Only Protective Older Brothers Need Apply: Jensen Ackles’ Recurring Role on Tracker

Despite his busy schedule with The Boys and his upcoming new Countdown series (as well as appearances at numerous fan conventions), Jensen Ackles slipped into the role of Russell Shaw, big brother to Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) in Tracker like it was a well-worn leather jacket.

Russell Shaw isn’t Dean Winchester—but the show knows what Jensen’s fans like and they served up some amazing fan service during both of his episodes so far.

As always, Jensen turned in a great performance, making it clear that his character is hiding secrets when he shows up to rescue his younger brother, Colter. He had the skills and experience to go after the bad guys, even if how he acquired those abilities might be need-to-know, shrouded in secrecy. Jensen and Justin definitely brought a brother vibe to their on-screen relationship with believable banter and a level of comfort that comes from long acquaintance.

Russell Shaw doesn’t hunt demons, but he has done some shady deeds while working with Special Ops in the military. He has secrets, and a past that’s likely to come back to haunt him in a non-ghostly way. And while Russell hasn’t fought vampires and werewolves, odds are good that he’s faced off with human monsters and done some necessary things that he isn’t proud of doing. Russell has a past, one he doesn’t want to share with his brother, and so odds are good that if he continues to be a recurring character that we will get to see the source of his emotional scars.

Of course, Russell is a protective big brother, even though little bro Colter can usually take care of himself just fine—except when he can’t. Then Russell rides to the rescue, called in by Reenie (there seems to be some chemistry there that bears watching).

Even Jensen’s debut on Tracker was a nod to Supernatural fans. We saw him backlit by headlights, and the camera panned from the ground up—right over those famous bow legs.

I probably wasn’t the only person who screamed a little spotting Russell’s choice of car—a black Chevy convertible that looks a lot like a certain 1967 black Impala, Dean’s beloved ride in Supernatural. When Russell comments that ‘this baby’ doesn’t drive on gravel, fans felt seen and loved. It was also a nice touch that his first episode on Tracker was one that considered the possibility of alien abductions—something that actually did turn up in a Supernatural episode (but they were really fairies).

In a recent interview, Justin Hartley (who plays main character Colter Shaw) talked about wanting to cast someone who was a strong enough personality to stand up to Colter and be believable as an older brother. Jensen certainly came through on both counts. Russell is confident in his skills and competent, a total badass, all of which Jensen easily embodies.

It’s worth noting that Jensen and Justin are both Smallville alumni, although they were not on the show at the same time. However, they knew a lot of the same people and had become acquainted before Jensen was cast for the part of Russell, even though they had not yet worked together.

Some reviewers have noted that from the description, Countdown has echoes of the Russell Shaw character, although it is not a spinoff of Tracker. And while Tracker is based on the Never Game book series by Jeffery Deaver, the Russell Shaw character is not in the books, but was created for the TV show.

Before anyone worries that Jensen has been ‘type cast’ playing Dean Winchester, let me point you to Ten Inch Hero and his memorable portrayal of Boaz Priestly, his recurring role in The Boys as Soldier Boy, and his early work on Days of Our Lives, where he played Eric Brady. We’ve seen Jensen’s range, including his comedic ability and his singing talent.

I’m quite sure that at this point, Jensen and his agent go after roles he wants to play. That includes Countdown, a new series with Jensen as the lead playing an LAPD officer working on a secret task force to stop a murderer and foil a sinister plot. I think we can enjoy all the nods that Tracker gave to Supernatural fans guilt-free without worrying about Jensen’s career. He’s doing just fine.

I’m enjoying Tracker and looking forward to seeing more of both Jensen and Russell Shaw. Fingers crossed that Russell will be returning before too long!