Justin Hartley‘s character Colter Shaw is making strides in his love life in the newest Tracker episode.
During the Sunday, October 25, episode of the CBS series, Colter reunited with Jenna Nova (Gillian Bolt) when she arrived with the seat bench for the truck he is remodeling. They bond — and flirt — before Colter offered to take her out on a date.
Jenna was introduced earlier this season after executive producer Elwood Reid told Us in August that Colter would meet someone new.
“One of the things I think we’re trying to do this year is open up life outside of the office,” he teased. “With Colter, we’re going to see the buds of a relationship forming.”
Reid hinted that the newcomer would be important to Colter.
“We don’t know what it is yet. So it’s someone who Colter is pursuing — and what does that look like? Then can we get a much larger story out of that?” he continued. “That’s one thing that I think is unique to this season, which is we just never see Colter in a social and possibly romantic situation outside of the Billie universe.”
At the time, Reid said nothing is off the table, adding, “This is much different. … Then the other thing, which is just an overall theme of the show, is how can we test and challenge Colter morally and physically.”
He continued: “Many TV shows — long-running network shows — have characters who become infallible and become superheroes. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I think that one of the strengths of Justin as an actor is he has access to this emotional component or dynamic that a lot of leading men tend not to have. What does it look like when he fails or makes a mistake and that costs somebody their life or doesn’t get a result? Those are the things that I’m excited about getting into this year.”
The hit CBS series, which premiered in February 2024, introduced fans to survivalist Colter, who travels the country to help solve various missing persons cases. Colter’s job hasn’t allowed him to explore a serious relationship in the past — but that could change.
Reid told Us that Colter might not be “in any position to have any kind of long-term relationship.”
“We don’t want him to be a guy that just rolls into town and romances somebody and then leaves the next day,” he said. “I do think he has a bit of a code and [we’re] playing with that a little bit. But with an actor like Justin, it’s just being able to see him flex that muscle a little bit because he is very charming. … Colter is a team leader, so he doesn’t want to show that weakness, but could we find somebody that he could open up to a little bit?”
Tracker airs on CBS Sundays at 9 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Paramount+.
