Tracker Is Bringing Jensen Ackles Back For More Episodes Than I Expected, And Fans Are Already Spotting Supernatural References

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The premiere of Tracker Season 3 in 2025 is getting closer, but this season will feature fewer main cast members. Good news for fans, though: Jensen Ackles will be back alongside Justin Hartley as his brother, and he’s scheduled to appear in more episodes than anticipated. As the show builds excitement on social media, it’s no surprise that Supernatural fans quickly started drawing connections to Ackles’ earlier work.

Jensen Ackles’ Double Return To Tracker

Tracker is coming back with a special two-part premiere that will air over two weeks, and Jensen Ackles will be in both episodes as Russell Shaw. When I heard he’d be working with Justin Hartley again for Season 3 after finishing up Countdown on Prime Video, I thought it would be a short appearance, similar to his guest spots in the first two seasons. However, it seems Colter will have a lot of help from his brother at the beginning of Season 3.

I’m really excited to see Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles working together again! It’s still unclear if Ackles is there to help Russell, or if Russell’s the one who needs help, but honestly, I’m happy with any scenes featuring both of them. (Good news – both episodes so far with the Shaw brothers are currently available to stream if you have a Paramount+ subscription.)

The premiere episode is split into two parts. The first half, titled “The Process,” sees Russell teaming up with Colter to find a client’s missing wife and child. This search happens after Russell learns more about his father’s death at the end of Season 2. The second part, called “Leverage,” focuses on the Shaw brothers as they urgently try to shut down a secret, illicit operation. It’s likely that things won’t go smoothly in “The Process,” setting the stage for the events in Part 2.

Fans Spot An Early Supernatural Reference

Tracker doesn’t hesitate to reference Jensen Ackles’ fifteen years on Supernatural, including several Supernatural Easter eggs in the very first episode. Given that Ackles recently marked the 20th anniversary of the Supernatural pilot just before the Season 3 debut of his new show on CBS, it feels like a perfect time to acknowledge his iconic role as Dean Winchester. Check out the video that got fans buzzing:

A post shared by Justin Hartley (@justinhartley)

A photo posted by on

A running joke from back in Jensen Ackles’ CW days was that Dean almost always lost rock-paper-scissors because he almost always used scissors. Here are just some of the examples of Supernatural fans applying that lesson to Tracker in the Instagram comments (edited for clarity):

  • @pmclean66: “Rock, paper, scissors. A Supernatural Easter egg 😂 Love it!”
  • @laurensophxx: “Now I gotta know if Russell picks scissors or not.”
  • @ aileenslayden: “Rock, paper, scissors, huh? I suggest you go for rock Justin… always works! 🤣 Can’t wait to see the show back again!! 🥰”
  • @spngirlie19: “Jensen’s SPN reference, well done!! I am so excited for Season 3!!!”

Tracker is back on CBS with its third season starting on Sunday, October 19th at 8 p.m. ET. The rest of the story, featuring both Shaw brothers, will continue on October 26th. If you want to catch up, the first two seasons are currently available on Paramount+. And if you’re looking for something else to watch, all fifteen seasons of Supernatural are now streaming on Netflix.

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2025-09-30 10:39