‘Tracker’ Season 1 Episode Recap: “Klamath Falls”
CBS’s Tracker landed a coveted post-Super Bowl slot, kicking off the network’s new primetime drama in arguably the best possible time slot to attract viewers. Unfortunately for the series, the Super Bowl was extended, meaning Tracker didn’t premiere on the East Coast until after 11 p.m.
Based on Jeffrey Deaver’s The Never Game, the action-packed drama stars This Is Us’ Justin Hartley as a loner whose unique set of skills makes him the perfect person to track down missing people. Episode one, “Klamath Falls,” introduces Hartley as Colter Shaw, a survivor who makes a living searching for missing people and collecting rewards. With the help of his tight-knit team — Robin Weigert as Teddi, Abby McEnany as Velma, Eric Graise as Bobby, and Fiona Rene as Reenie — Colter solves cases that have stumped local law enforcement.
Get ready for a long recap. There’s a lot going on in Tracker’s first season in “Klamath Falls.”
The first episode of Tracker opens with Colter Shaw using his natural charm and reassuring demeanor to calm Jessica, an injured hiker in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. He tries to convince her that everything will be okay if she just follows his lead, and as he tends to her leg, Colter reveals a bit of his backstory. His dad taught him tracking and a little first aid, and he knows that the mild hypothermia she’s suffering from could be fatal if they wait for her to be airlifted out.
Colter takes her to his truck and then to the waiting ambulance. Mission accomplished.
Colter is a good guy, but he doesn’t go out there risking his life performing rescues just to build good karma. Colter expects a payday at the end of the day, and in this case, the reward for saving Jessica is $50,000. And as Colter explains, the reward is contractually binding.
Job done, he returns to the Airstream and Facetimes Velma and Teddi Bruin (in Denver), his handlers/family by choice, not blood. Both women are very protective of Colter, who is shirtless and sipping a beer.
Velma is a big dog lover and tries to convince Teddi that they need to adopt another cute rescue dog. Colter prefers to avoid the “too many dogs” debate and ask about his next job. No job lined up yet, but they tell him an old friend from Devil’s Notch is trying to contact him. He doesn’t explain, just tells him to ignore the calls.
It turns out that person has been calling Colter, too, but Colter doesn’t answer.
The first Corgi sighting this season is a morning call from Teddi informing Colter of his next job. (Warning: all subsequent Corgi sightings will likely be referenced. Sorry, not sorry.) A $20,000 reward is on the line if Colter can find Gilbert Brown, a 14-year-old boy believed to have been abducted by Edward Brown, his estranged parent. The boy was last seen in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and his mother and stepfather are offering a reward.
Colter visits his worried parents and explains that he makes a living collecting rewards. He didn’t admit any charges/expenses up front. Sarah’s mother said that Gil and his father hadn’t been in contact for years; apparently he was involved in drugs and petty theft. Plus, he was serving a six-month sentence for robbing a Juul store.
Gil told his brother that he was meeting his biological father for breakfast and would see him at school. He never showed up.
After everyone but Sarah left, Colter demanded to know why she lied. Her story didn’t add up and Colter pointed out that he noticed a few things. Sarah confessed that she had talked to Eddie recently and that he had asked to talk to Gil a few weeks ago. And it turned out that Gil had been texting his dad, but Sarah didn’t know Eddie was going to kidnap him.
