Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Tracker Season 2.
What started as a harmless joke last season has gotten a bit more serious with Russell Shaw’s (Jensen Ackles) return in Tracker Season 2. Last season, Russell flirted with his brother's unspoken crush Reenie Green (Fiona Rene) jokingly, causing Colter (Justin Hartley) to get a little defensive. But this season, Russell has taken things a step further by weaseling a date out of Reenie for his part in Colter’s rescue in the second episode, “Ontological Shock.” The thing is, Colter doesn’t seem as bothered by this as we might’ve thought, but why is that?
'Tracker' Season 2 Doesn't Want Colter and Reenie Together
Image via CBS
Network television is often known for its soapy drama — just ask Tracker's Friday night neighbor Fire Country — but part of what sets Colter Shaw apart is that he's focused almost entirely on the job. The show doesn't have too much wiggle room for relationship drama, and that's likely by design. Still, we can't help but feel like Tracker is actively keeping Colter and Reenie apart at this point, especially after how close the pair got last season. When the show first started, it looked as if Reenie was only a recurring player, someone who would pop in every once in a while to help Colter out, but the longer the season progressed, the clearer it became that this wasn't the case at all. Reenie is here to stay, and we couldn't be happier.
Season 1 may not have given us a kiss or a confession of love, but the chemistry between Colter and Reenie is clear, and the more she jumps into the fire to save Colter's life, the clearer her love for him gets. At this point, it's all subtext, and that's totally okay, but with Russell's return in Season 2 (now getting dates with Reenie as a reward), it seems clear that the show wants to go in a different direction. The season premiere revelation of newcomer Camille Picket (Floriana Lima), Colter's decade-long on-and-off lover, especially proves that the show is hoping to pivot these two away from each other. Coupled with the fact that Colter and Reenie have yet to share a scene this season (with the latter busy opening her new practice in Colorado), it's beginning to feel like a network conspiracy.
Things are about to get even steamier for Colter too, as Justin Hartley's real-life spouse, Sofia Pernas, is returning as fellow rewardist Billie Matalon in the very next episode! Could it be any more obvious that someone behind the scenes doesn't want Colter to be in a happy, healthy, long-term relationship with Reenie Green? The thing is, it might be the series' star himself who's giving the orders on this one, which feels particularly on brand for a show about a lone wolf like Colter Shaw.
Could Colter Shaw Ever Get a Long-Term Girlfriend on 'Tracker'?
According to Justin Hartley, it was his decision to keep Colter relatively single throughout Tracker's run thus far. "The fact that Colter doesn't have a girlfriend, I think that's one of the things I wanted to sort of keep," the actor explained to People Magazine earlier this year. "I feel like if he has a wife and a girlfriend and a family, and he continues to do all these dangerous things, that's kind of selfish." Hartley doubled down on his answer at 2024'2 San Diego Comic-Con when a fan asked him about Colter's feelings about Reenie. "I think all the things about him that are heroic and brave become reckless and selfish." How much of that is true is debatable, but we may know why the actor feels this way about those who choose the path of the hero.
Prior to his role on Tracker, and even before he became a hot-commodity following This Is Us, the actor first gained notoriety for playing Oliver Queen aka the Green Arrow on Smallville. Though Oliver eventually settles down at the end of the series, one of the show's most notable episodes (Season 6's "Justice") shows Oliver choosing his mission as a superhero over a relationship with Lois Lane (Erica Durance). It's an impossible choice, but one he is forced to make for the sake of those he's vowed to protect, including Lois herself. It's entirely plausible that Hartley internalized some of his Smallville character's decisions and brought them with him to Tracker as well; there are certainly other similarities between Colter Shaw and Oliver Queen. Either way, fans are hoping that sometime down the line, Colter and Reenie will be able to make things official. Until then, we can only watch as the pair continue to work alongside one another as friends and allies.
Tracker Season 2 airs Sundays on CBS and is available for streaming on Paramount+.
Watch on Paramount+
