Eric Graise‘s lengthy Tracker absence caused a surprising amount of backlash — but was the show’s creative team shocked by how much Bobby was missed?
Before the season 2 finale on Sunday, May 11, executive producer Elwood Reid commented on Bobby’s absence for several episodes. He told Us Weekly exclusively that actor availability is always a factor in the industry. Reid mentioned that on some shows, viewers may not even notice if a character is missing.
Reid, 58, pointed out that Tracker doesn’t operate like most shows with an ensemble cast.
Reid further explained that the character Reenie is not always visible on screen. He interacts briefly with other characters like Velma or Bobby through short dialogues. The show’s dynamics primarily revolve around Justin Hartley’s character, creating a unique perspective for the audience. Looking ahead to season 3, Reid acknowledged the challenge of reshaping the team and defining its new composition.
According to Reid, a priority for the show is making sure Tracker doesn’t “fall into complacency.”
Furthermore, Reid expressed his desire to avoid turning the show into a repetitive pattern of characters relying heavily on phone calls for communication. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a fresh and engaging storyline, revealing that Justin Hartley often questions the necessity of certain scenes involving phone conversations with Bobby. This ongoing dialogue between Reid and Hartley helps in continually evolving the show’s format.
Tracker follows survivalist Colter (Hartley) as he travels the country to help find missing people, track down information on criminal cases and more. Every episode shows Colter getting help from his team — handler Teddi (Robin Weigert), hacker Bobby and attorney Reenie (Fiona Rene).
Earlier this season, Graise, 35, was noticeably absent from six episodes. His cousin Randy (Chris Lee) was brought in to help Colter before Bobby returned, which caused backlash from viewers who grew used to seeing Graise on their screen.
“Randy came in and also gave something to the show that was different. There was a real warmth and fun when he came in. It was something that I think we were missing a little bit too in some episodes. He just was immediately fun when he came in,” Reid noted. “With those dynamics — and in playing with this team dynamics — that’s all stuff we’re going to continue to play with in season 3 as the show evolves.”
Reid continued: “We’re going to bring back some characters from seasons 1 and 2 — we’re going to see them more and more. There’s been some fun characters that I think are fun to see in Colter’s world [season to season].”
Despite the potential changes, Reid clarified it wouldn’t be a “revolving door” of team members.
“I do think it’s evolving. If I can’t evolve those characters — Randy or Reenie or Bobby — they’re not just people that just pick up the phone and go, ‘OK, here is the answer.’ That’s when the show is phoning it in,” he explained. “The challenge is when you got to learn about them, which I thought was interesting. That’s the challenge of the show is not having it fall into a formula.”
Season 3 is not yet in production, but there’s already some ideas being thrown around. The good news? Tracker has “no rules,” and that has allowed it to grow every time viewers check back in on Colter.
“The only rule I really have of the show is each week Colter is going to come to a new place and there’s going to be a new case. How he gets those answers and what he uses on the team, that’s all something that’s up for grabs,” Reid teased. “Meeting these [local] weird characters is something we’re going to try to do more of as the season goes on. Just Colter coming in and interacting with other characters. That’s fun to see Justin flex those muscles with really good guest cast members.”
