‘Tracker’s Justin Hartley and Jensen Ackles Get Caught Up in ‘Sinister’ Operation in First-Look at Season 3

If you’ve been missing the Shaw brothers’ banter during the hiatus, the wait is almost over as Season 3 of Trackerkicks off with a much-anticipated family reunion in the premiere.

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Justin Hartley is set to reunite with Jensen Ackles in the first episode of the upcoming season.

The Supernatural alum portrays Russell Shaw, the brother of Hartley’s leading character, Colter Shaw.

For the past two seasons, fans have been longing to learn more about Colter’s backstory. With the Season 2 finale shifting focus to his family and their mysterious, complicated past, it looks like we’ll finally be seeing it play out on screen.

The official synopsis for the episode, titled “The Process,” and airing on Sunday, October 19 at 8/7c, teases, “As Colter grapples with the shocking truth surrounding his father’s death, Russell (Jensen Ackles) joins forces with his brother to help track down the missing wife and daughter of one of Reenie’s (Fiona Rene) clients. Their reunion finds them mixed up in a chain of events involving a sinister underground operation known as ‘The Process.’”

Rene is the only other full-time cast member alongside Hartley, so it’s likely she’ll be involved in many of his cases this season, particularly since the remaining cast members who always assisted Colter on his adventures—Eric Graise (Bobby) and Abby McEnany (Velma)—exited the series earlier this year. The verdict is still out on whether Bobby’s cousin Randy, portrayed by Legacies actor Chris Lee, will return.

Tapping into Colter’s complicated family dynamic more consistently will hopefully pave the way for a reunion with the other Shaw sibling, Dory (Manifest‘s Melissa Roxburgh). After all, the Season 2 cliffhanger revealed a shocking twist—Colter discovered that Otto (Alex Fernandez) was ordered by their mother to kill their father, Ashton Shaw (Lee Tergesen)—which is likely to impact all the siblings in different ways, including how Colter navigates his cases and relationships moving forward.

It remains unclear how Season 3 of Tracker will handle the Shaw family drama, but if it delivers on fan expectations, it’s shaping up to be the most personal—and possibly the best—season yet.

Tracker Season 3 premieres Sunday, October 19, 8/7c, on CBS. It streams next day on Paramount+.

Related: Jensen Ackles Gives Insight Into His ‘Tracker’ Fate Amid Major Cast Shakeup

This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.