Jensen Ackles’ Russell Can Revive The Government Conspiracy Plot
Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw is set to make his Tracker return, and he can revive a sadly ignored conspiracy plotline while he’s around. Colter’s family outlook might not be fantastic right now, largely thanks to his mother’s role in his father’s death. But out of everyone in Tracker’s cast of characters, she isn’t the one Colter needs to worry about.
Not every major plot point in the series received air time in the Tracker season 2 finale. In fact, one of Colter’s biggest unsolved mysteries hasn’t been brought up for nearly half a season since its introduction. If there’s any chance that the series might revisit this dropped mystery in Tracker season 3, Russell could easily play a key role.
Tracker Season 2 Suggests That Colter Is Under Government Security Surveillance
It’s Even Possible That The Feds Are Secretly On His Side
Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw crouching with a gun in Tracker season 2Photo by Darko Sikman for CBS, Courtesy Everett Collection
Season 2, episode 13 dropped a rather interesting plot detail at the very end when Colter learns that the government sent Reenie a letter thanking Colter for his work and strongly implying the feds have been quietly watching him. This arrives in response to Colter uncovering deep-seated corruption, but the note also hints at a storyline that’s never mentioned again.
Considering Tracker’s tendency to prioritize episodic cases over larger overarching storylines, this note stood out. It hinted at a much larger plot, and it specifically seemed as if the feds watching Colter might relate to Ashton Shaw’s death in some way. It was already believed that Tracker’s Shaw family mystery likely involved the government, and this felt like further evidence.
It’s also worth noting that this letter arrived not long before Bobby’s Tracker season 2 return. Nobody was expecting a main character to come back from a long absence just to spend the rest of the season sitting around doing nothing, so it briefly seemed as if the government’s surveillance might relate to why Bobby was gone for so long.
None of those ideas paid off in the end, and it turned out that the plan for Bobby really was to have him come back and mope for a while before leaving the show between seasons. Nevertheless, Reenie’s letter leaves us with every reason to believe that the government is still monitoring Colter, and Russell could become involved rather soon.
Tracker Season 3’s Russell Shaw Return Could Lead To Another Federal Encounter
He Hasn’t Attracted This Much Attention Since He Joined Mystery Inc.
Fans of Jensen Ackles (of which there should be many after his appearance in the best Scooby-Doo adaptation of all time) should have a bone to pick with CBS after the network failed to deliver on the promise of multiple Russell appearances in Tracker season 2. However, Russell Shaw’s role in Tracker season 3’s premiere can make up for that.
Early descriptions state that the next episode of Tracker will involve Colter and Russell investigating an underground operation called “The Process.” Although “The Process” is the name of a real-life cult that once housed members of the Manson family and now runs a no-kill shelter in Utah, it’s subtly implied that Tracker’s version of The Process is much more sinister.
The last time Russell and Colter got together, they unearthed potential connections between their father and the government that seemed potentially related to Ashton’s death. Not much has come of that yet, but The Process could easily bring Russell Shaw back into the government’s sightlines. Even if it’s a cult or terrorist cell, that doesn’t mean the feds aren’t watching.
Getting involved in another investigation the federal government has vested interest in would not only mirror Colter’s work with Neptune, but also his past work with Russell. And, even if The Process itself is unrelated to Ashton, encountering the feds while bringing down the operation could at least give Colter a chance to learn more about why he’s being watched.
How Tracker Season 3 Can Shed New Light On The Government’s Letter To Reenie
Ashton’s Death Might Have Involved The Feds In A Different Way Than Expected
What makes Reenie’s letter so intriguing is its tone. Although Colter and Reenie both perceive it as potentially threatening, the government is unabashedly grateful for Colter’s help and seems to quietly view him as an ally. At the very least, their interests have been aligned on at least one occasion, and they legitimately needed Colter’s help exposing a corruption scheme.
It’s been confirmed that Tracker season 3’s Ashton Shaw mystery won’t be resolved immediately, but Colter and Russell encountering the feds after helping them bring down The Process could at least reveal the government’s involvement. Given the appreciative nature of their letter, it would be odd at this point to assume they were in any way complicit in Ashton’s death.
More likely is that the government needed Ashton’s help uncovering a plot that’s still unfolding in the shadows, in which case Colter and Russell could find out that they’ve been quietly continuing their father’s work. This would add a level of intrigue and moral complexity to the Shaw family mystery while dangerously raising the stakes for Colter and his brother.
There’s no telling just yet how things might unfold, but learning more about the government’s role in Ashton’s death could also hint toward Mary Dove’s motives for having him killed. It’s always exciting to see Jensen Ackles return to Tracker, but it would be even better if his next appearance could lead to viewers finally unearthing some answers.
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