Tracker is gearing up for Season 4 amid the 2026 TV schedule, and there is much to be excited about. For one, Jensen Ackles will once again be returning as Russell Shaw, the brother of Justin Hartley's Colter, after taking on some shady work to protect him. Hartley shared what’s in store for Ackles’ return, and, as pumped as I am, I’m still wondering where Melissa Roxburgh stands and whether she'll return as Colter and Russell's sister, Dory.
What Justin Hartley Said About Jensen Ackles’ Return
Ackles made his first appearance as Colter’s estranged brother in the first season. Since then, the two have slowly repaired their relationship while learning more about their late father. The two siblings even worked on some cases together (with varied results). Despite his busy schedule and working on The Boys prequel, Vought Rising, Ackles will indeed be back for Season 4. Not only that, but he’ll be appearing early in the season, as Hartley confirmed to TV Insider:
Well, right now he is about probably 100 meters away from me. He’s in at least one [episode], and we’ll have him back when we can. I think probably in the new year, we’ll have him back for a few.
I love that even though Ackles is so busy with other projects, he’s still trying to come back to Tracker when he can, and the producers are making sure that happens. It’s been fun to see Colter and Russell’s dynamic, especially since Hartley and Ackles are longtime pals. Knowing that Ackles might even be back for the latter half of Season 4 is making me curious as to what could be in store. As for this first appearance in the upcoming season, Russell is going to be reaching out for his brother’s help. Hartley explained:
What’s he been up to is he won’t tell me. Well, he kind of can’t, right? I mean, there’s a quid pro quo thing that happened at the end of Season 3, and he’s like, ‘As long as my brother doesn’t find out about this, I’ll do this thing for you.' But when we find him and when he reaches out to Colter, he needs help with something. One of his buddies is in dire straits, big time dire straits — and not a self-inflicted thing, just sort of something that happened to him, and he thinks of his brother Colter, and he’s like, ‘I bet you Colter can help you with this.’ So, he reaches out and of course Colter’s willing to help and it reunites the two brothers and they go on this pretty epic journey.
Even though Russell is clearly keeping something from Colter, I like that he still feels the need to reach out for help. It's hard to predict what will happen when the Shaw brothers get together, and I can only assume that whatever Russell is hiding will eventually come to light. For now, though, their relationship seems to be unchanged. The more they get together, though, the more I wonder about their sister.
What's Going On With Melissa Roxburgh?
Roxburgh guest starred in Tracker’s first season as Colter and Russell’s sister, Dr. Dory Shaw. So far, that’s been her only appearance. Of course, Roxburgh was busy with her show, The Hunting Party, which was unfortunately canceled after two seasons on NBC. Now that her schedule is a bit more open, could we be seeing Dory in the near-future? Hartley weighed in on the possibility, and he’s keeping an open mind:
It’s possible. All these people that I thought, what a great idea to have on the show, they’re all so damn busy now, right? It’s not a secret that they’re all really good, so they’re all working a lot. So, anything’s possible. We’ll see.
Ever since Season 1, I have wanted nothing more than to have all three Shaw siblings on screen together. As for how the show could bring back Dory, I’m not sure. I think the logical route would be to bring her into a story involving the trio's dad, and perhaps that could connect to what Russell is hiding from Colter. As of now, Roxburgh doesn't seem to be attached to any projects since The Hunting Party, but it’s possible she’s still working on something that's just yet to it be announced.
I'll certainly maintain optimism about Melissa Roxburgh returning to Tracker. But, for now, I'll just be grateful that Justin Hartley and Jensen Ackles will get to share the screen more. Check out Season 4, which premieres on Sunday, October 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The show will then move to its regular time slot of 9 p.m. ET the following week.
