Tracker introduced a fan-favorite character when bringing Colter Shaw’s (Justin Hartley) older brother, Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles), during the first season, and if you’ve enjoyed watching Russell throughout his journey on the show, you should binge this 93% Rotten Tomatoes rated series. While there are some shows that are reminiscent of Tracker itself, others embody the characters viewers have grown to love.
Russell, who’s more of a transient piece of Colter’s life than his younger sister Dory Shaw (Melissa Roxburgh) or his mother Mary Dove Shaw (Wendy Crewson), has a rough-and-tumble edge to him, but he’s a far more lovable character than Colter, at least outwardly. With a few episodes confirmed in Tracker season 3, Russell’s returning, but viewers may be too eager to wait.
Stumptown’s Season Establishes A Group Of Russell Shaw-Style Characters
Stumptown, which ran for one season on ABC in 2019, tells the story of Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders). A veteran turned private investigator, Dex lives and works in Portland, Oregon, doing her best to keep herself afloat while cracking tough cases. Dex’s best friend, Grey McConnell (Jake Johnson), offers some grounding and assistance as a sarcastic ex-con and bar owner.
Dex and Grey, who spend a lot of their time at Grey’s bar the Bad Alibi, both have a sense of Russell’s energy to them, especially when they spend time together. Both sardonic and quick to make a joke, Dex and Grey both have sharp senses and easy charm that pushes people into trusting them inherently. The characters echo Russell in a fascinating way separately, as well.
While both characters have their own merits, Dex and Grey both have elements of Russell Shaw in their characterization. Dex, bold and quick witted, knows how to get herself into and out of any situation that presents itself to her. Meanwhile, Grey has a wisecracking partner-in-crime way about him, embodying the softer side of Russell. Both characters thematically share a lot with Ackles’ Tracker character.
Stumptown Is A Quick Binge To Prime Viewers For Tracker’s Return
While Stumptown isn’t entirely like Tracker, the series has a lot of comparable storylines. Stumptown itself, based on a graphic novel of the same name, is under 20 episodes but offers an exciting mix of humor and drama in an emotionally resonant series. The show, funnily enough, features another familiar face for Tracker fans if they decide to dive into the world.
Fiona Rene, who plays Reenie Green on Tracker, is featured on Stumptown as Detective Kara Lee in roughly half the episodes of the series. While Rene isn’t playing a character too similar to Reenie, seeing her on another series could be fun for Tracker fans. As Stumptown echoes the CBS hit, viewers may be interested in watching ahead of Tracker season 3.
