Before ‘Tracker,’ Justin Hartley Faced Off Against This Week’s Villain on ‘Smallville’
In the latest Tracker episode, “Preternatural,” Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw heads to rural Kentucky, where he finds himself caught in the middle of a drug operation run by a local gang called the Drell Clan. For Tracker fans, this was just another day on the job for Shaw — despite his close brush with death. However, longtime Hartley fans might have noticed a familiar face among the Drell brothers. As it turns out, one of them has crossed paths with Hartley before, back when the two actors faced off in Smallville.
Justin Hartley and Steve Bacic Fought First in ‘Smallville’ Season 9
The Tracker episode, “Preternatural,” pits Colter Shaw against the Drell brothers, Axel (Travis Hammer) and Gideon (Steve Bacic), but only one of them faced Hartley in combat before. During the Smallville Season 9 episode “Disciple,” Bacic (who, ironically, played a completely different role in the series’ pilot) arrives as the Dark Archer aka Vordigan, Oliver Queen’s (Hartley) old mentor-turned-nemesis. As a member of the Brotherhood of Sion,
In Tracker’s “Preternatural,” Colter Shaw faces off against the Drell brothers, Axel (Travis Hammer) and Gideon (Steve Bacic), though only one of them has previously fought Hartley’s character. Rewind to Smallville Season 9’s “Disciple” where Bacic guest-stars as the Dark Archer, aka Vordigan, Oliver Queen’s (Hartley) former mentor turned nemesis. As a member of the Brotherhood of Sion, Vordigan taught Oliver all he knew so that the billionaire playboy-turned-vigilante would become a “master archer.” But when Oliver began training his apprentice, Mia Dearden (Elise Gatien), Vordigan appeared in Metropolis to haunt his former student, all under the guise of testing him.
In a climatic showdown, Vordigan injures Lois Lane (Erica Durance), Oliver’s former love, and kidnaps Mia. Eventually, Vordigan threatens Mia’s life, forcing Oliver to jump between them as the Dark Archer loses three arrows. If this were Tracker, Oliver would likely be impaled by all three arrows, but because this is Smallville, a Superman prequel, Clark Kent (Tom Welling) stands between Oliver and his near-doom, giving the Green Arrow a chance to fire one arrow right into his old mentor’s chest. With a single shot, the Emerald Archer takes out the Dark Archer, sending him straight to prison.
Not only is “Disciple” a great episode of Smallville, but the rivalry between Oliver and his old mentor is something that we wish the show could’ve explored more. Though Vordigan appears again in a cameo the following season, Steve Bacic doesn’t return. It wouldn’t be until nearly 15 years later that Bacic and Hartley would face one another again in combat, and things went fairly similarly. When Colter Shaw arrives to rescue young Emmaline (Alison Thornton), he instantly fires a round at Gideon Drell’s chest, sending him to the floor. Just like on Smallville, Hartley and Bacic’s Tracker battle is short-lived, and each time the latter ends up on the floor, pierced by the former’s weapon of choice. Still, it’s fun to watch these two go up against one another, even if we Smallville fans didn’t get the rematch we dreamed of.
‘Tracker’s Colter Shaw Is Justin Hartley’s Natural Progression From ‘Smallville’s Oliver Queen
In many ways, Tracker feels like a natural continuation of Hartley’s time on Smallville, and we’re not just talking about this episode. Colter Shaw is a vigilante-like action hero who is just as formidable as the Emerald Archer. More than that, Colter feels like the real-world answer to a superhero, willing to jump into life-and-death situations with no regard for his own life. Okay, sure, he charges a fee for his services, but unlike Oliver Queen, Colter isn’t a billionaire with his major corporation at his disposal. He’s forced to rely on his survivalist training (another thing he and Ollie have in common), keen wits, and expert tracker knowledge to see him through.
Even Hartley sees the parallels between his two most famous characters. “Colter, you could call him a vigilante in ways,” he told ComicBook in July 2024. “He breaks the law every once in a while. He does what he needs to do, to get the job done. Oliver was a lot like that. Maybe a little more bold.” Despite that, Hartley notes that both characters are motivated by different things. While Oliver is somewhat politically motivated, Colter keeps his mind on the job. Both characters are lone wolf types, yet they each surround themselves with teams to support them in their respective quests or crusades.
One thing’s for sure, if you loved Justin Hartley’s time as Oliver Queen on Smallville, you’ll love him just as well on Tracker. While Smallville can be streamed on Hulu, Tracker airs every Sunday on CBS and is available for streaming the next day on Paramount+.
