Tracker continues to focus on standalone cases. This week, it chooses to go darker than I think the show ever has before – both psychologically and in terms of onscreen gore. “Monster” sees Colter (Justin Hartley) searching for a mother who goes missing in the middle of the night, leaving her young son behind. From the previews, I assumed this was going to get creepy — a darkened amusement park, a hint at the monster under the bed, the potential for some real spookiness. However, this steers away from the paranormal and into the dark psyche of a serial killer.
It’s a different kind of dark to the previous episode, “Shades Of Gray”, which had a more gritty, urban feel to it as Colter tackled a case involving a crime family, and it’s interesting to see the show jumping so much in tone. Previously, Colter has been best placed to use his special skills in more rural cases, often tracking hikers or people off the beaten track.
Now, however, it seems to be mixing things up significantly more. This isn’t a bad thing in terms of creating variety for the series, but it can still seem a bit disjointed. And with Colter headed to NYC next week, it raises questions about how his skillset (and airstream) will fit into a Manhattan mystery.
Tracker Episode 12 Goes To A Darker Place Than The Show Ever Has Before
“Monster” Doesn’t Shy Away From Gory Moments
Tracker is known for its twists and turns; that’s a big part of the joy of watching Colter solve cases. However, it usually steers clear of too much blood and gore, even as people are being killed. “Monster” throws all that out the window, with two scenes in particular that made me actually gasp out loud. The first, of course, is when Colter goes looking for a therapist who may be connected and finds his headless body in the bathroom – which is shown in all its gory, severed-spine-revealing glory.
It was the kind of scene that had me whispering my shock to myself in hushed tones, and the episode doesn’t let up after that.
The second (and possibly unsurprisingly) is when the head is found stuck on a pike, next to the strangled body of the killer’s mother. It was the kind of scene that had me whispering my shock to myself in hushed tones, and the episode doesn’t let up after that. One of the most unique elements of this episode is that the killer is a true monster. PJ (Jonathan Whitesell) talks at length about his reasons for killing people, but they don’t evoke sympathy in us.
Instead, they serve to show just how horrifying he is. He killed his therapist seems to be unwilling to continue to work with him, and his mother because she once laughed at him as a child. Add in the closed amusement park and the hall of mirrors with a killer trope, and “Monster” succeeds at being the stuff of nightmares.
“Monster” Is A Pure Standalone Episode
There Are Almost No Connections To The Larger Plot Of The Series
While “Monster” will satisfy anyone who loves the more episodic side of Tracker (although it continues a surprising trend of downplaying Colter’s special skills), it was a little surprising for anyone who enjoys the bigger arcs around Colter’s family. Episode 12 exists entirely as a standalone. It doesn’t move anything larger forward at all. It seems to continue to cut out Team Colter even further, which is an area of concern.
Bobby is still not back, and his absence isn’t even mentioned anymore, with Randy appearing for only a quick scene. Velma pops up for only one phone call, and then doesn’t reappear. It’s reassuring to see her at all after her absence last week, but she feels almost unnecessary and isn’t even seen giving Colter the case. There are no references to Colter’s siblings, Reenie’s boyfriend, or the larger mysteries of the show, although Colter does reference his childhood once at the end.
Next Up: Tracker Takes Colter To The Big City
How Will “Neptune” Stand Up Against Recent Episodes?
Next week, Colter heads to the big city, as his latest case takes him to NYC. Read the description below:
Colter travels to New York City to find a woman who disappeared in the dressing room of an upscale clothing store.
Unlike this week, it seems that this episode could go in just about any direction, but it has me wondering if this will be another one that doesn’t make use of Colter’s survivalist skills. It’s difficult to imagine, after all, how that particular skillset would be used in Manhattan — and where Colter will end up parking his airstream! This will likely be another episodic case, but it would be nice to see some more balance in upcoming episodes, with more of what makes Tracker unique and some bigger hints at the larger story.
