Tracker Season 2’s Confirmed Biggest Change From Season 1 Makes Me Worried About Its Future
Ahead of its premiere, Tracker season 2 already has one big change coming its way, and while it isn’t necessarily bad, I’m worried that it may negatively impact the show’s future. Starring Justin Hartley, CBS’ latest procedural show broke viewing records to become the most-watched show of the 2023-2024 TV season. What makes its performance so much more impressive is the fact that it was essentially a new IP on the small screen. Based on the 2019 novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver, Tracker follows Hartley’s Colter Shaw as he helps track missing people in exchange for money.
Being a long-time fan of procedurals, Tracker piqued my curiosity from the get-go. It offered something unique and fresh to the storytelling format in a way because it isn’t a police or a medical drama. Instead, it follows one character, and every week, he is sent on a mission while his bigger family mystery gradually unravels. As someone who also watched Hartley on This Is Us, it has been great seeing him back on the small screen. I’m excited for Tracker season 2, but there’s one thing that concerns me about how long it’s going to be on the air.
Tracker Season 2 Will Have More Episodes Than Season 1
Official Production Schedule Reveals Tracker Season 2 Will Film From July 2024 To April 2025
Due to the Hollywood strikes of 2023, Tracker premiered after Super Bowl LVIII and ran until May. Overall, it has only released 13 episodes, which is significantly fewer for a network show. Considering the predicament, however, this was the norm for all of its fellow projects on traditional broadcast this past year. I personally don’t have any issues with Tracker season 1 being shorter, since it was able to deliver a solid overall year. Coming into season 2, however, it will get the usual number of outings as it runs from the fall of 2024 to the spring of 2025.
If Tracker season 2 follows the usual number of episodes that procedurals get, I’m assuming it will get upward of 20+ outings. That is around double the offerings that it came up with, which means that it will have more time to do weekly cases without having to always tie it to the bigger mystery surrounding the Shaw family history. This is particularly important, considering that Jensen Ackles’ newest Amazon Prime Video project has doused hopes that Russell Shaw will have a bigger presence as part of Tracker’s core cast.
Tracker Season 2 Cannot Continue Relying On Just Colter Shaw
Hartley’s Colter Show Operates Mostly On His Own In Tracker
Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw driving in Tracker season 1 finale
Normally, I would be thrilled about more episodes of a show that I enjoy. However, that is not the case with Tracker. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still excited to see more of Hartley’s adventures as the capable rewardist. My concern stems from the show’s unique premise. Procedurals have the potential to run for years because their weekly format allows the narrative to offer viewers variety. That said, the majority of them are also ensemble shows, which means that the workload is dispersed among many characters. That is not the case with CBS’ latest hit.
Tracker lives and dies with Hartley’s Colter Shaw.
Tracker lives and dies with Hartley’s Colter Shaw. Granted that he has a remote team working with him, but at its core, he works on his own. From a logistical standpoint, this is risky. If, by any chance, Hartley can’t work, the production stops. Doing 13 episodes for its first year is very different from filming almost double that for season 2 and beyond. Guaranteeing Tracker’s longevity means that the series needs to expand its storytelling sometime in the future to make sure that it can move forward with minimal involvement from Hartley to give him a breather.
How Tracker Season 2 Can Maintain People’s Interest
Tracker Season 2 Needs To Expand Its Storytelling
Jensen Ackles and Justin Hartley as Russell and Colter in Tracker
Looking at its viewership numbers, Tracker season 1 did everything right, even dethroning NCIS as the most-watched show of last year. That doesn’t mean that it can’t improve itself coming to its sophomore year. Since Colter is its sole protagonist, the creatives behind the show need to find ways to keep him interesting throughout its run. That can be via putting him in varying situations that will test his mental and physical capabilities or seeing him develop relationships with other people.
Beyond Colter, however, expanding the show will not only be good for Hartley’s filming endurance but also in terms of keeping the procedural fresh. Tracker has already introduced several interesting characters — both allies and foes to the titular rewardist. Developing their characters further would be a great way to give viewers more reasons to like the project. So, while it doesn’t necessarily stray away from its current focus on Colter, Tracker has options to try other storytellin
