Tracker star Justin Hartley explains how the exit of an original character will impact season 2. It was reported in August that Robin Weigert, who played Teddi Bruin, will not be back for Tracker season 2. Weigert, known for her roles in Deadwood, Big Little Lies, and the 2022 horror hit Smile, had been with the CBS show since the beginning. No reason has been given for Weigert's departure. But it has been noted that Teddi's wife Velma Bruin (played by Abby McEnany) will remain part of the cast and is poised for a bigger role when the top-rated drama returns next month.
In an interview with TV Insider, ahead of Tracker season 2's debut on Sunday, October 13 at 8 PM ET on CBS, star and executive producer Hartley was asked to preview what life is for the characters in Colter Shaw's orbit and how Teddi's absence will change the story. In response, Hartley shared Velma's new focus and that she'll be working more with Reenie (Fiona Rene). He also teased what's ahead for Bobby (Eric Graise). Read the full quote below:
At the end of last season, Reenie decides that she’s leaving her firm and going to go it on her own. She’s got that big life change and, in a way, she teams up with Velma and you’ll see a lot of the two of them working together, which is a really interesting dynamic. They both have common goals with just some completely different ways of going about their business. Bobby our computer whiz, is hacking away. Then we have a couple of really cool surprises coming for Reenie.
Tracker Season 2 Isn't Revealing How It Will Write Off Teddi
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Tracker Season 1 Main Cast & Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
Actor | Who They Play | Notes |
Justin Hartley | Colter Shaw | A lone-wolf type that travels the country looking for cases. |
Fiona Rene | Reenie Greene | An attorney who helps Colter. |
Eric Graise | Bobby Exley | A computer scientist who helps Colter with his work. |
Abby McEnany | Velma Bruin | Colter's handler, who manages his business details. |
Robin Weigert | Teddi Bruin | Velma's wife, who handles Colter's details. |
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Reading between the lines, it doesn't sound like season 2 will do anything massive to write off Teddi from the Tracker cast of characters. If it's the case that Velma will embark on a new endeavor, it's unlikely that she would do that if Teddi has been killed or if the couple is going through a divorce. It's possible that Teddi is alive and well, leaving the option for Weigert to make the occasional guest appearance.
However, while Velma is focused on her work with Reenie, as was set up around the Tracker season 1 finale, something awful could happen to Teddi, and she could die off-screen. The reports about Weigert's exit do not mention why the actor is leaving the series, and there's been no clarification about how Teddi's absence will be handled within the show. It's possible that specifics are being kept under wraps because the situation with Teddi will evolve into a bigger story. At this point, though, this remains speculative.
Tracker, which is created by Ben H. Winters, with Elwood Reid as showrunner, is CBS' biggest show and the top-rated scripted series in all of broadcast TV. Even with these supporting characters, the series focused more on Hartley's protagonist, Colter, and the mystery of his father's death. At least, by pairing Velma in a story with Reenie, the two characters are poised to have more time on-screen. But what that means for Teddi remains an open question.
What's Coming Up In Tracker Season 2?
The Mystery Of Colter's Father Continues.
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Colter Shaw's Family in Tracker Season 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
Actor | Who They Play | Notes |
Jensen Ackles | Russell Shaw | Colter's older brother. |
Melissa Roxburgh | Dory Shaw | Colter's younger sister. |
Wendy Crewson | Mary Dove Shaw | Colter's mother. |
Lee Tergesen | Ashton Shaw | Colter's father. |
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Season 1 revealed a lot about Colter's complicated family dynamic, including how Colter has spent his life unsure about whether his brother Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles) killed their father Ashton (Lee Tergesen). Colter is advised to stay away from Russell. But as if that wasn't drama enough, the season finale of the CBS show reveals that Ashton had an affair with the mother of Lizzy (Jennifer Morrison). The revelation comes with its own set of complications since Lizzy is Colter's childhood friend.
There's also the fact that Ashton's work for the government turns out to be far more than what Colter was initially led to believe, creating more questions and helping to explain why largely unconnected characters like Teddi did not get a bigger storyline. It's been confirmed that Ackles will reprise his role as Russell in Tracker season 2, starting in episode 2. In the same interview with TV Insider, Hartley shares: “Russell’s also pretty heroic in episode 2 and they get involved in this really black ops, kind of strange thing.”
Hartley elaborated that the upcoming episodes will dig deeper into the mystery of Colter's family, bringing back Manifest star Melissa Roxburgh as Colter's younger sister Dory. Hartley, known for his role as Kevin Pearson on This Is Us, also states that Jennifer Morrison will direct an episode and likely reprise her role on-screen. The CBS hit will have time to flesh things out, and potentially even bring closure to Teddi's story, because executive producer Ken Olin confirmed that Tracker season 2 is planned to consist of 22 episodes.
Source: TV Insider
