Tracker Season 4 Proves Justin Hartley Didn’t Break His Promised Physical Change, CBS Brings Colter More Action

A steadier team and new setting

After cast departures across seasons 2 and 3, Tracker season 4 promotes Randy and Mel to series regulars. The move gives Colter a more stable group around him after years of adjustments.

A tax credit also shifted production from Vancouver, where the series filmed for three seasons, to Los Angeles. The new landscapes offer different backdrops for Colter’s cases, while the show makes room for its relatively new team.

Hartley’s promise of more action

On CBS Mornings on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Hartley described efforts to keep changing the show without losing what viewers find comforting. He said the season aimed to add physicality and push the story by putting Colter under more pressure.

The change is clear in season 4, episode 5, “Need to Know,” which featured Russell’s return and multiple stunts. Grant Valko’s fight at the field office added action beyond Colter’s own scenes.

Earlier seasons included combat, but the article notes that Colter rarely had moments like flying from one building to another. The sequence illustrates the more action-heavy approach Hartley discussed.

Keeping Colter at the center

The show’s procedural format and focus on one protagonist limit how much its basic structure can change. Weekly cases remain central, and a larger law-enforcement role would not fit the story’s established focus on Colter.

A permanent assistant trained by Colter could introduce new dimensions to his character, but season 4 does not appear to be moving in that direction. His aloofness remains, even as the cases reveal more about him.

Instead, the series can raise the risks and physical demands of Colter’s work. Tougher challenges may also show how Ashton Shaw prepared him to handle different situations independently.