CBS Officially Pulls The Plug On Tracker's Best Season 4

Tracker season 4 had the perfect set-up, until CBS pulled the plug on it at the very last minute. After seven months, Justin Hartley’s series officially wrapped its 2025-2026 TV cycle with several major reveals. As promised, the Tracker season 3 finale offered answers about the mysterious death of Ashton Shaw, which had been at the heart of the series since it premiered in 2024. With that effectively resolved, the procedural is looking to evolve when it returns this fall.

Ahead of Tracker season 4, there is a major change coming its way. The series is relocating from Vancouver to Los Angeles for production following a massive tax break for the first time in its history. How this impacts the project’s storytelling is currently uncertain, considering that the main gist of the show involves Colter going around the country. Beyond that, nothing else is known about what’s next for Hartley’s fan-favorite survivalist, but one thing from Tracker season 3 that could have been the new cornerstone of the series is a more solid tandem between Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw and his younger brother.

Tracker Season 3 Finale Effectively Splits Up Colter & Russell

Admittedly, it did seem like CBS was building towards that. Tracker season 3 increased Ackle’s character’s prominence significantly, and with Ashton’s death now resolved, the path is also clear for Russell and Colter to formally be more of a tandem. Unfortunately, the final moments of “The Best Ones” delivered a major twist that changed the course of the show’s future. Instead of a happy reunion between the brothers after finally taking down the unethical experimental facility, Russell was pulled on a different mission and forced to hide it from Colter.

Per the teased intel, Ashton potentially did something to Colter when he was younger, and while the Tracker season 3 finale didn’t delve into the specifics of the matter, it seemed quite serious that Russell was willing to go to great lengths if it meant keeping it from his brother. In the end, he had to leave, asking Reenie to cover for his absence. Considering his abilities, it’s safe to say that Russell will come out of the new mission scot-free, but even if he is able to return and come clean to Colter, keeping him out of the look after a web of lies arguably destroyed their family could create new distance between them. This decreases the chances of them working more closely and frequently together in Tracker season 4.

Why A Colter & Russell Partnership Is The Best-Case Scenario For Tracker’s Future

Colter and Russell investigating a case together in Tracker season 3

Colter and Russell’s relationship wasn’t always great. When Tracker started, there was animosity between the brothers, because of how their father died. Throughout the show’s run, they were able to make amends, to the point that Russell rushed to be with his brother whenever he needed him. Considering Ackles’ popularity, not to mention how he effectively plays the older Shaw brother, it has always been a delight seeing him in Tracker. His more playful demeanor is a great foil to Colter’s straightforward personality, making them a fun duo to watch.

CBS Officially Changes Tracker’s Genre

Ahead of the end of season 3, CBS has officially solidified Tracker’s gradual change in storytelling genre, setting up an exciting future.

Beyond that, however, having Russell around gives Colter more permanent on-ground support. Despite having Reenie, Randy, and even Mel, the survivalist is mainly on his own while doing a job. Tracker is living and dying with Hartley’s character, which is understandable, considering that he’s its titular character. That said, if it has plans of being on the air for a long time, it needs to diversify its storytelling. Filming for network shows is rigorous, given the sheer number of episodes that they put out every year. It would be great for Hartley to have someone to share the load moving forward.

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