Tag: Tracker

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:

Happy Birthday Jensen Ackles! (2025 Edition)

Happy Birthday Jensen Ackles! (2025 Edition)

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I often write a birthday post for Jensen’s birthday looking back in gratitude for all the ways he brightened my year (and of course for bringing Dean Winchester to life so brilliantly). This year is no exception in terms of gratitude – I am as in love with Supernatural as ever, five years after the show ended, and I am still endlessly grateful for the show and for Dean. In spite of being not the most prolific social media user, Jensen’s occasional posts have invariably been bright spots in the year too. His con appearances never fail to warm my heart, whether I’m there or watching from afar, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been in the audience for another Radio Company show and some Saturday Night Special performances. I had a few special moments with him in the past year that I’ll forever be thankful for, including a little time with him and his Baby and some serendipitous Disney World chats.

That’s alot of joy – and I’m very very grateful.

But I also really REALLY need some things to look forward to right now, in the midst of these difficult times. So I thought I’d look ahead instead of behind for this birthday post, because I’m also very grateful that we have SO much to look forward to from Jensen coming up! He’s been working hard filming multiple projects, and I can’t wait to see all the fruits of his labor – because we know they’ll be awesome.

I enjoyed Jensen’s guest turn as Russell on Tracker and was happy to hear that they want him back (when he can fit it into that busy schedule). They left Russell’s history mysterious enough that I want to know more about him, and I loved every moment of Russell onscreen. Jensen and good buddy Justin Hartley make believable brothers, and they clearly enjoyed being able to act together after so many years of friendship. So, one of the things we have to look forward to – more Russell!

Hopefully we’ll find out more about the family mystery with all three siblings in the new season.

Russell had that cockiness to his personality, and that sense of humor, that we all know Jensen can pull off so organically – part of what makes us fall a little bit in love with all his characters.

Even when we don’t want to! (We’ll get to Soldier Boy in a minute…)

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We also have the brand new show ‘Countdown’ to look forward to – a starring role for Jensen, and a new partnership of Chaos Productions with Prime Video. We don’t know alot about Mark Meachum yet, but the little hints we’ve gotten are intriguing.

Most exciting for me, every time I’ve asked Jensen about how it’s going, HE has been excited – and generally when he thinks something is gonna be good, it’s something I end up loving! Meachum will be complex for sure, and there will apparently be plenty of tension and action and interpersonal complications, all of which should make for a compelling new character.

What bodes even better is how much fun they’re having behind the scenes on the set, including Jensen serenading the cast (with some harmonizing) – and even sharing it with us!

Cannot wait to meet you, Mark Meachum!

And then of course we have the return of Soldier Boy, my beloved. (I angst alot over how much anticipation I feel for his return, considering what an absolutely awful person/supe he is, but honestly I really cannot wait – I wrote a whole chapter about why in ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ and I’m standing by it…)

We missed him in Season 4, in all his glorious complexity. Part lost little boy, part violent rageful supe, part anguished father, part damaged son. Give him back to me!

gif arachnidfellow

Of course you’re not!

I mean, look at him…

I was already very VERY excited about Jared Padalecki joining Jensen on The Boys for the upcoming and final season, which I first talked to Eric Kripke about literally years ago. I’ve been fairly sure it would happen barring some unforeseen circumstances for a while, and anticipating it all that time.

They took this photo for me a long long time ago – and it’s going to come true!

Jared and Jensen being back onscreen together for the first time since Supernatural ended is enough to keep me in anticipatory joy for the entire next year. Who will Jared play? An ally for Soldier Boy – or an antagonist? Jared has said he’d like to play a villain, and Jared and Jensen have both said they’d really enjoy their characters fighting it out (perhaps with an unexpected sense of alignment anyway) or maybe they’re enemies who have to work together… so many possibilities! Anticipation is good for us, and The Boys Season 5 is really bringing it. Last week The Boys officially announced that Jared would be guest starring in Season 5 – and so would Misha Collins!

Just the announcement nearly broke the internet, so you can imagine what the actual onscreen reunion (yes, they will be onscreen together per Eric Kripke) will do!

I love you, Eric Kripke. And I cannot WAIT to see what you come up with for some of your favorite actors for the final season of one of my favorite shows!

In addition to all of THAT to look forward to, we’ve got more a dozen conventions where Jensen will be appearing, so there will be plenty of moments to put a smile on my face from those too. And who knows what else might get added?  I’d say, all in all, Jensen fans are pretty damn lucky.

Jensen thrives on being productive and busy and fulfilled, doing the work he loves and spending time with the family he loves – and spending time with the fans he appreciates too. That all bodes well for the coming year, for all of us. And I’m grateful.

So Happy Birthday, Jensen Ackles – keep kickin’ it in the ass!

— Lynn

You can read Jensen’s chapters in Supes

Ain’t Always Heroes, Family Don’t End

With Blood, and There’ll Be Peace When

You Are Done – links and info on the home page!

Jensen Ackles Returns to Tracker and We’re Loving Russell!

Jensen Ackles Returns to Tracker and We’re Loving Russell!

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Jensen Ackles returned to my TV screen this week in the second episode of this season’s Tracker, and it was so good to have him back! We all loved Russell Shaw in his first guest star episode last season, but this time we got to know Russell a little better – and see him be both a smart, competent badass and adorably hilarious. We also got some shout outs to Jensen Ackles’ iconic Supernatural character Dean Winchester, which was a lot of fun and left me with a nostalgic grin on my face repeatedly.

Some fans seem concerned that when many of us love and appreciate those shout outs, that it somehow means we think Ackles is a one horse pony who keeps playing the same character. Pretty sure nobody thinks that, because it’s just plain not true. He’s such a talented actor, he can play all kinds of roles – and he also loves Supernatural and Dean Winchester every bit as much as I do. And that is really saying something! He’s enjoying those Easter eggs as much as we are, and crafting a character that’s true to the book series, a believable big brother to Justin Hartley’s Colter, and also sometimes reminiscent of Dean Winchester. That’s clearly not something he has to do, or something that makes him a one-note character actor – it’s something he wants to do. And I greatly appreciate it (while also appreciating characters like Soldier Boy who are nothing like Dean Winchester at all)!

I had a big smile on my face from the second Colter (who was abducted by some shady military possibly UFO hunting types while searching for a woman’s missing dad) was surprised to see Russell on the other side of the door, there to rescue him.  The episode leaves up in the air whether there really was some supernatural – I mean, UFO – I mean, UAP — activity, with Russell being willing to believe after having “seen some things” and Colter more skeptical. Shades of Mulder and Scully!

Russell: UAP is the proper nomenclature.

That’s unidentified anomalous phenomena, fyi. (I learned that from this episode).

Colter: You’ve seen some things?

Russell: Some things that’d blow your hair up.

This was a great episode, right from the spooky X-Files/Supernatural opening with some Blair Witchy video selfies in the beautiful Vancouver woods through the brothers being badasses and taking out the bad guys and especially through the brothers very much being brothers.

Ackles and Hartley have been friends for a long time, and their comfort with each other comes through in the easy and realistic banter (and squabbling) the Shaw brothers fall into.

Unlike Sam and Dean, there’s a girl for them to compete over (kinda) – while Colter and Reenie are just friends for now, there’s some spark there, so Russell’s fascination with her is a source of some tension. (Lucky Reenie, who I really like – she’s the one who helps the brothers out of a jam in the end by sending a van to pick them up, swearing about “two dumb brothers”. So relatable). She also got the “sonofabitch!” line in this episode.

We also got a Supernatural nod with Russell having a hearty appetite and eating with gusto on camera, something Ackles regretted making a part of Dean’s character – but he’s a good sport, because Russell is apparently the same.

Russell to the taken aback scientist whose house they’ve broken into: Made myself a sandwich, that homemade sourdough is delicious…

Colter: Sorry, I told him not to, he’s an animal.

lol

Russell is actually far from that – he’s extremely competent, as we see again and again, and he’s smart. As he said, he’s seen some things, and we keep getting hints of his not-exactly-on-the-up-and-up past and his involvement with organizations as shady as the one they’re dealing with in this episode, but that just makes him even more interesting. Give me a complicated character every time!

I love that he thought ahead to leave this cheeky note on his car in case anyone stumbled over it. Like I said, smart!

And, I mean, we all remember Dean Winchester’s panic attack when Bela had the Impala stolen, so…

Russell doesn’t drive a ’67 Impala but he does drive a classic Chevy that looks similar – and he’s as proprietary as Dean was about driving it.

Colter: This is a sweet ride, I wouldn’t mind getting behind the wheel of this thing.

Russell: That’s never gonna happen.

He also insists on dropping Colter off at the edge of the woods to go find his truck after they’ve saved the day.

Russell: This Baby doesn’t drive on gravel.

Me: He called her Baby!!

The Supernatural shout outs weren’t the only enjoyable things about this episode. Russell Shaw is a badass (much like his brother) and we got to see that on full display in tonight’s episode too. Confronted by a bad guy with a gun on him, Russell is unbothered enough to be snarky.

Russell: Pro tip, if you’re gonna shoot me, you should shoot me now.

Five seconds later he gets the drop on the guy and knocks him out.

Russell (shrug): Should’ve shot me when you had the chance.

He takes a specimen from the lab case before he leaves, with an admiring “spicy”.

I don’t know why that was so attractive, but trust me, it was.

Russell is cocky, but so is Colter sometimes, so they play off each other and it’s thoroughly entertaining to watch.

Russell after rescuing Colter and letting him know that Reenie called him to help: I’m kinda that guy, I mean the results speak for themselves.

Colter: Here we go…

Both the Shaw brothers were raised to be competent and, for lack of a better word, badass.

When he realizes Colter’s been freed with a tracking device on his phone (and implanted in his neck), Russell unceremoniously shatters his cell phone and then digs the device out of his brother’s neck with a knife. Like I said, badass.

Colter later gets him back by tossing Russell’s phone into the woods just as Reenie calls.

Russell: I better answer this, she could be worried…

Colter: tosses it in the woods.

We get to see that great acting we all know Jensen is famous for, both in his playfulness and in the way he shows us without saying a word how hard it hits Russell when the bad guy brings up knowing about his father. He plays it off and stays snarky, but there’s a moment when you can see he’s caught off guard by that.

Hartley and Ackles are both so good that they boost each other up even more, and the results are some great onscreen chemistry and some damn good acting.

The brothers parted ways at the end of the episode, but we know Jensen will be back. Russell shared what the bad guys said about their dad, and Colter shared about the box of their dad’s stuff that their sister has, so the brothers are a little more on the same page now.

Russell’s way of saying goodbye and I love you: Saved your ass.

Colter’s way of saying the same: You did not save my ass.

Russell (grinning): ‘Little bit

Colter (walking away): Hey Russ? Thanks for saving my ass… a little bit…

Brothers, man.

As Ackles films Countdown in LA, which I’m so looking forward to, I’m also very much looking forward to more of the brothers Shaw! Thoroughly enjoyed this episode.

The only thing I might quibble with is when Colter and Russell are driving along in Russ’s convertible (going extremely fast if you judge by the scenery FLYING by), Russell’s hair isn’t the least bit disturbed. But I’m not gonna quibble because Russell’s hair looks like this and I don’t CARE if it’s not realistic!

Also, eyelashes for days catching the sun.

Anyway…

Much like Fire Country, which I love all on its own and so am very much looking forward to Jared Padalecki’s Camden enriching an already enjoyable show, I’m loving Tracker. Jensen is the icing on the cake, and I’m thrilled we get to have him join the fun for a few episodes. Looking forward to next week’s episode – You can catch Tracker on Hulu, Paramount Plus and on CBS on Sundays!

Gifs jarpadandjensens, elainamarie89. Caps acklesism, justjensenanddean, esmecantsleep, ackleshair, hollywoodnorthbuzz, keepfrmdrowning

– Lynn

You can read all about how fandom has impacted

Jensen Ackles and how he feels about Supernatural

and Dean Winchester in the books ‘Family Don’t

End With Blood’ and ‘There’ll Be Peace When You

Are Done”. Info and links 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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