A new image from Tracker season 2 shows Jensen Ackles and Justin Hartley reuniting onscreen. The show is based on Jeffrey Deaver’s best-selling novel The Never Game.

The first season follows Colter Shaw, played by Hartley, a survivalist and tracker for hire who navigated risky cases while discovering the truth about his family’s history. Russell, Colter’s estranged brother, was initially portrayed by Ackles in season 1’s penultimate episode. It was then revealed that he would return for Tracker Season 2.

Now, in People’s exclusive first look at Tracker season 2, Ackles’ latest cameo as Russell is revealed. The tabloid provided a photo of Ackles and Hartley from the upcoming season, which looks to show the two onscreen brothers researching something in the outdoors. Russell in particular seemed surprised by what he sees. Check it out below.

Elsewhere in the story, Hartley opened up about working with Ackles, praising the Supernatural star for his performance as Russell. Hartley said:

“Jensen and I have known each other for a long time, we just never had a chance to work together. Jensen is the perfect guy to play Russell. It’s such a well fleshed out character in the book and even more so with what we’ve done on the show.

And then Jensen just brings to it the next level.”

Additionally, showrunner Elwood Reid revealed Ackles will appear in “more than one” episode in Tracker season 2. However, the exact count has not yet been revealed.

What This Means For Tracker Season 2

Since Hartley and Ackles both starred in Smallville in the past, with Hartley playing Oliver Queen/Green Arrow and Ackles playing Jason Teague, this season is somewhat of a reunion for them. But in reality, they never appeared in the same scenes. During the Television Critics Association 2024 Press Tour in July, Hartley made the first indication that Ackles might return to Tracker when he said, “We got him; he’s coming back.” Russell’s participation suggests that Tracker season 2 is eager to carry on the plots that were started in season 1 and that he can be a significant recurrent character.

The end of Tracker season 1, which involved Colter discovering certain information about his father and siblings, sets up an exciting return for Russell in season 2. Though it seems likely his arrival will pick up on the storyline surrounding his and Colter’s family, his first episode in season 2 will feature a compelling plot on top of that. He will arrive in episode 2, “Ontological Shock,” which will air on Sunday, October 20. The episode will see Colter vanishing while he’s looking for a missing father, while Reenie (Fiona Rene) calls Russell for help.

Our Take On Tracker Season 2

An Exciting Dynamic Is Ahead

The return of Ackles and Hartley in Tracker season two will provide a fresh dynamic and vitality to the program. Their long-standing relationship and desire to collaborate make it likely that they will naturally click, which will further improve their on-screen chemistry. This season is likely to include more dramatic confrontations, emotional depth, plot twists, and thrilling action sequences along with deeper character development. It’ll be interesting to see more of Russell’s character in the future, and it appears that Tracker has great ideas for him.