Tracker – Missoula – Review

After an impressive debut last week that netted a record-setting 18.4 million viewers, Tracker returned for its second episode tonight, building on the intriguing premise laid out in the pilot and delving deeper into Colter’s past as he worked toward tracking down another lost soul.

While viewers learned a lot about Colter Shaw’s backstory in the pilot, he lost his doomsday prepper father at the hands of his own brother who is now trying to reach out to Colter for a mysterious reason that has yet to be revealed. Much of Colter’s life still remains shrouded in mystery. 

The episode opens with Colter’s mother, Mary, finding a post-it note in her home stating, “I’m watching you.” She retrieves a firearm from a safe and investigates a shed on the premises, which once served as her late husband’s office. She discovers that it has been ransacked.
She immediately calls Colter, who inspects the scene. The two fluff it off as kids, but there is clearly more to Colter’s mother than he realizes. She is harbouring secrets, which is hardly a surprise given that, in just two episodes, viewers have discovered that the Shaw brothers have a lot of secrets of their own. 

Colter’s case this week takes him to Missoula, Montana, where he assists a family in locating their missing adult son, Jackson Cheong. Jackson is a young accountant who left his job, his apartment, emptied his bank account and cancelled his cell phone. The family reveals that Jackson has been dating a woman named Rebecca, who is 20 years his senior and involved in shady business. After talking with Bob, Colter learns that Rebecca was previously arrested for fraud and tax evasion and that Jackson has taken out a life insurance policy for which Rebecca is the beneficiary. 

Colter quickly discovers that Jackson has fallen under the influence of what appears to be a cult led by Rebecca called “Positive Light,” which entices individuals with the allure of enlightenment, as they are brainwashed into giving up their loves and their money to the group’s leader, Seth.

At the Positive Light compound, Rebecca agrees to let Colter speak with Jackson, on the condition that Colter first meet with Seth, who holds a status akin to that of a prophet. An unsettling session with Seth hits Colter a little where it hurts, as Seth has clearly done his research and brings up Colter’s painful past with his father. The conversation reveals that Colter does not know why his father quit his job before moving the family into the woods, and that Mary is keeping a secret about his father’s true identity. Being the recluse that he is, Colter is not interested in unpacking any of his past trauma, though viewers are definitely interested in learning more about it. 

Despite his discomfort, Colter makes it through and speaks with Jackson, only to discover that he has been completely brainwashed by Positive Light and has no interest in returning home. Regardless, Colter gives Jackson his contact information and is surprised when he gets a text from Jackson that night, asking to meet. Given Colter’s intelligence, it is surprising that he didn’t anticipate it being a trap. Rather than meeting Jackson at the designated location, he runs into Rebecca, who confronts and warns Colter to stay away. Meanwhile, Velma and Teddi have learned that Positive Light kills people who try to leave and Jackson is extremely valuable to them as their accountant. There is no chance they will hand him over easily. He knows too much. 

Luckily, Colter isn’t one to back down from a challenge so he persists and manages to get through to Jackson. After Colter takes down Rebecca, Seth and their beefy security guard, the police apprehend them, allowing Colter to return Jackson back to his family. While earning a paycheque may be Colter’s main objective for doing what he does, viewers are quickly learning that there is a genuine satisfaction that comes from Colter seeing the people he tracks, joyfully reconnected with their loved ones. As Colter gets in his truck to leave, he opens up the file on himself that he received from Seth, but viewers are not privy to what is written in it. 

As a procedural drama, the episode certainly delivered. It cleverly balanced the development of Colter’s story arc with an engaging case of the week, but it lacked continuity. Colter’s brother spent most of the pilot trying to get a hold of him with Colter avoiding him at all costs, yet this wasn’t even touched on this week, not even a missed text or phone call. Though it is inevitable that this will be addressed at some point, it was definitely odd that there was no mention of his brother in this episode, considering it was a main plot point of the pilot. It is becoming clear that the depth of Colter’s character will be gradually uncovered, with the writer’s choosing to sprinkle bits of his backstory across various episodes. It is safe to say the same is true for his mother and brothers, whom we have yet to meet.  

Your turn, Tracker fans! What are your thoughts on tonight’s episode? What is Colter’s mother hiding from him? What do you think he has yet to learn about his father? Share your thoughts below and engage with me on ‘X’ @MiddleofCanada.