Tracker Season 2: Keaton Is Exactly The Right Partner For Colter Because Of His Worst Trait

Warning! This Article Contains SPOILERS For Tracker Season 2, Episode 9, "The Disciple"

Tracker season 2’s return proves that a fan-favorite character’s worst trait could be good news for his blooming partnership with Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley). In Tracker season 2, episode 9, “The Disciple,” the pair follows up on the lead that Keaton (Brenton Sexton), a retired law enforcement officer, brought to Colter at the end of season 2, episode 8. Keaton has become a valuable asset to the reward-seeker’s operation in the show’s sophomore outing. However, Colter operated without the ex-cop throughout Tracker season 1 and part of season 2.

Colter’s team in Tracker initially comprised Velma (Abby McEnany) and Teddi Bruin (Robin Weigert), who serve as Colter’s handlers in season 1. Reenie Green (Fiona Rene) and Bobby Exley (Eric Graise) support the reward-seeking mission as Colter’s legal consultant and information specialist, respectively. Colter communicates with most of his team remotely as he lives on the open road in an iconic Airstream trailer, which works for the tracker, especially in the modern era of remote work communications. Still, Tracker season 2 introduces Keaton as Colter’s on-the-ground partner, which worked. However, Keaton’s personality is a contrast to Colter’s existing team.

Keaton's Ruthlessness Balances Out Colter's More Mellow Personality

Colter Is Laid-Back For A Vigilante Hero

Tracker season 2's midseason finale made it clear that Keaton is a ruthless character, albeit for the sake of justice. Keaton’s brash aura contrasts with Colter’s mellow personality, which could be a positive inclusion to the series for those who want to see more police action in CBS’ highest-rated procedural series. Some feedback about Colter’s character, especially in season 2, is that Colter is pretty mellow for a lone-wolf hero-type character. While that’s an asset to the series, making Hartley’s character a unique TV icon, Keaton’s presence brings the heat.

Tracker Cast & Character Guide

The cast of Justin Hartley's Tracker series, adapted from Jeffery Deaver's The Never Game, delivers compelling characters with electric chemistry.

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Keaton’s ruthlessness is on full display in Tracker season 2, episode 8, when the retired investigator brings Colter to an abandoned warehouse where he is holding a man named Alex Silva (Johnny Rey Diaz). It becomes immediately evident that Keaton has beaten Alex for information, as his face has been wounded beyond recognition. While it looked like Keaton may be a problem for Colter in Tracker due to their differing tactics, with Colter using the art of calm negotiation to get most of his informants to talk, the midseason premiere proved their pairing to be a successful match.

Why Keaton Is So Ruthless In Tracker

Keaton's Ruthlessness Is Controversial

Keaton and Colter looking at Alex Silva in Tracker season 2

It’s hard to say why Keaton is so ruthless in Tracker season 2, episode 8, but the character is more old-school than Colter. Where Ashton Shaw’s son uses the art of deescalation to get most of his suspects to give up information (typically insisting that he’s not a cop and just looking for answers), Keaton operates more mercilessly. Colter isn’t formally a law enforcement officer, but his new comrade has years of experience and likely picked up many of his tactics from his fieldwork. That said, Keaton’s brutal police maneuvers are morally dubious but balance out Colter’s investigative tone.

Keaton’s brutal police maneuvers are morally dubious but balance out Colter’s investigative tone.

Keaton’s old-school nature (for instance, he notes his job at Sam’s Feed and Supply in “The Disciple”) also plays a role in how Sexton’s character handles interrogations. Fortunately, most other police officers in the series operate above board, establishing the right tone and making space for Keaton's off-the-books antics. Keaton’s tactics could also be something he picked up outside the police force when he loosened the reins on his operations after officially leaving law enforcement. While Keaton is a retired cop, he is ultimately an administrator of vigilante justice. That's why he initially gets along with Colter.

Will Brent Sexton's Keaton Return In Tracker After Gina Picket's Case?

Tracker Sets The Stage For Keaton's Return

Colter Shaw in Tracker episode 9 The Disciple

It’s almost guaranteed that Keaton will return after the end of Tracker season 2, episode 9. While Keaton may not appear anytime soon since he and Colter resolve their case in “The Disciple,” both vigilantes leave the door open for the partnership to continue. When saying goodbye, Colter tells Keaton to expect his call if the reward-seeker ever needs help on a case again. Keaton encourages it. Therefore, we can expect Sexton to guest star again when Colter gets another case that could use a second set of eyes.

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Colter is back in this unsettling episode that sees the Gina Pickett case take center stage.

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Brenton Sexton has maintained a robust presence in Tracker since his introduction in "Trust Fall." Keaton actually overshadows Colter’s team, with members like Velma and Bobby barely helping with their leader’s “white whale” case. Therefore, it’s exciting to think about the possibility of Keaton’s return, but Tracker also needs to use its established characters more creatively and often. While action-packed, Keaton’s investigative tone also compromises the mellow nature of a show with a decreased law enforcement presence. For those reasons, Tracker should still use Keaton sparingly.

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