After a strong season opener, Tracker is back with another gripping case for Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley). Episode 2, titled "Switchback," trades the usual urban settings for the rugged beauty of the Pacific Coast, where a simple hiking trip turns into a dangerous puzzle. The show continues to showcase its new California backdrop, but this week's mystery is anything but scenic.
The episode kicks off with Leanne (Sarah Jane Morris) and her daughter Kayla (Mallory Bechtel) vanishing on the Pacific Divide Trail after being harassed by a mysterious photographer. Colter, still waiting to hear from his brother Russell (Jensen Ackles), gets pulled into the case by Randy (Chris Lee), who points him to a $15,000 reward posted by Leanne's other daughter, Anya (Skyler Day). Anya explains that the family was there to scatter her father's ashes, but she stayed behind due to her own commitments. Teaming up with a local trail angel named Becca (Erica Hernandez), Colter heads into the wilderness.
Meanwhile, back in Denver, Reenie (Fiona Rene) is settling into the temporary office at Maxine's firm, but Maxine herself is notably absent. Instead, Reenie gets a heartfelt request from Mel (Cassady McClincy Zhang), who wants to dig into the truth about her mother's murder. Mel recently learned that a former military officer named Eric Jefferies had been working with her mom before she died. Reenie, drawing on her own military upbringing, agrees to help, setting up a subplot that could ripple through the season.
On the trail, Colter and Becca quickly find signs that the women went off-path, leading them to a makeshift camp belonging to a drifter named Jonah Gammon (Billy Lush). Jonah's camp is a hoarder's paradise of stolen gear, but it holds a crucial clue: Leanne's belongings. They soon find Leanne, injured and frantic, claiming that Kayla was taken by the same person who attacked her. All signs point to Jonah, but Colter isn't so sure.
After tracking Jonah down, Colter forces a confession: Jonah saw Kayla being dragged away by a man in a baseball cap, who drove off in an old brown truck. It's a vague lead, but Jonah mentions the truck was headed toward Sierra Junction. Before letting him go, Colter urges Jonah to seek help, showing a rare moment of compassion for a man living on the fringes.
Back in town, Colter and Becca learn that the Reillys had stopped at a local diner called Rise & Shine days earlier. Colter deduces this wasn't a random abduction. At the diner, they speak with Diana Sanders (Amy Farrington), who claims to have seen nothing. But just as they're about to leave, Becca is nearly killed in a hit-and-run by that same brown truck. Colter gives chase, but the driver abandons the vehicle and flees into a barn. Colter fires a shot and follows, but the episode cuts off before we see what happens next.
This week's Tracker breaks from its usual formula by weaving in more serialized elements, like the lingering mystery of Russell's deal and Mel's quest for answers. It's a welcome shift that keeps viewers on their toes, even as the case-of-the-week delivers its own twists. For fans of the show, this episode proves that Tracker is willing to evolve while staying true to its core.
If you're hungry for more TV recaps and news, check out our take on BBC's new Hercule Poirot series or see how Chris Pratt's Terminal List is making a comeback. And for a look at another CBS star, here's Scott Bakula's return to the network.
