Tracker will premiere its fourth season soon on the 2026 TV schedule, and I'm obviously thrilled that we'll have Justin Hartley back on our screens. However, to make matters more exciting, Jensen Ackles will return as Colter’s brother Russell too. Now, as we wait to see them reunite on screen, I'm cracking up over their off-screen brotherly dynamic, as the This Is Us actor was recently roasting the Supernatural star.
Hartley appeared at Televerse 26 (via TikTok), where he spoke all about Tracker and the upcoming season. Ackles’ role in the new season was eventually brought up, and Hartley didn’t waste any time both praising and roasting him. Honestly, I wouldn’t expect anything less from him when talking about his longtime friend and on-screen brother:
Yeah, he’s coming back. He’ll be here next week. He’s coming back next week. What he brings to the show is pretty extraordinary, actually. He’s really talented and extremely ugly. He’s hard to look at, yeah.
Considering Hartley and Ackles make a pretty great team, I’m not surprised that they’re acting like brothers both on-screen and off. The Colter actor gave his on-screen brother a warm welcome when he joined Tracker, but it probably didn’t take long for the roasting to start. However, they also very clearly admire and respect each other as well.
So, Hartley began by roasting Ackles; he also reflected on working with his friend and admiring his work ethic. I’m pretty sure all of this will definitely make up for him saying that The Boys actor is ugly, and I just love how much he cares for his co-star:
But other than the looks, he has this incredible work ethic, charm, charisma, and talent. Wonderful. And everybody knows that. What you don’t know, what you don’t see unless you work with him, is his desire to be on point all the time. And it is so cool to be around, and I think it inspires other people as well. That’s sort of a contagious thing that he has.
Hartley went on to explain that he works in a similar way. He also praised his co-star's ability to fully lock into his work while balancing his personal life:
I like to think I have that, too. I pride myself on it — I can’t sleep unless I know my words inside out, the whole thing. But to work with someone who has that level of dedication — he’s got a family, a wife and kids, a whole life [but] the dude shows up [and] he’s ready, he’s ready to go, immediately ready to go, and I dig that. He locks in.
Hearing Hartley talk about Ackles just makes me even more excited for what’s to come in Season 4 of Tracker. It’s been a treat seeing Colter and Russell working together, especially since they were estranged for a while. As of now, it’s unknown what exactly will bring Russell back, or if he will ever be joined by their sister, Dory (Melissa Roxburgh). But Heartley did tease that Russell's return centers around a favor he needs from Colter.
Since Ackles will be joining the fun on Tracker Season 4 soon, hopefully there will be some BTS content to keep fans occupied until his episode premieres. The wait will definitely be worth it, though. Plus, you never know what to expect when Russell appears, so seeing what the Shaw brothers get into should be entertaining.
More information about Tracker should be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the first three seasons are streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. Tracker Season 4 premieres on Sunday, October 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day on Paramount+.
