Jensen Ackles seems to have found his next hit series after Supernatural, but CBS might need to adjust its current lineup to make it work. Early ratings data for the 2025-2026 TV season still shows CBS leading the competition against NBC and ABC. A key to their success is having a diverse range of shows, including Tracker, which has been one of the most popular scripted series recently.
The success of Tracker largely depends on Justin Hartley, who plays the main character, Colter Shaw. Although he has a team helping him, Colter usually works alone while facing various challenges. Jared Padalecki appears on the show as Colter’s brother, Russell Shaw, and feels like a natural fit within the Tracker universe, effectively filling the same role he had in Supernatural.
Tracker Is Better With BOTH Colter & Russell On It
Photo by Sergei Bachlakov for CBS, Courtesy Everett Collection
While Tracker feels more realistic than Supernatural, Jared Padalecki isn’t the only star from those old CW shows finding success. Jensen Ackles has been in series like The Boys and Countdown since then, but his appearances don’t quite capture the same energy as when he was on the popular CBS procedural.
While Hartley does a good job playing the serious character Colter, he can sometimes feel a bit one-note, particularly over a longer period. How engaging he is really depends on who he’s acting with. The show is more enjoyable when he interacts with Russell, who brings a more playful and witty energy. This dynamic is similar to the success of Supernatural, where the chemistry between Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, and Ackles’ character’s playful nature, were key to the show’s appeal.
One of the best things about seeing Jared and Jensen work together is their incredible chemistry! They’ve known each other for ages, going all the way back to when they were both starting out. They even both worked on Smallville, though not at the same time. But because both Smallville and Supernatural filmed in Vancouver simultaneously, they actually became really good friends, and they still are today, which is so great to see!
Why Changing Tracker Is A Major Risk For CBS
As we’ve already discussed, CBS’s Sunday drama continues to be the most popular show on network television. The third season of Tracker started strong, attracting 12.97 million viewers. That’s a great result in today’s competitive TV environment, particularly for a show on a traditional network. While Tracker isn’t perfect or particularly groundbreaking, whatever Justin Hartley and the show’s creators are doing is clearly resonating with audiences.
Giving Russell a bigger role on Tracker isn’t without potential downsides, but it could be a good move given the positive fan reaction every time Jared Padalecki appears. Plus, expanding the show’s focus beyond a single character could help Tracker stay on the air for years to come. Many long-running shows feature a team of main characters, which helps share the storytelling and prevents any one actor from carrying the entire weight.
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2026-02-23 19:42