Here’s When (and How!) Jensen Ackles Will Debut on ‘Tracker’

The Shaw family has been a missing piece of the puzzle in Tracker, and the show will attempt to fix that in future episodes. Colter’s brother and sister haven’t been seen or heard from for much of Season 1, but with the news that Jensen Ackles has been cast as Colter’s brother, Russell Shaw, and Melissa Roxburgh will play Dory Shaw, fans will finally learn what happened to the family. Russell will return in Tracker Season 1, Episode 12, “Off the Books.” The official synopsis for the episode (below) reveals a lot about the character and the family as Colter (Justin Hartley) and his brother work together to solve a case. The episode will air on May 5.

It’s no secret that Russell isn’t well-liked by his family, with Colter avoiding his every call and their mother, Mary (Wendy Crewson), telling him to stay away from Russell at all costs. But Colter helps out when he’s in trouble, and Russell seeks his brother’s help. It’s unclear why he decides to help, but it could be out of curiosity, as they don’t talk much. The episode sees the brothers side by side as they investigate a dangerous case that could put them both in danger. Chaos erupts from both sides as they work to expose shady government operations while navigating complicated family relationships.

In the series premiere, the show introduced the Shaw family, who live apart in a compound in the Sierra National Forest. Their father, Ashton (Lee Tergesen), taught them survival skills, but one rainy night, his father became extremely paranoid and ran away. Young Russell (Matthew Nelson-Mahood) followed him, but when they didn’t return, Colter ran away in a panic behind them. He found his father lying at the bottom of a cliff while Russell watched from above. It was heavily implied that Russell pushed their father off the cliff, leading to his death. This was the event that tore the family apart.

Melissa Roxburgh Guest Stars as Colter’s Sister
Hartley previously teased that the series would focus on the Shaw family in later episodes of the season. In the previous episode, Russell, fans met an adult Dory, who is now a professor, just like her parents. She enlists Colter’s help in finding a missing graduate student. Much is unknown about her, giving fans a chance to get to know her better.