Tracker season 3 episode 1 recap: The killer of Colter's father revealed

CBS’s Tracker, created by Ben H. Winters and based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel The Never Game, launched its third season on October 19, 2025, cementing its status as a ratings powerhouse. The series follows Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley), a skilled survivalist and reward seeker who traverses the U.S. to find missing people.

The Season 3 premiere “The Process” dives into Colter’s emotional fallout while thrusting him into a chilling case involving a sinister operation. Blending procedural thrills with serialised family drama, Tracker sets the stage for a season of shocking truths and high-stakes missions.

The cast shines with Jensen Ackles as Colter’s enigmatic brother Russell, Fiona Rene as sharp attorney Reenie Greene, and Chris Lee as tech expert Randy. Season 3 picks up with Colter confronting Otto Waldron, who confessed to killing his father, Ashton Shaw, by pushing him off a cliff over 20 years ago, acting on vague instructions from Colter’s mother, Mary. This revelation upended Colter’s trust in his family, hinting at a deeper government conspiracy tied to Ashton’s past as a contractor. 

Tracker Season 3 Premiere: Colter and Russell's reunion meets a new case

The episode opens in Garrett, Wyoming, where Colter Shaw is drowning his turmoil in a bar, ignoring calls from his team after learning Otto Waldron killed his father at his mother’s behest. The waitress, noticing his frequent visits, calls him out for dodging his phone. Tensions flare when a belligerent patron bumps her, causing a tray to crash and tosses money in her and Colter’s faces when Colter demands he clean up. A brawl erupts, with Colter dominating until Russell Shaw arrives, taking an accidental punch to the face. The brothers emerge as the only ones standing, their reunion charged with unresolved issues.

In Colter’s camper, Russell confronts him for ghosting everyone, sent by Reenie to check on him. Colter, shaken, reveals Otto’s confession: their mother, Mary, sent Otto to confront their father, Ashton, who was unraveling and opposed her plan to leave with the kids. During a struggle on a cliff, Otto pushed Ashton to his death.

Colter grapples with Mary’s decades-long deception, having once suspected Russell. Russell, claiming ignorance beyond knowing someone else was on the cliff, urges Colter to let it go, citing their father’s instability. Colter, unable to dismiss the betrayal, mentions a hidden phone number linked to a scientist who died the same year as Ashton, hinting at a larger conspiracy. Russell offers to investigate the scientist, pushing Colter to reconnect with his team.

Reenie, furious after three weeks of silence, demands that Colter take a case via a heated call. Her client, Cal Rodgers, reports his ex-wife, Lisa, and daughter, Hailey, missing after a failed custody handoff. Cal suspects Lisa’s boyfriend, Kurt Foster, a crypto scammer with a shady past, especially after their recent argument. Russell, recently fired and free, joins Colter on the case, eager for brotherly bonding.

At Lisa’s house, her and Kurt’s cars sit in the driveway, but both are absent. Hailey’s dislike for Kurt, who she claimed was stealing from Lisa, and a stranger demanding money from Kurt raise red flags. Russell breaks a glass door to enter, finding Lisa’s and Hailey’s phones abandoned, a sign they didn’t leave willingly. 

Upstairs, Colter discovers blood splatter and Kurt’s body in the bathroom, his right hand severed. No signs of forced entry (beyond Russell’s break-in) suggest a targeted hit. Reenie arrives with the sheriffs, who confirm Kurt’s history of running pyramid schemes. Russell’s offhand theory about a hand-collecting killer earns a sceptical look from Reenie.

Randy, reorganising Reenie’s office systems in Velma’s absence (she’s away addressing her marriage), digs into Kurt’s texts, uncovering enemies and potential laptop clues. He sends Kurt’s address to the brothers. At Kurt’s apartment, they find it ransacked, the severed hand used to open a biometric safe, emptying it of cash and a gun.

 Russell, leveraging his military background, tries to charm a security guard for surveillance footage, but, when rebuffed, chokes him out and steals his laptop. The footage shows Lisa entering Kurt’s apartment, leading Colter to suspect she, an orthopaedic surgeon, severed Kurt’s hand to access the safe. Randy traces a burner phone Lisa bought, locating her in a stolen red Volvo. As sirens approach, Russell stays to handle the cops while Colter pursues.

Spotting Lisa fleeing the Volvo, Colter calls out, but she panics, insisting she had no choice. She runs into the street, is hit by a car, and, gravely injured, begs Colter to save Hailey. A message on her burner phone demands an “item” with a tight deadline, hinting at Hailey’s kidnapping. At the hospital, Reenie joins Colter as Lisa undergoes surgery. Randy hacks the burner, uncovering sophisticated encryption and a drop-off location for the item, with Hailey’s life at stake if Lisa fails within two hours. Cal, informed by Reenie, blames Kurt entirely, denying Lisa’s involvement in anything shady.

Colter and Russell head to a rock quarry, where they find Raymond Ockman, a teacher with no criminal record, in a car. Terrified, he asks if they’re with “them,” echoing Lisa’s fear. Under threat, he leads them to Hailey, admitting he killed Kurt during her kidnapping, coerced because his sister was taken. Raymond crashes his car to escape, but Colter catches him. A text on Raymond’s phone, matching Lisa’s ringtone, reads,

“YOU HAVE FAILED.”

The brothers rescue Hailey, and Cal reunites with her as EMTs check her condition. Reenie reports Raymond’s sister’s body was found, deepening the mystery. As Russell pushes for beers, both brothers receive texts:

“You have interrupted the process and there will be consequences.”

This signals a larger, ongoing threat tied to the Process.

Tracker Season 3 airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Episodes are available on Paramount+  the next day.

Stay tuned for more such updates!