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Much to fans' delight, Jensen Ackles' Russell Shaw made a surprising comeback in the CBS' Tracker Season 3 premiere on October 19. The Justin Hartley-led action thriller series recently returned with a third chapter, with more revelations and truth bombs for the Shaw brothers.
The Supernatural star debuted as Colter's older brother Russell in Season 1 Episode 'Off the Books'. While Jensen Ackles only appeared in two episodes (across two seasons), fans have loved his on-screen sibling chemistry with Justin Hartley. Ackles' presence and Tracker's popularity have also led to rumours about a potential spin-off series, based on Russell Shaw.
While CBS has not officially greenlit a spin-off series yet, the makers are certainly invested in the idea. Additionally, Jensen Ackles fans will love to see him lead another procedural series after his recent failed stint on Prime Video's Countdown.
More on this in our series.
Was Russell's appearance in the Tracker Season 3 premiere a spin-off tease?
The Tracker Season 3 premiere featured a heart-to-heart conversation between the Shaw brothers, where Colter finally revealed the truth about their father's murder to Russell. However, before that, the protagonist was still reeling from the bombshell of the Season 2 finale and went off the grid. After Russell tracked (pun intended) Colter, he apologized for not believing his older brother and revealed the full truth about their father's death.
Contrary to what Mary had Colter believe, Otto pushed their father from the cliff, leading to his tragic death. While the truth was heartbreaking for Russell, it finally cleared the air between the Shaw brothers. However, the brothers had no time to ponder over their reunion as Reenie wanted them on a case, after which fans finally saw Ackles' Russell in action with his brother.
With the online chatter about Tracker getting a spin-off series, we cannot help but take Russell's increased involvement in the Season 3 premiere as a positive hint for a Jensen Ackles-led spin-off.
Here's what the show's EP has said about a potential Jensen Ackles-led spin-off
In a recent interview with Us Weekly, Tracker executive producer Elwood Reid practically confirmed that the makers are interested in exploring Russell Shaw's story in a Jensen Ackles-led spin-off. Here's what he said:
“I just threw [spinoff hints] in there hoping fans do some work. We just threw in a bunch of teases in these two upcoming episodes. [Jensen and Justin Hartley] [are] so much fun together and they complement each other in a weird way.”
As many fans guessed correctly, Ackles's increased screen time in the Season 3 premiere was surely a positive hint for a Tracker spin-off. While Reid seemed interested in cooking up a story centred around the older Shaw brother, it depends on the actor's availability. Reid added:
“I will always take Jensen whenever he’s available. I text him all the time and ask him about that... I put it in those scripts and I dangle it out there. Hopefully the audience will respond to it and hopefully the network will pay attention to it. But Jensen is someone who I’ve loved writing for for a long time.”
Exploring speculations around Jensen Ackles' Tracker spin-off
While Reid's comments suggest that the makers are ready to have Ackles on board, the ball is in the network and the actor's court for now. Given Tracker's popularity on CBS and Jensen Ackles' star power, the network should greenlight a Russell-centric spin-off series. While the Supernatural actor is busy with The Boys spin-off for now, his increased commitment to the CBS show (in Season 3) suggests that he might consider leading a spin-off as Russell Shaw.
Additionally, Ackles' star power is only increasing post Supernatural and fans have loved seeing the actor in yet another iconic brother duo with Hartley. Like Supernatural's Winchester brothers, the Shaw brothers' chemistry is also commendable and the network will surely benefit from a Jensen Ackles-led spin-off.
Tracker Season 3 releases weekly episodes on CBS every Sunday.
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