Tracker surging – Justin Hartley’s CBS procedural Tracker has expanded fast—debuting in February 2024, returning with Season 2 before the year ended, and set for Season 4 later this year. Even without the biggest Paramount-style numbers, the series is quietly becoming a breakou
By the time Justin Hartley walked into the role of Colter Shaw, Tracker wasn’t just another police-procedural face in the crowd—it was the kind of show viewers were clearly willing to commit to quickly.
Hartley first took on Colter Shaw in the CBS procedural in February 2024, and the demand was so intense that the series didn’t have to wait. Tracker was brought back for Season 2 before the end of the year—an unusually fast turnaround for a network drama built to settle in over time.
Now. Tracker is set to return for Season 4 before the end of this year. and the momentum is showing even ahead of any CBS debut. Before the show’s global rollout is fully in place, Tracker is surging on Paramount Plus in multiple countries. It may not be matching the viewership numbers associated with Paramount’s Taylor Sheridan shows. but it’s still carving out space as one of the most-watched procedurals on TV.
The series is also sitting within a bigger spotlight for Hartley, even as he’s been busy in other arenas. Hartley starred in This Is Us—written and created for TV by Dan Fogelman—and he’s known for Oliver Queen. aka Green Arrow. in Smallville in the 2000s. While Hartley has not joined Fogelman’s latest project. Paradise. Fogelman has recruited plenty of long-time collaborators for roles in the Hulu sci-fi thriller. and Sterling K. Brown recently reunited with him for the project.
For years, Hartley’s name has also hovered around fan debates about his potential return as Green Arrow for James Gunn’s new DCU. Even so, Tracker has been the main show occupying his time in the last few years—an anchor role that’s turned into a long run, now heading toward a fourth season.
Hartley isn’t the only Shaw drawing attention this season. Jensen Ackles has a vital role in Tracker as Russell Shaw. Colter’s Shaw’s brother. who “always seems to know just when to show up and help.” Russell Shaw faked his death in the second episode of Season 3. and viewers were led to believe for weeks that he was actually dead—but that has since proven not to be true. Details about Tracker Season 4 are being kept under wraps right now. but it would be surprising if Russell Shaw didn’t feature in at least a few episodes.
Tracker’s Season 4 remains a moving target for now. but the foundation is already clear: it debuted on February 11. 2024; Elwood Reid is the showrunner; and the writers include Ben H. Winters and Hilary Weisman Graham. Hartley stars as Colter Shaw. and the show is now heading toward its next chapter with global interest growing ahead of its full run.
Justin Hartley Tracker CBS Paramount Plus Colter Shaw Russell Shaw Jensen Ackles Season 4 Elwood Reid Ben H. Winters Hilary Weisman Graham