Trackerundoubtedly proved itself as a success since its inception, but a hit show in Justin Hartley’s past highlights how the crime drama may be wasting the actor. FollowingColter Shaw on his missing persons cases makesTrackerhave its fair share of action and surprising twists, especially when Colter’s family is involved. However, there’s one thing that Colter avoids.
Despite having a close-knit group helping him find cases and with the investigations, often even getting him out of difficult situations, Colter always keeps his distance, refusing to make those relationships personal. This protects Colter, but it also doesn’t make the best use of Hartley’s acting abilities, as proven by one show inHartley’s past boasting a 94% RT score.
Tracker Hasn’t Given Justin Hartley The Chance To Showcase His Full Acting Abilities
Tracker Proved Colter Shaw Avoids Emotions At All Costs
Tracker’s procedural nature makes it difficult to deviate from its structure, with the mystery of the disappearance at the heart of each episode having to take center stage. At the same time,Colter goes out of his way not to get close to those he encounters, whether his clients or those he has collaborated with for years.
Colter, Bobby and Reenie [had] the opportunity to work on [Sun Mai’s] case from the same place and yet, Colter refused to go to dinner with them after their success.
This Colter quality inevitably makes his backstory more interesting, in the wayTrackermade evident that the distance he keeps with his loved ones is a consequence of his history. However, that also means that Hartley is never given the chance to display more of his acting muscles, as Colter pulls himself out of situations before they can become emotional.
It couldn’t have been clearer than inTrackerseason 1, episode 7. Sun Mai’s disappearance gave Colter, Bobby and Reenie the opportunity to work on her case from the same place, something that rarely happens inTracker. They got to know one another better as a result, and yet, Colter refused to go to dinner with them after their success.
Colter exhibits a similar behavior with his family. While he eventually patched things up with his brother Russell, stopping to think that he had anything to do with their father Ashton’s death, he always refuses to talk at length about a problem.Both times his sister Dory appeared onTrackershowed Colter’s reticence to admit he often avoided his family.
While Colter’s feelings almost crept to the surface several times, he always finds a way to suppress them, whether a difficult case is involved or the matter ofAshton Shaw’s deathis what is discussed. This doesn’t let Hartley have the chance to show different aspects of Colter’s character, despite having already proven his abilities in NBC’sThis Is Us.
This Is Us Proves Hartley’s Dramatic Ability — Something That Tracker Season 3 Should Take Advantage Of
Kevin Pearson Was Proof Of Justin Hartley’s Range
Hartley notoriously played Kevin Pearson, one of the siblings at the story’s heart inThis Is Us, which ran from 2016 to 2022. The family drama’s unique structure over multiple timelines highlightedThis Is Us’ qualities as a tear-jerker TV show, as viewers became more and more attached to the Pearsons because they got to know them over the years.
Kevin’s struggles made him exceptionally misunderstood inThis Is Us, with his challenging relationship with Randall making it difficult to root for Kevin. At the same time, Kevin’s arduous storylines also made Hartley’s acting abilities shine. After all,Kevin’s flaws being often on full display made him the one who overcame the most by the timeThis Is Usended.
Kevin’s addiction problems, his struggles to connect with most of his family, and his self-worth issues all made it possible for Hartley to show his impressive acting range. His role inThis Is Usproves thatTrackeris somewhat wasting his abilities, despite Colter’s many reasons to reveal his emotions, as shown by the past traumas he never completely acknowledges.
Colter Showing More Emotions Would Make Him A Better Protagonist In Tracker
Colter’s Family History Could Finally Make Him Show Emotions In Tracker
Colter’s calm disposition is an astonishing advantage in his line of work, as well as somethingTrackerproved he tirelessly protects. However, after two seasons of Colter basically avoiding any kind of difficult emotions,Trackershould take a page out ofThis Is Us’ book, forcing its protagonist to face his challenging past and theShaw family mysteryat last.
Trackerseasons 1 and 2 proved Colter cares about his collaborators and his family, despite refusing to make time for them outside of his rewardist cases. However,Colter being in touch with his emotions could actually makeTrackereven more enjoyable to watch, as in addition to its action and mystery, what’s inside his mind and heart could be explored.
Trackerseason 3 returns to CBS Sunday, October 19, at 8pm ET.
Trackerhas already shown how difficult becoming a survivalist had been for Colter as a child. However, those difficulties never translated to the main timeline inTracker.Colter avoiding or solely taking baby steps when his family is involved makes his coping mechanismdifferent from Russell’s or Dory’s, but stillproblematic in that it doesn’t let them face their past.
Trackerseason 3would thus greatly benefit from showing Hartley’s acting range, as it would deepen the audience’s connection to Colter. The Shaw family drama has only been briefly touched upon, butTrackerseason 3 finally forcing Colter to face it could simultaneously make Colter feel more real as a character and increase how invested viewers are in his story.
Tracker
Cast
Tracker follows lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw as he navigates the country as a reward seeker. Utilizing his expert tracking skills, he aids private citizens and law enforcement in solving various mysteries while grappling with issues from his fractured family.
This Is Us
This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their 37-year-old kids, Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who people become and how the connections people share with each other can transcend time, distance, and even death.
