Since the exit of Teddi (Robin Weigert) before Tracker season 2 began, Velma (Abby McEnany) has slowly been pushed out of the series. She wasn’t physically present during Tracker season 2, episode 19, leading to questions from many about where she is. At the same time, there are concerns that a cast change is coming in Tracker season 3, with the way her character’s arc has been handled over the latest season.
Velma started off as one of Colter’s (Justin Hartley) handlers, but the surprise Tracker exit of Teddi has led to her being the only one. However, throughout the second season of the CBS series, Colter has found his own cases, or members of Colter’s Tracker team like Randy (Chris Lee) and Reenie (Fiona Rene) have brought him cases to solve. Considering Velma’s connection to Colter from before the series began, she is someone who needs to stick around in the series.
Velma Is Physically Absent In Tracker Season 2, Episode 19
To make it worse for McEnany’s character, she wasn’t even mentioned during Tracker season 2, episode 19 until the very end when Reenie got a call from her. She was just absent, and that makes the situation all the more concerning. Usually, shows will give a one-liner to explain where someone is, especially a series regular, even when that character is slowly being written out. Instead, the lack of explanation feels disrespectful to the character.
It’s not unusual for characters to be absent from episodes of Tracker now and again. Bobby was away for a few episodes, with his cousin and temporary replacement offering the explanation that he was away dealing with a loss. Reenie has been absent now and then when Colter hasn’t needed legal help, which makes sense, rather than trying to force an interaction and wasting time in the episode. However, Velma has been absent more than other characters, and it’s become notable.
Why Abby McEnany’s Absence In Tracker Season 2, Episode 19 Is Concerning
When Tracker season 2 first started, we weren’t all that worried about Velma’s arc. In fact, with the loss of Teddi, there was the potential to show what the end of a marriage could look like, especially when it came as a shock. Velma stepped in to help Reenie get her new office set up, offering a way to keep both of the characters in the show and interact with each other.
It shows how Velma has become more of an afterthought in the series, rather than being given the arc that she deserves.
However, Velma has slowly been edged out of the show, not even physically there at times. At least when Bobby (Eric Graise) was missing for a few episodes, there were updates throughout to let us know that he was coming back. With Velma, there are often episodes when we don’t even get a mention at all. It shows how Velma has become more of an afterthought in the series, rather than being given the arc that she deserves.
Why Tracker Needs To Absolutely Keep Velma
While Velma was one of the people to send Colter rewards to chase, she was also the mother figure that he needed in his life. This development alone is enough to make it clear she needs to stay. Without Velma, Colter has nobody to turn to when he has relationship issues or when he doesn’t know what to do in life. Sure, Reenie can help a little bit, but Velma has more of a life experience in that matter.
On top of that, she brings in an older and experienced voice for all of the characters. While she doesn’t have everything in life figured out, she has been through many of the experiences people like Bobby and Reenie have. Early on in Tracker season 2, there was hope that Velma and Reenie could develop a bond similar to that of Velma and Colter’s, allowing for more development for both characters and a different vibe for us. It was soon clear that wasn’t going to be the case, especially as some of her absences weren’t even explained.
On top of that, there would have been a chance to show us what it’s like dealing with a separation later in life. Velma and Teddi seemed happily married, so Teddi leaving was shocking and heartbreaking. Instead, Velma moved on from Teddi in Tracker with little fanfare, removing an arc that could have connected to many other people going through something similar. It would be excellent for Tracker season 3 to bring something back to the story by offering Velma someone to talk to about it.
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