For most of Tracker Season 2, Colter Shaw’s (Justin Hartley) family history stayed largely in the background, overshadowed by the show’s case-of-the-week format and the Gina Picket investigation, which wrapped up in the midseason premiere. While there were occasional reminders that the mystery of his father’s death still lingered, Hartley had teased that more would eventually be revealed about Ashton Shaw’s (Lee Tergesen) fate. Fans had to wait until the finale for answers, and even then, the truth came with a twist. In the final moments, after a lifetime spent searching, Colter uncovers a chilling revelation that could change everything.
Colter Learns a Shocking Truth About His Mother in the Season 2 Finale of ‘Tracker’
At the start of the Season 2 finale, “Echo Ridge,” Colter reunites with his mother, Mary Dove Shaw (Wendy Crewson), for the first time this season. He’s in town for a case, but Mary immediately slips into “mom mode,” making him pancakes, which is something Colter recently mentioned she used to do for her kids during Ashton’s paranoid episodes. She also notes his restless pacing by the window, quietly remarking that it’s something Ashton used to do. It feels like an early warning sign of what’s to come.
Though Mary hasn’t had much screen time throughout the series, she’s long been portrayed as the steadier parent, encouraging Colter to let go of the past and stop digging into his father’s death. At first, this could be perceived as looking out for her son, but by the finale, it becomes clear there may be more to it than that. While Colter is out on the case, Mary discovers the box of Ashton’s research and belongings that his sister Dory (Melissa Roxburgh) gave him in the previous episode. She’s visibly shaken and confronts him during a phone call, once again urging him not to try and connect his current case with his father’s death. Still, Colter’s clue trail leads him to Otto (Alex Fernandez), a longtime friend of Ashton’s.
What happens next is devastating. Otto hesitates when Colter asks if he was on the ridge the night Ashton died, so Colter pulls a gun on him. In what becomes Justin Hartley’s most emotional scene of the series, Otto confesses that he was there, and he pushed Ashton off the cliff. While Colter is convinced it’s connected to Ashton’s work, Otto clarifies it was not the government that hired him — it was Colter’s mother, Mary. One tear rolls down Colter’s face before the screen cuts to black. For a man who’s built his life on uncovering the truth, this one may cost him everything. The revelation threatens to shatter everything he thought he knew and sets the stage for a darker, more personal journey in Season 3.
Season 3 of ‘Tracker’ Hints at a Darker Path for Colter Shaw
With this cliffhanger now looming over Colter’s head, Tracker is poised to explore its most personal arc yet in Season 3. Showrunner Elwood Reid has said that the show is at its best when it goes beyond the procedural and leans into emotional storytelling, and the Season 2 finale proves that. Colter has always believed that truth matters above all else, no matter how painful. But what happens when the truth involves your own mother? What happens when the foundation of your worldview starts to crack?
Season 2 has already hinted at a darker path for Colter. He’s become more emotionally entangled in his cases, especially during the Picket investigation, and has started to view them through a more personal lens. In the penultimate episode, he even seemed to relate to Francie (Kaylah Zander), who sought revenge for her brother’s death. While he didn’t condone her actions, he understood her motivation, which was a small but telling sign that his perspective may be shifting. Now, with Otto’s confession hanging over him and questions about his mother’s role in his father’s death, Colter is on the verge of unraveling. Season 3 could force him to confront not just the truth about Ashton, but the deeper fractures in his family and in himself. Is he going to end up paranoid just like his father?
This revelation also opens the door for more involvement from his siblings, Dory and Russell (Jensen Ackles), who have their own complicated relationships with Mary. If Colter turns to them before confronting their mother, it could drive an even deeper wedge between the three, especially since Russell had previously been suspected of being involved in Ashton’s death. Reid has acknowledged the scheduling challenges with Roxburgh and Ackles due to other commitments, but this storyline requires them to be together for at least one episode.
While Tracker will likely continue its case-of-the-week structure, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a different Colter in Season 3, one who’s more jaded, paranoid, or even off his game. He’s always relied on instinct, but if that’s shaken to its core, he may need to lean on his team more than ever. Tracker has thrived as a procedural, but now it has a chance to deepen its emotional stakes. If the show can continue to balance thrilling investigations with this kind of character-driven storytelling, Season 3 could be its most powerful season yet.
All seasons of Tracker are available to stream on Paramount+.
