Tracker loses its first original cast member ahead of season 2. Headlined by This Is Us star Justin Hartley, and created by Ben H. Winters, with Elwood Reid as showrunner, the action drama is based on the Never Game novel by Jeffery Weaver and follows Hartley's Colter Shaw as a skilled survivalist who earns his living by helping others find missing persons and solve what they need in exchange for money. The adaptation quickly became the biggest show on CBS, and all of broadcast TV, and gained a fast confirmation for Tracker season 2.
Ahead of the season 2 premiere on Sunday, October 13 at 8 PM ET on CBS, TVLine reports that Robin Weigert, who played Teddi Bruin in Tracker season 1, will not return for the second installment. There's no word yet on how the show will address Teddi's absence, particularly because Teddi's wife Velma (played by Work in Progress star and creator Abby McEnany) will remain on the show.
Robin Weigert's Tracker Exit Is A Loss For The Show
Weigert Is An Accomplished, Versatile Performer
Weigert played a crucial but supporting role in season 1, with Teddi and Velma doing their part to help Colter with his cases. This is combined with a Tracker cast that also includes Eric Graise and Fiona Rene, both of whom are set to return. The action drama also has a wider net of guest actors, including Jensen Ackles, Jennifer Morrison, and Melissa Roxburgh, who each inform Colter's story in some way.
Given that Teddi is an established presence, weaved into all the Tracker episodes so far, Weigert's absence is unfortunate. She's an Emmy-nominated performer for her role as Calamity Jane in Deadwood and also stood out as Nicole Kidman's forthright therapist in HBO's Big Little Lies. The horror hit Smile flipped that, using Weigert's familiar and comforting presence for cleverly sinister purposes. It's fair to say that the series' first 13 episodes could have featured the acclaimed and dynamic performer with more of a purpose.
The good news is, with season 2 debuting very soon, interviews with the producers will likely offer some perspective on what happened with Weigert. It could be that her character didn't fit into the CBS show's current plans. Alternatively, it could be that Weigert chose to move on to other projects. Another positive is the hit adaptation is still new enough to bounce back from a notable change in the ensemble.
What Could Teddi's Absence Mean For Tracker Season 2?
It's Tricky Since Velma Remains Part Of The Show.
Tracker Season 1 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. |
Teddi, a former tour manager for rock stars, has since settled down with Velma in Florida. The couple helps Colter with some aspects of his job, which includes finding new gigs, managing money, and even getting him out of jail when the situation calls for it. From a pure plot perspective, Teddi's function in the story is not difficult to replace, but it becomes a little trickier due to her relationship with Velma, which has now become one of the urgent questions that season 2 will have to address.
In the Tracker season 1 ending, Teddi and Velma somewhat fade into the background as the focus is on Colter and the shocking revelations that he has about his father. This does not leave a lot of room for exploration, in terms of the supporting characters. But as the showrunner previously told TVLine, the upcoming episodes will see Velma take on a bigger role. It's been teased that Velma will share more scenes with Reenie, the attorney who's set up as a potential love interest for Colter. The update confirms the difficulty of fully including the supporting players on the CBS show.
By the season 1 finale, Velma and Teddi have both appeared relatively briefly. They give Colter one update or another, or they lightly question some of his choices, and they fade out after that. It could be interesting if Teddi is killed off or if the seemingly happy married couple decides to split up, which would at least give Velma some conflict to deal with. But with no indication of how Weigert's exit will be handled, and whether her role may be replaced, it's too early to speculate too wildly about what the change means for Tracker season 2.
