Dear Tracker, Please Stop Wasting Your Best Character (& It Isn’t Colter)
After Tracker season 2, episode 4, it’s time to officially ask Justin Hartley’s show to not waste its best character. CBS’ record-breaking procedural immediately made waves when it premiered in early 2024. Hartley plays Colter Shaw, a rewardist who roams the country to find missing people. While he is the titular character in the series and he operates on the ground mostly alone, the series has a good cast surrounding Hartley. Colter’s team is small, but all of its members are very good at their jobs. They provide mostly remote support for the rewardist as he tackles dangerous cases.
The nature of Tracker’s storytelling means that it has a rotating cast every week. Season 2’s first three episodes featured three different guest stars — Floriana Lima’s Camille Pickett, Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw, and Sophia Parnas’ Billie Matalon, respectively. All of them played significant roles in Colter’s recent cases. In Tracker season 2, episode 4, “Noble Rot,” however, the show brings it back to its roots, with Hartley’s character working alone, although he gets some help from the project’s best character. Their team-up is an effective reminder of how badly the CBS procedural is underutilizing a major asset.
Tracker Season 2, Episode 4 Highlights How Great Reenie Is
Reenie & Colter’s Chemistry Is Still Unmatched
Fiona Rene’s Reenie was introduced as part of the Tracker cast in season 1 as an ally to Colter. As a lawyer, she typically takes care of the legal aspects of his operation, although she doesn’t seem to be technically part of it. Still, Colter relies on her, so when she reaches out to him for help in Tracker season 2, episode 4, he comes. Reenie has already made several appearances in the show’s sophomore year, but this is the first time that she shares the screen with the rewardist, as they navigate a missing woman’s case in Napa Valley.
It’s clear throughout the episode that Reenie and Colter have great chemistry. Much has been said about the pair’s potential for a romantic storyline, and while Tracker has hinted that they have a past affair, both Hartley and Rene have effectively doused any chances of this happening. That said, beyond that, Reenie is just a great character overall. She may not be a fellow rewardist like Billie, but she can certainly stand her ground. She’s smart and charming, and she thinks outside the box during tricky situations. These are some of the reasons why it’s so entertaining to watch her.
Tracker Doesn’t Use Reenie Nearly Enough
Reenie Has So Much Storytelling Potential In Tracker
As great as Reenie is, Tracker doesn’t use her nearly enough. She appears regularly on the show, but the majority of her involvement is through remote work. Even in the few times that she has reunited with Colter and been on the ground with him, she continues to be a side character. Granted that Tracker’s focal point is Hartley’s hero, but the show can benefit in pairing them up more frequently. For starters, the banter between them is amazing — perhaps at the same level as Colter and Russell’s. Regardless if it’s laced with flirtation, their dialog is always witty.
Colter benefits from the people surrounding him, and Reenie brings out his more playful side, potentially because she’s snappy and sarcastic.
Secondly, being around Reenie actually makes Colter more interesting. On his own, Hartley’s character tends to be boring. He comes off as too earnest and straightforward, which are good qualities for a TV hero but he isn’t as fun to watch. Colter benefits from the people surrounding him, and Reenie brings out his more playful side, potentially because she’s snappy and sarcastic. Finally, on her own, Rene’s character is fantastic. It will be great to see more of her personal narrative, especially as she establishes her own law firm with Velma on the heels of Teddi’s Tracker exit.
How Tracker Can Better Utilize Reenie Moving Forward
Tracker Doesn’t Need Big Changes To Give Reenie What She Deserves
Not wasting Reenie doesn’t force Tracker to overhaul its storytelling approach. This issue can be fixed with a couple of tweaks moving forward. For starters, give Reenie more to do. Granted that she is usually working remotely from Colter, but it wouldn’t hurt the show to see her out on the field more with him. She doesn’t have any combat training, but she is resourceful and intelligent. Sometimes, she is able to even solve a dilemma better and quicker than Colter does.
Another way to do this is for Tracker to explore Reenie’s legal storyline. That means diversifying the show’s narrative and devoting some of its screentime to what the law firm is up to, perhaps as a B-plot to the case of the week. This way, the procedural can also ease the burden on Hartley to carry it, which is more important now that Tracker season 2 has upwards of 20 episodes output.
