Tracker Season 3 Confirms Return Of Forgotten Colter Shaw Team Member

CBS is bringing back a forgotten member of Colter Shaw’s team in Tracker season 3. Maintaining its place as the most-watched non-sports show in the 2025-2026 TV cycle thus far, Justin Hartley’s procedural’s run as the survivalist continues to be impressive. What makes Tracker extend its streak to being the number one scripted project on network TV is the fact that ahead of season 3, it underwent some major changes that were perceived as risky.

In an unexpected move, it was announced that Abby McEnany and Eric Graise weren’t coming back as Velma and Bobby in Tracker season 3. Supposedly, their departure was rooted in the show wanting to shake things up as the show evolves. While Colter operates on the ground usually on his own, he definitely relies on the remote help of his unofficial team, making his subsequent missions a little trickier.

Luckily, CBS has confirmed that Colter will reunite with one of his most trusted allies in Tracker season 3 — Brent Saxton’s Keaton. Introduced in season 2, the survivalist met Brent Saxton’s character by chance during a mission. They eventually teamed up to solve the Gina Picket case that had haunted Hartley’s hero for a decade.

In Tracker season 3, episode 9, “Good Trouble,” it’s Keaton’s turn to ask for Colter’s help. Per the official brief, Keaton reaches out to the show’s titular character to track down his former partner. During their mission, they unexpectedly uncover a trail of bodies that is tied to a wild conspiracy. The outing is set to air on December 14 and may likely be Tracker season 3’s midseason finale.

Considering how well Keaton and Colter worked together in Tracker season 2, it’s nice to see them team up again. Because of the nature of the show, it’s difficult to bring back non-series regular characters as the story takes place in a different part of the country every week. However, CBS is able to find a narrative opening that would allow for Colter to go to Keaton, which is great in this regard.

Keaton is one of the very few recurring allies that Colter has in the procedural. Jensen Ackles’ Russell already returned in the Tracker season 3 premiere, while Reenie and Randy have been a constant presence in the show, although they don’t always accompany Hartley’s character on the ground. The question now is if bringing back these recurring allies more frequently will be the norm moving forward.

Beyond that, Colter’s return also raises the question about the possibility of seeing Bobby, Velma, and even Teddi. Losing all of them marked the end of an era for Tracker, but because of the way CBS wrote them out, all of them can still return to the show as a guest.