn’t be terribly surprising if the show goes the slow-burn route with Colter and Reenie, something that more shows are embracing lately. Only time will tell, but for now, watching this killer team week to week is what makes Tracker one of the best shows on TV.
