‘Tracker’: What Does Colter Mystery Mean for Season 4?

The Shaw brothers — Colter (Justin Hartley) and Russell (Jensen Ackles) — finally learned more about their father’s moves before his death at the end of Tracker Season 3, and it all linked back to a government program experimenting on gifted children. But based on something revealed near the end of the Season 3 finale, there’s now a major mystery about Colter himself.

When Russell tracked down McIntyre (Glenn Morshower), who’d been running the program, he was pitched a role in his organization. After all, as McIntyre put it, if he killed him, he’d be looking over his shoulder the rest of his life, and if he didn’t, he’d just keep sending people after the brothers. But instead, McIntyre had his own proposal for Russell, one that the latter accepted after being shown a file on his father that at first he didn’t believe to be true.

“What’s in that file, what he did to Colter, it’s all true,” McIntyre said. Now, I’m guessing you wouldn’t want him to see this and he doesn’t have to, so think very carefully. Now, I have a problem that needs fixing. Do it, and I will put you in the clear.” Colter would be in the clear as well. Russell accepted and had Reenie (Fiona Rene) pass along a message to his brother saying he had to go away for a while and he’d share details after.

So, what does this mean for Colter? Could Ashton (Lee Tergesen) have let Colter be experimented on as part of that program? Could it be that McIntyre had a file related to another program that Ashton had been part of and used Colter for? If so, what is it? Does it have anything to do with why Colter is so good at what he does? It has to be something that Russell would think is true quickly enough to agree to McIntyre’s terms in that moment as he did.

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But how could we see this play out in Tracker Season 4? Well, it’s possible nothing may come up at all until Jensen Ackles returns onscreen as Russell, since he’s the only one who currently has any idea. And that, as it has for the first three seasons, will likely depend on scheduling. That will also likely determine exactly what Russell’s up to in this new job of his or if he finishes that and begins working on something else before he reunites with his brother. Maybe he’ll want to stay away for a bit, given what he now knows and what he’s keeping from him.

Perhaps Colter will begin stumbling upon clues that put him onto the path that leads him to finding out what was in that file himself — could there be something in the car of his dad’s he’s fixing up? — and this will be the new season-long mystery for him. After all, the series premiere introduced the mystery of what happened to the Shaws’ father when he died, and answers didn’t come until the Season 2 finale. If this is what happens, Colter could understand why Russell kept it from him once he finds out his brother knew, or it could lead to more tension between the brothers, leading to an estrangement or at least a strain to their relationship once again. Remember, the series started with the two not talking because Colter thought Russell was involved in their father’s death.

But what’s your theory about what was in that file about Colter and how it will play out in Season 4? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tracker, Season 4, Fall 2026, Sundays, 9/8c, CBS