It’s been a week of exciting finales – last week, ‘The Boys’ series finale and then the season finale of ‘Tracker’. I enjoy the show no matter what, but it’s extra special when both Shaw brothers are onscreen – Jensen Ackles as Russell brings out a whole other side of Justin Hartley’s Colter, from their banter to the emotional bond they’ve started to re-establish.
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON FINALE AHEAD!
As the two try to rescue Danny from the secret lab, we get some nice brotherly banter as Russell keeps lying to Colter that he’s texting with Reenie (when he clearly isn’t).
Colter lets it go the first time as Russell claims that Reenie just likes to check in on him, make sure he’s okay, she worries about him…
Russell: You know what that’s like…
Colter: I don’t know.
Russell: She doesn’t do that to you?
He’s such a big brother.
The brothers manage to save Danny but I was holding my breath the entire time.
The second time Colter does call Russell on saying he’s texting with Reenie, and he admits he has a lead from his contact. Determined to “cut the head off the snake” and stop the project instead of just saving these kids, Russell goes off on his own to meet with Felton, who seems to be trying to warn him for real this time. But they’re ambushed and Russell ends up getting shot (though he manages to shoot a truly impressive number of bad guys first).
Meanwhile, Colter singlehandedly manages to rescue Danny’s friend Lola, another kid who’s been held prisoner and experimented on, even though the ex-Delta force guy who’s been assigned to kill Colter and Russell (Damon Vickers) is scary as hell. Colter thinks he’s taken him out, but he’s got a bulletproof vest on so he’s still on their tail.
This entire episode was so STRESSFUL – they did a great job of keeping the tension off the charts, and once Russell was bleeding what looked like nearly to death, I was even MORE stressed. Jensen Ackles is always almost too good at embodying his character’s feelings, whether emotional or physical, and that’s the case here. It’s in the way he sits so stiffly, propped against the wall, every little movement bringing excruciating pain – he moves only barely enough to pick up his cell phone when Colter calls, and he can’t stifle a groan when he does.
He tries to speak as normally as possible, but he can’t hide an involuntary groan and he’s breathless from the pain and blood loss and Colter can tell.
Colter: You get hit, Russell?
Russell: Yeah, we got ambushed… I’ve had worse.
Lola (who’s psychic) can tell he’s anything but okay; she gives Colter a serious look and says “he needs you.”
Gotta say, I loved that – and I loved that Colter rushes to his big brother’s side and drops to his knees trying to rouse him, calling him “Russ” like they probably did when they were growing up and close.
Colter patches him up as best he can (and uses some anesthetic because Russell asks for it thankfully unlike the Winchesters and their take-a-gulp-of-whiskey-and-grit-your-teeth method), but Russell has lost a lot of blood and I’m screaming at my TV hasn’t anyone heard of a hospital??!! But no, Russell is a big damn hero ala the Winchesters and is determined to keep fighting.
Russell stands up stiffly after, saying he’s okay enough to hold a gun – which is a terrible criteria for okayness, just saying. There’s a terrifying tense cat and mouse chase through the dark warehouse with Vickers trying to find them.
Russell climbs up on a catwalk trying to elude Vickers, but he’s bleeding so much it starts drip drip dripping through the grate. AAHHHHHH!!! Sure enough, Vickers eventually catches up to him and is about to blow him away (Russell cocky to the last, at first saying he’ll tell the guy where Danny and Lola are and then saying oops I forgot, I guess you’ll just have to kill me). Luckily Colter arrives just in time and shoots the assassin.
I was holding my breath the entire time because while I didn’t think they’d kill off Russell, I wasn’t absolutely sure – he’s a guest star on this show, after all!
And STILL Russell does not go to a hospital! He goes to see the government guy in charge of everything, threatening to take him out since he’ll have someone on his back anyway. The guy knows him, says he knows how this goes if Russell does that. The guy is eerily calm, knowing he holds the cards.
Bad guy: It doesn’t have to go that way. There’s always a use for a man like you.
I SO want to know more about what Russell did when he worked for them!! Russell says hard pass but the guy says before he decides, he should see something – he passes him a file on his father.
Bad guy: What he did to Colter, it’s all true. I’m guessing you wouldn’t want him to see this and he doesn’t have to. I have a problem that needs fixing. Do it and I will put you in the clear.
Russell: And Colter?
Bad guy: Same. Burn it. No one will ever know what your dad did. Do you want to know what the job is?
Russell: Doesn’t matter.
Bad guy: That’s the correct attitude, son.
WHAT???
This mystery with their father just keeps getting darker and darker! What did he do to Colter??? It must have something to do with all these freaky mind experiments. I want to know!!
Poor Russell, he feels like he has no choice. Russell agrees to do the job to spare Colter from the truth and protect him. It’s heartbreaking, after he worked so hard to get out. And it’s clear that having to do “whatever”, no questions asked, is going to take a terrible toll on him. Russell asks Reenie to explain to Colter that he has to disappear for a while; they don’t even say goodbye.
We see him leave, dressed all in black, in one of those ominous big black government SUVs. He’s back in it. But what is IT?? And what was in that file???
It seems very shallow to say this but OMG Ackles looks like fire in that last scene.
Clearly I’m not the only one who thinks so, since these were the first gifs I saw on Tumblr this morning…
Dayum.
Colter calls in a favor from Barbie’s Night Movers and gets Danny and Lola and Dr. Jukic and her partner into their version of witness protection. Then he heads out into the wilderness. We don’t see it, but I’m guessing Colter was at least a little hurt that Russell left without goodbye or explanation after they’ve been growing closer. He’s used to it with Russell, but things have been a bit different lately, and I’m guessing he didn’t expect them to abruptly go back to how they were. I feel bad for both of them.
Colter asks his friend Keaton to come bring his dad’s beat up old truck to a place well off the grid where he can hole up and fix it up. He reminisces about going fishing with his dad in that truck, while we wonder what the hell his dad did to him and if he’ll ever find out.
This was such a good episode, full of tension, deepening the Shaw family mystery in an ominous way, and still made room for brotherly banter and a poignant moment when Colter is genuinely scared for his brother and has to patch him up, shades of the Winchesters (except Colter actually used some anesthesia!)
It will be hard to wait for the new season, but I’m crossing my fingers that we have lots more of Russell joining Colter in Season 4! I bet these two are looking forward to more as well.
–Lynn
You can read Jensen Ackles’ thoughts on his
iconic roles as Dean Winchester on Supernatural
in the books Family Don’t End With Blood and
There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done. Info:
Justin and Jensen do look like they have fun together! This was a good episode – edge of my seat! Loved the brilliant brother vibe they bring. I must say the last episode didn’t work great for me. I found their mum’s answers to Colter very vague and unsatisfying. But the finale brought the magic…
What a great vibe! Door is open for Russel to return or even be part of a longer arc or a spin off. Great acting chops from JH and as always JA. Bringing the A game! And yes that last scene is 🥵 and on 🔥