Heart-Pounding Twist: Did Justin Hartley's Colter Shaw Find the Missing Girl in 'Tracker' Before It Was Too Late?

In the latest episode of Tracker, Justin Hartley’s character, Colter Shaw, faces a gripping challenge: locating a missing girl in a chilling murder case.

The suspenseful narrative unfolds on Sunday, December 7, as Colter dives into the emotional turmoil of a mother grappling with her daughter’s disappearance.

The episode centers around a mother, once trapped in the grip of alcohol addiction, who awakens to find her daughter missing and bloodstains hinting at a violent incident. In a small town rife with suspicion, the mother quickly becomes a murder suspect after authorities discover her daughter's dress on their property, leaving her alone in her fight for justice.

Colter steps in to help, racing against time to uncover clues that would clear the mother’s name. His investigation leads him to the original detective on the case, who, shockingly, is revealed to be the girl’s grandfather. This sinister figure had abducted the child and raised her with his wife.

As the plot thickens, Colter must confront the grandfather in a tense showdown. Ultimately, with deft detective work, he secures the safe return of the girl and reunites her with her mother by the episode's end, delivering an emotional finale.

Tracker, which debuted in February 2024, showcases Colter as a seasoned survivalist navigating the unknown to solve cases of missing persons. As Colter evolves, his supporting cast, including handlers Teddi (Robin Weigert), hacker Bobby (Eric Graise), and attorney Reenie (Fiona Rene), expand the dynamics of each episode.

However, the series has seen some shake-ups, losing notable cast members before its third season. Weigert's character exited early in Season 2, leaving fans concerned after Graise mysteriously vanished from six episodes.

“I do think it’s evolving. If I can’t evolve those characters — Randy or Reenie or Bobby — they’re not just people that just pick up the phone and go, ‘OK, here is the answer.’ That’s when the show is phoning it in,” executive producer Elwood Reid told Us Weekly in May.

The aim is to ensure Tracker remains fresh and dynamic instead of falling into stagnant storytelling.

As Season 3 approaches, Reid shared his thoughts on the need to rethink character roles. “Justin has to carry so much of the show. So I don’t want the other characters that are in the show to just be phone-a-friend where whenever he’s in trouble, he just picks up the phone,” he stated. “The challenge in Season 3 has been how do we build actual good story out of [it].”

He added, “It’s about trying to get a little bit of lightness [into the show] because sometimes Colter is doing some really dark and heavy stuff. It’s life or death.”