The hit action-mystery series Tracker has just returned in a big way. But, unlike previous seasons, there’s something different in the tone and style of this new set of episodes. On Sunday, October 19, Tracker Season 3 dropped its first new episode, “The Process,” and this time, instead of Colter (Justin Hartley) taking on a new case to track someone down, people are actually looking for him.
“Instead of him always looking and chasing after someone, he is being chased. This is an interesting turn for our show,” Hartley told The Hollywood Reporter.
Why does this switch make Tracker Season 3 so different? Well, it’s all about the basic setup and structure of Tracker. In short, this reversal means that one element of the show is getting a new wrinkle.
Tracker Season 3 Plot Twist
At the end of Season 2, Colter discovered new details about his father’s death, which shook all of his preconceived notions about his life. And now, in the Season 3 debut, Colter is reteamed with his brother, Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles). Unlike the stand-alone, somewhat episodic nature of previous Tracker seasons, the arc of Season 3 is slightly more serialized than before.
That said, the Season 3 debut still manages to stick to one aspect of the Tracker formula: Not making every episode all about Colter himself, but rather, having him involved in some kind of weekly mystery. The mystery that Colter and Russell find themselves involved with in the first episode is a two-part story, which will conclude with Tracker Season 3, Episode 2, “Leverage.”
So, although aspects of Tracker Season 3 will find Colter beingtracked himself and incorporate a bit more series lore, there will still be an episodic sensibility going forward. Back in June 2025, Hartley told Men’s Journalthat he feels this element—the idea of weekly adventures—is key to the success of the series.
“The facts are that [executive producer] Ken Olin and I set out to do a show that was in fact a throwback,” Hartley told us. And pointed out that Tracker is a “new spin on a procedural, meaning our character would evolve over time. He would not just remain the same exact person every single week.”
Tracker Season 3 Streaming Schedule
Tracker airs new episodes on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS. You can watch these episodes streaming on Paramount+ on Sundaysif and only if you have a Paramount+ Premium Plan. If you have the Paramount+ Essential Plan, new episodes of Tracker will be available to stream on Mondays.
