Tracker’s Justin Hartley Breaks Down the Season 2 Premiere — and Tees Up Jensen Ackles’ Return in Episode 2
The Season 2 premiere — which aired Sunday in its new, 8/7c time slot — revealed a decade-old case that continues to haunt Colter to this day: the disappearance of a young woman named Gina Picket, who was abducted from a shopping mall parking lot in 2014, potentially by a shady fella named Frank (played by Justified’s Ryan Dorsey).
Every year, on the anniversary of Gina’s vanishing, Colter pays Frank a most unwelcome visit — and this latest one ends with the typically unruffled reward-seeker putting Frank in a chokehold. He also checks in with Gina’s sister Camille (played by Supergirl’s Floriana Lima), with whom we learn he’s romantically involved. Camille is ready put the past behind her, resolved to the idea that she may never receive closure. But Colter made a promise to Camille, and he’s determined to keep it.
Below, series star/executive producer Justin Hartley weighs in on the Gina Picket case and the introduction of Camille. He also tees up Jensen Ackles’ return as Colter’s brother Russell in Episode 2.
Let’s start with the Gina Picket case — this white whale that Colter has been chasing for a decade. I’ve seen you say that this storyline was derived from a desire to show that Colter is human, not a superhero. Why was it important, entering Season 2, to show more of Colter’s human side?
Obviously, when we started this show, we got the character from the book. And it was important for [fellow EP] Ken [Olin] and I to make sure that people had a reason to watch. We need to give people a reason — to show them a reason — why they’re watching this guy. He’s special, he’s really great at what he does… and it just became one of those things where, towards the end of Season 1, you’re thinking to yourself that what we haven’t shown that he’s not infallible. There is something that happened that he couldn’t get to the bottom of, and it does bother him… he can’t let things go. And I just thought that was such a cool thing to introduce to the character — the idea that this guy suffers. For better or worse, he’s not going to let go of it, and I think that adds to the complexity of the character. It adds to the intrigue.
I mean, I think the relationship has changed based on the trauma bond. That’s exactly what it is — a trauma bond. It’s almost like — it’s very, very sad, but it’s like these married couples that lose their child, and they can’t be together anymore because they see their child in the other person. It’s hard for Colter and Camille. When [Gina disappears], he makes a promise — and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he never promises [his clients] anymore. He says, “I will bring her home… I will bring him home.” He says, “I am going to do my best… to try.” This is why. [This storyline] has been built in a way that, when you look at it, you go, “Oh man, that was a pivotal moment in Colter’s life that changed the way he approaches his work and his relationships with other people.”
I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say. I’m pitching that it was prior to [Gina’s disappearance]. I think it’s stronger… I think it’s deeper.
A couple of times. We have to tell that backstory, so we’ll tell that story coming up in Episodes 8 and 9, I believe… I could be lying to you, Episodes 8 and 9 or Episodes 8 and 10. After that, we’ll see how it all shakes out.
Well, he learns from everything, right? That’s what this guy does. He evolves. I think we saw at the end of Season 1 that his approach to how he deals with his mother, his brother, his sister — what they’ve been telling him, the estrangement, the dad — that all kind of came to a head when Russell came into town. And it was like, “OK, so now who’s been lying to me?” Without knowing that he was doing it, Colter was actively distancing himself from his entire family because he probably didn’t want to talk about what [happened].
Well, Colter is going to bring it up to him — and he’s going to bring it up for two reasons. Number one, to let him know. But I think, also, to see if [Russell] doesn’t know [about it], what does he think of it? And if he did know [about it], why didn’t he tell Colter? Colter is very skeptical of everyone in his family now, including Russell. I mean, they definitely broke bread, and they’re definitely back on decent terms, but they don’t keep in touch necessarily. They don’t call, they don’t write…. but I think his opinion of his brother has completely changed.
No, Melissa [Roxburgh] is busy on her show, The Hunting Party [for NBC] — which, by the way, she’s like right across the street from us, but she’s busy on that. But I feel like she ends [her season] way before we do. So I think if we pick that story back up this year, I think it would be more towards the end of Season 2. I haven’t worked with any family members other than Russell this year so far.
