On Sunday, February 11, CBS gave its coveted post-Super Bowl timeslot to “Tracker,” the network’s new action drama series starring Justin Hartley (“This is Us”). The premiere episode titled “Klamath Falls” brought in 18.4 million viewers on the day, with an estimated 25 million tuning in once streaming numbers were factored in.
The series based on Jeffery Deaver‘s “The Never Game” was created by Ben H. Winters. Critics are responding positively so far, with reviews garnering the show an 82% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus reads, “Making great use of Justin Hartley’s swaggering appeal, ‘Tracker’ takes a spartan approach to a classic formula and yields a highly efficient entertainment.”
In the series, lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw (Hartley) roams the country as a reward seeker, using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family. Read our full review round-up below.
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Terry Terrones of Paste Magazine praises the drama, stating, “While the series has some minor issues, ‘Tracker’ is addictively entertaining. A charismatic lead, plenty of adventure, hints at unrevealed secrets, and an appealing supporting cast make this yet another satisfying CBS crime drama.” Concluding, “While intelligent and a talented tracker, Colter isn’t Sherlock Holmes or Hawkeye from ‘Last of the Mohicans.’ He’s just well-trained, has a lot of experience, and is good at reading people. The absence of some kind of supernatural ability or hyper-intellectual trope make Colter believable and relatable. But what makes the character likable is entirely Justin Hartley.”
Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times writes, “Each week, Colter gets a different assignment (he’s on his way to Manhattan, Kansas, at the end of Episode 3), and we have the feeling we’re going to learn more about that certain person who has been trying to find Colter. This is the kind of show you can faithfully watch from week to week — but you can also drop in any time, as the episodes are largely self-contained and are designed to provide maximum Viewer Satisfaction by the close of the hour. With the post-Super Bowl timeslot guaranteeing an enormous audience, ‘Tracker’ is on track to become CBS’ next hit.”
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Rob Owen of Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes,“Other recurring motifs: Shaw removes his shirt to show off Hartley’s chiseled physique in two of three episodes made available for review. He only manages to sleep with one brunette who helps him on a case, though episode two suggests he might have bedded a second if given more than 42 minutes of program time. Because this is a 2024 CBS show, ‘Tracker’ can’t just be Shaw going from case to case. He has to have a traumatic backstory involving the death of his father (Lee Tergesen, ‘Oz’) and secrets kept by his mother (Wendy Crewson, who replaced the magnificent Mary McDonnell when producers reevaluated how much the character would be used).”
Maggie Fremont of TV Guide writes, “’Tracker’ proves its episodic premise is more than viable. If you’re skeptical and thinking that missing persons cases are all the same, the first four episodes show off a wide variety of mysteries to be solved; there are clearly lots of stories to be told within this format. Where the repetitiveness has already seemed to creep in, though — again, this is only after viewing four episodes, so things could change — is in the ease with which Colter closes his cases. The outcomes might be different (does he find the person in question alive or dead?), but Colter doesn’t ever seem to come up against any real obstacle that he can’t figure out in 42 minutes, and there’s a real lack of dramatic tension there because of it.”
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