Tracker Season 3 Confirms Major Character Returns for Finale
Justin Hartley is the driving force behind the popular CBS series. The actor portrays Colter Shaw, an experienced tracker who travels the United States assisting local police enforcement and other organizations in exchange for a salary. The popular series is based on Jeffery Deaver’s 2019 book, The Never Game.
Despite being portrayed as a lone wolf, akin to Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s globally popular action series Reacher, Hartley’s Colter Shaw has a cast of characters that form his support squad. This approach has resulted in athletes such as Teddi Bruin, Velma Bruin, Bobby Exley, Reenie Greene, and Randy appearing in many seasons. However, another figure is more intimately associated with him, and he will return.
CBS has revealed the official details for Tracker season 3, episode 22, “The Best Ones,” stating that Jensen Ackles will reprise his role as Russell Shaw, assisting his brother, Hartley’s Colter, in finding the victim of a malicious research experiment. The season finale of the CBS series will air on May 24 at 9 p.m. ET. Ken Olin directed the Tracker season 3 finale, which Elwood Reid and Travis Donnelly wrote.
Ackles, who is now playing Soldier Boy in the fifth and final season of Prime Video’s superhero blockbuster The Boys debuted as Russell Shaw in Tracker season 1, episode 12, “Off the Books.” Their interaction helped Colter realize that his brother was not involved in their father’s death, bringing an end to their estrangement.
Ackles reprised his role as Russell in the first two episodes of season 3. He was last seen on October 26, 2025, in the film “Leverage,” in which Russell and Colter attempted to uncover the secrets of The Process. It was a system that blackmailed people into committing crimes or facing the death of their loved ones.
By the end of season 3, episode 2, the duo had destroyed the algorithm that powered The Process, effectively dismantling the blackmail system and saving countless potential victims from being coerced into crime.
At the time of writing, Tracker season 3’s next episode is “Struck,” the season’s 16th. The CBS action series’ first season had only 13 episodes. Tracker was renewed for a second season of 20 episodes following its giant success. That number has increased even more in season 3, with the Shaw brothers’ final team-up being the 22nd episode.
While episode 22 will mark the conclusion of Tracker season 3, viewers of the CBS action series can expect more team-ups between Hartley and Ackles in the future. After all, Tracker was renewed for a fourth season on January 22, ensuring that the most-watched show on broadcast television remains on the air for the foreseeable future. The Shaw brothers’ reunion should provide insight on Tracker’s future.