From the beginning of Tracker, it was clear that Colter Shaw’s (Justin Hartley) relationships with his siblings run much deeper. There is a dark past that needs to be explored, but there are also storylines for particular characters that seem intriguing. One of those characters is Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw, who may or may not have killed his father and ran off to join the military before Tracker season 1 began. Many fans would love to see more of Russell’s backstory, but some recent news suggests that this won’t happen.
One Tracker spinoff series I would love to see is one focused on Russell. He has a history in the military, and he also disappears for months at a time on his own odd and dangerous jobs. I have a lot of questions about what he does while away and the sort of trouble he gets into, and a spinoff series is the best way to show that. The problem is that Ackles is a busy man, and he can’t be on two big projects filming at once despite how much Tracker season 2 makes it clear a Russell spinoff is needed.
ensen Ackles Unofficially Confirms Countdown Season 2
Amazon Hasn’t Confirmed Countdown Season 2 Is Happening
Ackles is currently involved in another project for Amazon’s Prime Video. Deadline shared back in June 2024, he was connected to Amazon’s series Countdown, working with former Chicago PD showrunner Derek Haas. Production on the series recently came to an end, with Ackles sharing the update on Instagram. That update came with an unofficial confirmation that the series will continue.
Toward the end of the caption on Instagram, the former Supernatural actor shared, “I’ll see you for season 2.” Amazon has not confirmed that Countdown season 2 will happen, but it is not unusual for the streamer to renew a series ahead of the a previous season being released, such as with Cross and Reacher. That being said, Ackles’ post did have a crossed-finger emoji, making it clear that this is hopeful thinking and not an official renewal announcement.
Countdown Getting Renewed Means A Russell Tracker Spinoff Is Unlikely
Jensen Ackles Can’t Star In Two Things At Once
If Countdown is renewed, it makes it much harder for a spinoff series focused on Russell and the Shaw family mystery in the CBS series Tracker to happen. Ackles cannot be at two filming studios at once as series regulars in both shows. Most contracts for someone in a series regular role for a broadcast show means that they can’t work heavily on other projects due to the time constraints with filming. While Ackles filmed Supernatural, he stuck with just that series except during the writers’ strike during the third season, when Ackles had some downtime and was able to film My Bloody Valentine.
Work on Countdown season 2 would need to happen almost immediately to help keep the wait between seasons to a minimum, as the long wait between seasons leads to shows likely being canceled quickly. At the same time, Ackles is busy as the male lead in The Boys spinoff series about Soldier Boy and Stormfront, which further diminishes the time he has available to work on a broadcast series. The two projects he is currently committed to will have to come first before talks for a Tracker spinoff series can happen.
Tracker Still Needs To Bring Back Russell As Frequently As Possible
Russell’s Backstory And Life Need To Be Explored
Since Tracker can’t create a Russell spinoff, we need to see the character as much as possible. The dynamic Ackles and Hartley have together is something so few shows offer, as they are able to bounce off each other and have similar styles on screen. Having the two has brothers is believable, and their banter is fun to watch.
Russell says that he didn’t kill his dad and that his dad was already dead when he came across him in the woods, but there are a lot of people who believe that he did it.
There are also questions about what Russell saw as a child, with Colter certain that Russell killed their father in Tracker. Russell says that he didn’t kill his dad and that his dad was already dead when he came across him in the woods, but there are a lot of people who believe that he did it. With this whole situation affecting Russell’s mental health, leading to him running off and joining the military, I want to know more about how he copes with what he’s seen and done. The mystery surrounding the Shaws’ father needs to be explored, and the only way to do that is to have all the siblings on screen together, which would also include Dory (Melissa Roxburgh).
