Tracker introduced in somebody new to fill Velma’s place after season 3 launched a number of stunning solid exits.
Through the Sunday, November 2, episode of the hit CBS sequence, Reenie (Fiona Rene) interviewed a number of candidates to take over for Velma (Abby McEnany) earlier than touchdown on a pupil named Mel. The newcomer was a fan of Reenie’s profession, expressed curiosity in her work with Colter (Justin Hartley) and shocked Us with a revelation about her mom’s unsolved homicide.
The dynamic continued to play out after Mel was formally employed, which is when she met Randy (Chris Lee). Mel’s addition to the present comes after Tracker wrote off a number of foremost characters within the season 3 premiere final month.
Reenie acknowledged Velma’s absence, telling Randy within the October episode, “Actually, I don’t know. She went to go see [her wife] Teddi. She’s making an attempt to save lots of her marriage. I’ve a complete bunch of resumes to evaluate this week.”
Randy, in the meantime, obtained a textual content from cousin Bobby (Eric Graise).
“Thx. Miss u 2. Inform the gang I say hello,” learn the message. Randy elaborated on Bobby’s offscreen exit, saying, “He’s killing it. He stop his job formally on the restore store and now he’s some encryption specialist at a brand new startup.”
Randy continued: “Between the inventory choices and the wage, he’s bringing house the bacon.”
Tracker, which premiered in February 2024, launched fictional survivalist Colter (Hartley) as he travels the nation to assist remedy varied lacking individuals instances. As Colter has obtained increasingly assist, the ensemble solid has grown with their respective characters, includinghandlers Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma, hacker Bobby and lawyer Reenie.
Justin Hartley. Colin Bentley/CBS
After becoming a member of Tracker in season 1, Weigert’s character was written off within the premiere together with her spouse, Velma, admitting that they wanted far. Velma then began working with Reenie and Teddi wasn’t mentioned once more in season 2.
“[Teddi] goes to be there for some time. She helps her mother get sorted. I used to be getting in the best way you may say and it actually wasn’t good,” Velma mentioned in the beginning of season 2. “So I got here again. Don’t you are concerned as a result of I’m protecting busy.”
Season 2 then induced some to be involved about when Graise was noticeably absent from six episodes. Information later broke that Graise and McEnany wouldn’t be coming again — a minimum of for now.
“I do assume it’s evolving. If I can’t evolve these characters — Randy or Reenie or Bobby — they’re not simply those that simply decide up the cellphone and go, ‘OK, right here is the reply.’ That’s when the present is phoning it in,” government producer Elwood Reid solely advised Us Weekly in Might. “The problem is once you bought to study them, which I assumed was attention-grabbing. That’s the problem of the present just isn’t having it fall right into a system.”
Reid famous that they didn’t need Tracker to “fall into complacency.”
“The one rule I actually have of the present is every week Colter goes to return to a brand new place and there’s going to be a brand new case. How he will get these solutions and what he makes use of on the staff, that’s all one thing that’s up for grabs,” Reid teased. “Assembly these [local] bizarre characters is one thing we’re going to attempt to do extra of because the season goes on. Simply Colter coming in and interacting with different characters. That’s enjoyable to see Justin flex these muscle tissues with actually good visitor solid members.”
Forward of season 3, Reid defended the choice to shake up the present.
“Justin has to hold a lot of the present. So I don’t need the opposite characters which might be within the present to only be phone-a-friend the place at any time when he’s in hassle, he simply picks up the cellphone. The problem in season 3 has been how will we construct precise good story out of [it],” Reid teased.
He continued: “It’s simply constructing out these story strains. The problem we arrange for ourselves this season was to construct out these folks’s world a bit bit. It’s about making an attempt to get a bit little bit of lightness [into the show] as a result of generally Colter is doing a little actually darkish and heavy stuff. It’s life or loss of life.”
Tracker airs on CBS Sundays at 8 p.m. ET earlier than streaming the subsequent day on Paramount+.
