Tracker's Justin Hartley Talks 'Dire Straits' In The Season 1 Finale And That This Is Us Reunion
CBS' Tracker is on the verge of wrapping its first season in the 2024 TV schedule, and to say that the show has been a success is an understatement after the Super Bowl premiere. The disappearance for Colter to investigate in the Season 1 finale on May 19 will hit closer to home than usual for him, as an old family friend will need his help, and she'll be played by none other than Justin Hartley's fellow This Is Us alum Jennifer Morrison. Hartley spoke with CinemaBlend about the finale and working with Morrison again.
In the Season 1 finale, called "The Storm," Colter will try to help Jennifer Morrison's Lizzy after the disappearance of her daughter in a small town, after the daughter had already been declared an accidental drowning. Both Justin Hartley and Morrison are definitely playing different characters than they did on This Is Us, and the Tracker star opened up about the story behind her arrival on the CBS drama:
Okay, look, I don't like to toot my own horn, but that was me. It was! [laughs] The whole season, I've been like 'Hey, what about Sofia [Pernas] coming in and doing this role if we can get her?' 'Great.' 'What about Melissa Roxburgh coming in and doing the sister if we can get her?' 'Great.' 'What about Jensen Ackles coming in and being the brother if we can get him?' 'Great.' 'What about Jen Morrison?' 'Great.' That's just something that honestly goes through me and Ken [Olin] and Elwood [Reid] and then the studio and the network. There's so many people that have to approve these casting choices, and that just speaks to her body of work and how great she is.
Tracker definitely did recruit its fair share of standout guest stars in the first season. Hartley's real-life wife Sofia Pernas appeared on the show after they previously shared the screen on NBC's Quantum Leap, followed by Manifest alum Melissa Roxburgh as Dory Shaw and Supernatural vet Jensen Ackles as Russell Shaw. Apparently, Hartley also knew that Jennifer Morrison would be the right choice for Lizzy in Tracker's finale, and pitched the idea to his fellow executive producers. The star went on:
I knew her just from This Is Us. I mean, I knew of her before This Is Us, but I met her on This Is Us and I just absolutely loved working with her. And when I saw the character profile and what the character was in Colter's life and their backstory and everything, I couldn't think of a more perfect actor to come in and play that role than her. She's so capable. She can lead scenes, she can carry a show, and it's really important stuff. I mean, this woman when we find her is in dire straits. Can you even imagine? I can't. I have a daughter. I can't even imagine my daughter going missing. That's just horrific. She came in and nailed it. And I was right! I knew she would be wonderful, and she was.
Jennifer Morrison was already established in the entertainment industry thanks to gigs like House and Once Upon a Time, but This Is Us was the first time she worked with Justin Hartley, and it was enough for him to know she'd fit right in for the Tracker first season finale.
The first season has combined Colter investigating disappearances with dropping crumbs about his mysterious past with his father's death, with some episodes – like those introducing the present day versions of his siblings – heavier on the Shaw family lore than others. I asked Hartley about the balance between the case and Colter's backstory in the finale, and he previewed:
Some of the episodes are like 90/10, case 90 and backstory 10. Some are 100/zero and some are like 50/50 or maybe somewhere like 70/30. This one is heavier, just because the person in need is someone from Colter's past. And when the case is resolved – I don't even like to call them cases, because they're really not cases – when the job is finished, there are all of these questions about a discussion that happens that should have happened years and years and years ago, that just never happened. It's like life, right? Like life, when you see somebody, and you have an opinion of them because of something that happened ten years ago, and then you see them again, and they're like, 'What are you talking about? That's not at all what I was thinking,' and you go, 'Oh, God, I've been carrying that for ten years.'
Fans will have to tune in to find out just how the job is resolved this time around, but they can count on the finale being "heavier" on Colter's personal life and history than the average Tracker episode. For all that the character's life is much more extreme than most of us will (hopefully) ever experience, elements of it certainly sound relatable for real life! Hartley continued:
So that's kind of what happens at the end, and in doing so, I think all of those sort of questions that we had throughout the season – well, not all of them, but a lot of them get answered. And in doing that, that sort of unwraps the Pandora's box of stuff that now we have to deal with in Season 2. So we just end up going deeper and deeper into like, 'What the hell is going on?’… So, anyway, we're gonna find out.
Viewers will get some answers in the Season 1 finale, and seemingly start asking some whole new questions by the time the final credits roll to set up Season 2. For now, check out the promo for what to expect from Colter's final on-screen adventure this spring:
Tune in to CBS on Sunday, May 19 at 9 p.m. ET for the Season 1 finale of Tracker, and revisit earlier episodes streaming with a Paramount+ subscription now. The show will return to Sundays in the fall, and it sounds like there could be a lot for Season 2 to pick up on for Colter.
