Tag: Fiona Rene

Episode 2 of Tracker’s Season Premiere Amps Up The Suspense – With More Russell!

Episode 2 of Tracker’s Season Premiere Amps Up The Suspense – With More Russell!

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The second episode of Tracker’s Season 3 was just as suspenseful and entertaining as part one – and I cannot wait to see where the rest of the season takes us!

Jensen Ackles was back as Russell Shaw and I am already addicted to having Russell as part of the show.  His dynamic with real-life bud Justin Hartley, along with both actors’ talent, make the duo thoroughly believable as brothers.

Interestingly, it’s a totally different dynamic than Ackles had/has with his onscreen brother Jared Padalecki on Supernatural. Russell has similarities to Dean, but to me he seems very different. The characters share a troubled upbringing and a complicated dad, and both are invested in repressing their worries and pretending “it’s all good”, but they do that differently. Russell doesn’t feel the same about Ashton Shaw as Dean Winchester did about John, and he didn’t devote his life to watching out for his “little” brother either.

That makes the brotherly dynamic very different too. It’s clear Russell and Colter care about each other, but they’re both fiercely independent men who spent their adult lives separated and took different paths. Nobody followed “the family business” – which we still don’t know very much about, other than Ashton Shaw was involved in some pretty messed up stuff.  They’re both highly skilled and competent, but they come together on equal footing, with very little big brother/little brother dynamics still in evidence after all those years (although Russell was protecting Colter by leaving and letting him believe he played a role in their father’s death).  Now, Russell is as likely to defer to Colter as the opposite, and they’re adept at trading off responsibilities so each can play to their strengths. That makes them a formidable team indeed!

(We all expected Russell to get hurt at some point in the episode thanks to the stills released – the reality is a lot smarter. Like I said, a formidable team).

Also, who’s lucky enough to have this job??

Russell is also both charming and an asshole, but hanging out with Colter has already had an impact on him. In this episode, he confides to his brother that he wants to do something different with his life – he wants to use his (considerable) skills to do some good in the world. To make a difference. Like Colter’s done.

(Don’t change him too much, Elwood Reid, I kinda like that he’s a charming asshole.)

I don’t ship Russell and Reenie, but I do think it’s adorable that he’s got a bit of a thing for her. His disappointment whenever she doesn’t return his affections is just so cute – and those mannerisms are so very NOT Dean Winchester, by the way.  Colter’s grudging affection for Russell’s crush is also adorable – though there’s the possibility of complications there eventually if they choose to go that way, since Colter’s got his own complicated feelings for Reenie.

Until then, I’m happy to watch Russell try to have serious conversation with her in the car (and get behind the wheel to do a tire-screeching 180 which…. Is there anything hotter? I think not.)

I’m also really happy to see Randy sharing the screen with the Shaw brothers and with Reenie, instead of on his own just on the phone. Chris Lee is also adorable, and a really nice guy in real life, and I was thrilled to see him share a scene with Ackles in this episode.  (He’s the character who loves to eat, not Russell – that must be a great relief to Jensen Ackles!)

In addition to how much I’m enjoying Russell and Colter, the 2 part season opener was a great story – creepy, suspenseful, with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. The whole idea of “the process” being all-seeing and all-knowing and sickly twisted and ruthless was so disturbing, and I felt for all its victims – and their victims. The fact that it was all about an algorithm gone rogue – and that’s so disturbingly real life – just added to the tension.

No black and white good and bad, it was all shades of gray, which is often the story telling I appreciate the most. Russell and Colter navigated the challenge of that admirably, and we’re left with even MORE questions about their family. Why DID the algorithm identify Dory and their mom as people who have something to hide who wouldn’t go to the police if something bad happened?? I want to know more!!

Looking forward to the rest of the season – and very much hoping that when Ackles is done filming Vought Rising up in Toronto (cannot wait for more Soldier Boy!!!) that he can make a little time to reprise the role of Russell Shaw!

There’s been talk tossed around about a spinoff focused on Russell, but after pondering it today, I think it might be even better to just have Ackles as regular on Tracker. Russell and Colter really do make a dynamic duo, and there’s so much more we have to learn about the mystery of their complicated family too. Fingers crossed…

-Lynn

You can read Jensen Ackles’ thoughts on fandom,

Supernatural and The Boys in his chapters in

Family Don’t End With Blood, There’ll Be Peace

When You Are Done, and Supes Ain’t Always Heroes.

Info and links on the home page or more info at:

Tracker Kicks Off Season 3 With Jensen Ackles Returning as Russell!

Tracker Kicks Off Season 3 With Jensen Ackles Returning as Russell!

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I’ve been so looking forward to the return of Russell Shaw on Tracker. I watch the show regularly and love it, but the addition of Jensen Ackles as big brother Russ to Justin Hartley’s “little” brother Colter made this week’s season premiere feel like old fashioned appointment TV. I put “little brother” in quotes because Jensen Ackles seems to constantly be playing shorter big brother to an unusually tall little brother, first to Jared Padalecki’s Sam and now to Justin’s Colter. However, as always, Ackles holds his own – and then some!

My local station, CBS Philly, decided to torment me and the two friends who joined me for the series premiere by delaying the broadcast of Tracker – which meant we happily turned on the TV with great anticipation at 8 pm only to find…. 60 Minutes. We also had no idea if that meant Tracker would be on soon or would be pre-empted or what, and there was no information for an annoying 20 minutes. I may have tweeted the local CBS affiliate a time or two…

Anyway, they did finally broadcast the episode in its entirety, thankfully.

And it was absolutely worth the wait!

Russ gets a memorable return in the middle of a bar fight that a despondent Colter sorta kinda picked with a bunch of assholes harassing the waitress.  Russell gets a punch in the mouth for his trouble before Colter realizes who’s grabbing his shoulder from behind, which seems to delight Russell more than anything, and then the brothers are on the same side in the fight (and the remaining asshole wisely runs away).

Seems a worried Reenie sent his big bro after Colter when he disappeared after finding out there’s a lot more to his father’s death than his mother was letting on – and it wasn’t Russell’s fault after all. The discovery of Otto as the man who their mother sent to convince their dad to let her leave him (and who ended up instrumental in his falling to his death) has sent Colter spiraling, withdrawing from everyone in his trusty Airstream. Even Reenie!

We’re treated to a probably long overdue heart to heart talk between the brothers, with Colter especially letting his guard down and apologizing to Russell for blaming him for their father’s death. Russell wants Colter to follow his example and just repress all the bad childhood memories of how their father deteriorated and started to lose it, which are clearly very painful for both of them. Colter says he’s not built that way, and Russell grudgingly accepts that, a moment that I loved.

It’s clear Russell cares very much about Colter. He volunteers to stick around and keep him company – and help with the next case, which Russell is eager for them to take on. He’s a bit Dean Winchester coded in that, finding purpose and distraction in throwing himself into “the work”. He’s right, though – it seems to get Colter back on track and out of the withdrawal and isolation he’d sunk into.

(Sure, Russ is also offering to help because he just got fired from his job, but whatever).

Russ is a bit of a fuckup, but he’s a very endearing one. His heart seems to be in the right place just as much as Colter’s is, but his methods are even more unconventional. Both Shaw brothers were raised by a father who trained them to be survivors – perhaps even more than good old John Winchester – but Russell also learned to keep his feelings to himself more than Colter. He deflects, he makes jokes, he shrugs off anything that hurts – but you get the feeling that he also feels things more deeply than he lets on. His eyes are soft even when he’s insisting he just wants to get on with it, and his concern for Colter is very clear. Ackles, as always, is up to the challenge of showing us all those repressed emotions with just a facial expression or tone of voice. The real life long-term friendship between Hartley and Ackles make their emotional scenes together ring true, along with their acting talent.

Russell jokes about his interest in Reenie also, ribbing Colter for once “swerving” into her lane and having a short-lived thing, but he also seems genuinely disappointed that she’s got a lawyer boyfriend and that’s probably good for her.

(Though Reenie, are you sure, girl? I mean, look at him! All that long hair swept down over those soulful green eyes, I mean….)

Okay, anyway. Ackles is always attractive, but the long hair just works SO well.

We still don’t know very much about what their father was involved in or why it made him paranoid or made their mother want to leave him and take the kids – and I like that they’re leaving the mystery a mystery for now, spooling out information little by little. Russell admits that while he saw more than Colter did, and clearly tried to be the protector, he too was “just a kid” and not in control of what was happening. They were both victims, along with their sister Dory. We just don’t know yet exactly what happened, or how bad things got.

For now, the Shaw brothers take on a case that turns out to be way more dark and twisted than it seemed at first, which was intriguing.

The people murdering other people seem more terrified than murderous, asking if “you’re them” and desperate to follow “the process” and instructions before a loved one being held runs out of time. It’s confusing and disturbing and the sense of time running out was palpable. Twice the show threw a curveball that surprised me, which I always appreciate. (I did not see that car coming!)

The final scenes were especially disturbing, tragic and ultimately chilling, as “the process” becomes personal for Russell and Colter.

Luckily this is a two parter, because I can’t wait to watch next week and see what happens next!

Congrats on a stellar season premiere, Tracker – and kudos to Ackles, Hartley and Fiona Rene, and special shout out to Chris Lee, who joined the cast last year as Randy, Bobby’s tech genius cousin. Chris is a great guy in real life and brings humor and warmth to his role on the show. I miss Teddy and Velma and Bobby, but all were mentioned so maybe they’ll be reprising their roles at some point too.

Can’t wait for next week’s episode!

– Lynn

You can read Jensen Ackles’ thoughts on fandom,

Supernatural, and The Boys in his chapters in 

Family Don’t End With Blood, There’ll Be Peace

When You Are Done, and Supes Ain’t Always Heroes.

Links on Amazon, on the home page or info at:

 

Tracker’s Justin Hartley Goes “Off The Books” – With Jensen Ackles!

Tracker’s Justin Hartley Goes “Off The Books” – With Jensen Ackles!

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There was a whole lot of anticipation among Jensen Ackles fans for last week’s episode of Tracker – and probably a lot of anticipation mixed with glad-you-finally-discovered-this-great show emotion from Tracker fans who have made the show a bona fide hit well before Ackles joined the party. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the show and put it on the “shows I’d like to watch” list that lives in my head and rarely gets any shorter, but hadn’t managed to yet. That meant watching the previous episode live and then doing a 2-day binge watch to catch up. I watched with a couple friends and we all got sucked into the show and the Shaw family mystery and the beautiful (and often familiar) Vancouver locations – so two nights of 5 episodes in a row was actually a lot of fun!

So I already loved Colter and Justin Hartley’s portrayal, understated and nuanced and with the same ability to convey a lot of emotion with very few words that I’ve been spoiled by Supernatural for. I already loved Reenie and Bobby and Teddi and Velma and Colter’s sister Dorie – and I was already very very curious about the mysterious older brother and black sheep, Russell.  Especially after what Dorie said about wanting her family to be back together again, including her two brothers.

So like I said, a whole lot of anticipation – one of the most enjoyable things about fandom.

There are also just some plot similarities to Supernatural. A murdered parent under mysterious circumstances, growing up with a paranoid militaristic father, estranged brothers, saving people hunting things (in this case people not monsters), living a relatively isolated life. And Vancouver! But the story and the family and the characters are also very different. (The show’s official Instagram definitely got on board with welcoming the Supernatural fandom to the show – they put a clip up with Kansas’ ‘Carry On’, Supernatural’s unofficial theme song, on their IG. That’s a bit much for me though – Carry On is sacred to the SPNFamily!)

Tracker often has a scary cold open that reminds me of Supernatural, and this episode was no different. Roanoke, Virginia, a terrified man hiding behind a truck at a gas station in the dark, nobody around, trying to duck the security cameras. A man comes through the woods with a flashlight, looking shady, and the other man stashes something in the trash and runs away.

Cut to Colter in his trailer at night in the woods when a car pulls up. Colter pulls his gun and goes outside.

A man gets out of the car and we can’t see him clearly in the car’s headlights as he walks toward Colter – until we see the light shining through some familiar bowlegs.

Russell: Hey, little brother.

That packed a punch.

Tracker isn’t Supernatural, it’s a hit show all on its own. Justin is great as the main character, and the supporting characters are awesome and it’s enjoyable just as it is. But Justin and Jensen have been friends for a very long time, and that meant the show is well aware of the passion of Supernatural fans and appreciative of its star’s and his friends’ sense of humor, so paying a little homage to Supernatural was a no brainer. And fun!

The Shaw brothers are very much not the Winchesters, but Jensen Ackles saying “hey little brother” will never not evoke Sam and Dean a little bit too. An affectionate nod, if you will.

I love a show that’s self aware and writers that aren’t afraid to go there.

Colter is guarded, but Russell is trying to be friendly. Remember, these two haven’t seen each other for decades – Colter was still a kid when tragedy struck the family and his big brother disappeared (after possibly killing their father). Talk about an awkward reunion!

Russell: You gonna shoot me or can we sit down and have a few? Brought some of my home brew.

(An amusing little shout out to Ackles’ real life brewer business – and also an in joke between Justin and Jensen, because Justin sort of started that whole venture. As Jensen related at a con a little while ago, Justin left his home brew equipment at Jensen’s when he moved, and never picked it up. Eventually Jensen’s brother-in-law, Gino, said hey how about we try this out? And the rest is Family Business Brewing Company history.)

The two brothers sit around a fire drinking beer, tentative and awkward with each other. Apparently Russell didn’t show up for a meeting they set up the week before, saying “something came up”. Which, ouch. Good for you, Colter, for still being willing to sit down and hear what your brother has to say.

Their father’s death is like the elephant in the room, and Russell goes there – because really, he had to. He says he didn’t push him, doesn’t know if he fell or if someone else pushed him, but does know that there was someone else in the woods that night. Their dad was a crazy sonofabitch, but he had enemies.

(Maybe not a Dean Winchester shout out, but ‘sonofabitch’ is certainly a Dean tag line)

Colter has been Team Dad (and Team Mom) all this time, the “good son” who stayed connected and loyal while his two siblings both got out, one way or another.

Russell: The man was hard as hell on us. Made us learn how to skin a rabbit, not exactly a skill I need these days.

(Sorry, but the parallel to John Winchester is too obvious not to see. Not that it’s an Easter egg, it’s just that the Shaw family story is similar to the Winchester family story in some striking ways. Skin a rabbit, gave me a .45…)

Russell says that their mom was the one who told him to stay away, which obviously leaves Colter with a lot of questions. Especially in light of what his sister said in last week’s episode about their mom having as many secrets as their dad.

Russell: She said it would be best if I left and kept quiet. She said our lives depended on it.

So he left, and stayed gone, then enlisted – to leave it all behind.

Colter: Why would mom let me believe that you did it?

Russell: Yeah, I don’t know. I like to think she did the best she could, but mom had her secrets, trust me.

That little exchange gave us a bit of insight into Russell. He’s not an uncaring man who left his family because he was angry at them or because he was guilty of something. And even after his own mother told him to leave and then poisoned his relationship with his brother by blaming him for their dad’s death, he’s trying to give her the benefit of the doubt here. That’s pretty big of him, honestly.

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