Tracker season 2 is on the way, and while I expected it to be good, I’m even more excited now after a surprising spinoff update – or non-update, as the case may be. Tracker season 1 was, to state the obvious, an enormous hit for CBS. Tracker’s popularity with CBS’ audience was such that it already got greenlit for season 2 just four episodes into season 1, and star Justin Hartley may have accidentally confirmed Tracker season 3, too, before the second season even airs. Clearly, the network is all in on Colter Shaw and his team.
For as big a hit as it is, however, there’s no guarantee that Tracker season 2’s story will be easy to crack or that it will be as successful. That’s why I was glad to read a recent interview with the showrunners and producers about their focus heading into the second season – namely, that it won’t waver. That has to do with how they’re handling any potential spinoffs and the timing they think will benefit the show.
CBS Has No Plans For A Tracker Spinoff (Yet)
I’m Surprised, But It’s Not A Bad Thing
The big news about a Tracker spinoff is that there is no spinoff – not right now, at least. Showrunners Elwood Reid and Ken Olin, who also serve as producers on Tracker, addressed the possibility of a spinoff and confirmed that there is no spinoff in the works. As Olin said:
“Elwood and I, we’re pretty satisfied, too, by doing this [one show]. It’s a weird show to spin-off. But also, like, things don’t break through easily anymore…. I mean, look, Dick Wolf has been very successful and all that, but those [shows] are also how old now?”
It’s honestly surprising to me that there’s not been a spinoff at least considered yet, if not in development. Tracker was CBS’ biggest new hit in years, and it’s a procedural. Just about every procedural already has a spinoff or two, from the sprawling Law & Order universe to CBS’ other new hit, Fire Country, already getting a spinoff, Sheriff Country, after its second season. Considering how popular Tracker has proven, it seems tailor-made to be the next network procedural to spawn some kind of spinoff. That said, I think it’s great that it’s not getting a spinoff, strange as that may sound.
Why Tracker Not Having A Spinoff Is Great For Season 2
They Can Put Their Focus Entirely On The Sophomore Season
Even though I love Tracker and would – eventually – love a spinoff, the reason I’m glad it’s not getting one at the moment all comes down to Reid’s explanation as to why it’s not getting a spinoff yet. It’s a really smart way of thinking about it:
“It’s so funny because all my friends are like, ‘You’ve got to start thinking about spinning it off.’ Second seasons are very hard. I’ve seen this with shows, where they spin them off too early, then both shows suffer. The show is so singular with Justin [at its center] that it’s really important we keep expanding the world, expanding the cases and [expanding] what Tracker can do. Unlike a lot of shows — unlike a cop show in New York or Chicago, where they’re always dealing with a homicide — I can go into any world. I can go into stock car racing, I can go into Nashville, I can go into any world I want.”
For as cancellation-happy as networks and especially streamers are these days, it usually takes a show a season to really find its footing, even popular ones.
When he put it that way, I had to consider it from that angle and I realized he’s absolutely right. Reid makes a great point. He’s correct in his assessment of shows that rush spinoffs too quickly. For as cancellation-happy as networks and especially streamers are these days, it usually takes a show a season to really find its footing, even popular ones. We’ve certainly seen that with Tracker, which is already losing a major cast member ahead of season 2. For as well-received as Tracker has been, it’s clearly not without some wobbles, which is normal. Allowing it some space to breathe is smart.
Showrunning a big hit is a huge job. It requires full focus and all hands on deck until that show is stable and steady on its course. I really appreciate that Reid and Olin have confirmed now that they’re committed to focusing wholly on Tracker season 2 to ensure its success, rather than having their attention divided. It’s a trap too many showrunners fall into, and we’ve seen what happens when producers are pulled in too many directions, whether it’s Kevin Feige being spread too thin between Marvel TV and movies, or Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe starting to suffer from the weight of too many projects. Luckily, we won’t have to worry about that fate for Tracker.
When Will Tracker Get Its Potential First Spinoff
Season 2 Could Set Up A Number Of Potential Spinoff Stories
That said, it’s inevitable that Tracker will get a spinoff, even if Reid and Olin think it’s an impossible show from which to spin off something. Tracker season 2 should be the season that sets up potential storyline spinoffs. A series following Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw would certainly be an option – even though Ackles is already getting his own series on Prime Video, Countdown, the door isn’t closed. A spinoff following Reenie doing pro bono legal work is another example of a potential spinoff. In any case, the sophomore season is the one that will lay the groundwork for another series.
It won’t happen for season 2, obviously, but beyond that it’s up in the air. As noted before, CBS’ other big hit, Fire Country, already got a spinoff after its second season. CBS is the undisputed king of network procedurals, and every single one of their procedurals has its own spinoff or universe. Tracker will follow suit at some point, and likely soon. If recent history is any indication, it might be getting a spinoff after season 2 is over. At most, I don’t see Tracker getting past season 3 before a spinoff announcement is made.
