A new CBS series Tracker lost three actors before season 3 – but what holds a great show with a great producer Justin Hartley he said about the ongoing changes?
Hartley reason many Tracker fans started watching the show when it premiered in February 2024. Following six years on NBC This is usHartley created his own play, introducing Colter Shaw, a fictional survivor as he travels the country to help solve missing persons cases.
A side plot has emerged that delves deeper into Colter’s family life, including how his father’s mysterious death could be at the hands of someone Colter knows. But while most of the show focuses on Colter’s story, audiences have grown to love Colter’s team: managers Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma (Abby McEnany), Bobby the shooter (Eric Grise) and lawyer Reenie (Fiona Rene).
Just imagine Us‘ was surprised when Weigert left before season 2 began filming. Since then, season 2 was introduced Chris Leethe character of Randy, who will take over as Colter’s computer whiz in Grise’s six-episode absence. It was later confirmed that Grise and McEnany were the next main cast to leave the series before season 3.
“It is one of the things where the availability of actors is always an issue. [if a character is missing],” executive producer Elwood Reid previously mentioned Us Weekly in May 2025 before news broke about Grise and McEnany’s exit. “Randy came in and gave something to the show that was different. There was a real warmth and fun when he came in. It was something that I think we were missing a little bit in other episodes. He was just so fun when he came in.”
Reid continued: “With that energy – and playing with this strong group – that’s all we’re going to continue to play with in season 3 as the show progresses. We’re going to bring back some characters from seasons 1 and 2 – we’re going to see a lot of them. There’s been some fun characters that I think are fun to see in Colter’s world.” [season to season].”
At that time, Reid noticed that Tracker “He has no rules,” he added, “The only rule I have for the show is that every week Colter will come to a new place and there will be a new case. How he gets those answers and what he uses in the team, that’s all something that has to be caught. Meeting these answers. [local] unusual characters is something we will try to do more of as the season goes on. Colter just walks in and interacts with the other characters. It’s great to see Justin stretch those muscles and the guest cast is really good.”
Hartley, however, remains adamant about the screen shake. Keep scrolling to see his rare commentary on how Tracker will appear with changes:
Adjusting Changes
After Weigert’s exit, Hartley teased how season 2 would fix it, he said TV Insider in September 2024, “At the end of last season, Reenie decides that she’s leaving her company and going on her own. She has that big life change and, in a way, she’s teaming up with Velma and you’re going to see a lot of the two of them working together, which is really moving.”
He went on to say:[Reenie and Velma] both have similar goals with completely different ways of doing their business. Bobby, our computer, is hacking. Then there are a few good surprises to come for Reenie. “
Tracker is a success story for CBS — but that doesn’t mean season 3 won’t undergo some changes to keep things interesting. The hit series, which premiered in February 2024, has viewers tuning in every week to see their favorite savior Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) travel the country to help solve missing persons. […]
Focusing on Colter
Hartley said The Hollywood Reporter in April 2025 that he wanted to make sure that Tracker “isn’t your average procedural show.”
“As an actor does these jobs and as these people enter and leave his life, I wanted to make sure that they touch him, and that this actor changes,” he said of Colter meeting new people every week. “So when you watch episode 10 of season 1, and then you watch episode 10 of season 2, it’s important to me that we show that this character is growing, he’s changed and he’s learned.”
The actor revealed that Tracker still has “a lot of stories to tell.”
“Now we’re in a new place. We have a few ideas. One of them is that Colter has all these skills. He’s a tough guy and he can be alone, and he can find people and he’s gifted at that. He’s a great listener,” he said. “But it would be fun, I think, to see him established. … I’d like to have all those connections in the family background, the government. So, we’ll see. We’ve been kicking around this idea. We have a lot of different things we’re talking about. We have a basic theme of what we’re going to do next year, while not really changing the direction our story is going.”
Shaking Things Up
While talking to Us after the end of season 2, Reid commented on how they confirmed Tracker “it doesn’t go into self-indulgence.”
“I don’t want the show to be a phone buddy every week. I think that gets old, and Justin always challenges me on that. He’s like, ‘Do we need to do this? Do I need to call Bobby every time? Can I do this?’ “He commented Us in May 2025 regarding Hartley’s reaction. “You don’t want to [always] look at Reenie. He talks to Velma for two seconds. He might talk to Bobby on one phone call. The plan works because he is on Justin’s shoulder.”
