Only Die-Hard Jensen Ackles Fans Spotted This SPN Callback in CBS' Tracker

Summary

• The penultimate episode of Tracker introduced a new character.
• This character is played by Jensen Ackles.
• The writers gave a little nod to Supernatural.

Supernatural ended almost four years ago, but many of us still haven't gotten over it. After all, the iconic series was one of the biggest fixtures on our screens for 15 full years. And no matter how you feel about the show's controversial finale, you probably have a lot of fond memories of the madcap adventures of the Winchester brothers!

The show has become part of the pop culture consciousness not only for ordinary viewers, but also for film and television personalities, as it is not uncommon to find a reference to Supernatural in various media. However, there has never been such a warm and nostalgic throwback to the wild ride created by Eric Kripke as in the recent episode of the series Tracker. After all, it featured none other than Jensen Ackles!

Without further ado, let's take a look at a sweet tribute provided by the writers of the new series on CBS.

Did You Notice This Supernatural Reference?

Here we are with the final episode of Tracker, which was released on May 19. It turned out to be a very fun show, but today we're going to talk specifically about the penultimate episode, Off the Books. Because not only did it feature Jensen Ackles as Coulter's brother Russell Shaw, but the episode also provided a very sweet nostalgic nod to Supernatural (although both shows ran on different networks, The CW was almost entirely owned by CBS until 2022).

At one point, when the brothers are trying to pull a print off a finger, Russell exclaims, 'Son of a bitch.' Yes, Dean Winchester's exact catchphrase.

And if that doesn't convince you that this is a Supernatural reference, the black Chevy that Russell lovingly pats before getting into his brother's car will.

Yes, it's not identical to Supernatural's '67 Impala, aka 'Baby', but a 1965 Chevrolet Malibu SS painted black. Still, it's an obvious and rather heartwarming Easter egg.

@stinkerstine OMG... Tell me this is not a fever dream. Jensen and his kinda baby yes, I know it's not the right model but I love the fact that they gave him this car #jensenackles #tracker #supernatural #Baby #impala ♬ A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey

What Is the New CBS Show All About?

Tracker is a new live-action adaptation of Jeffery Deaver's novel The Never Game, which completed its debut season on May 19, 2024. The show centers on lone survivalist Colter Shaw, portrayed by Justin Hartley, best known for his role as Oliver Queen in Smallville (which, like Supernatural, aired on The CW) and, more recently, as Kevin Pearson on NBC's This Is Us. It's also not Hartley's first project on CBS, as the actor appeared on one of the network's few non-procedural television series, the soap opera The Young and the Restless, from 2014 to 2016.

Tracker, which consists of 13 episodes, impressed critics and viewers alike, garnering some strong numbers for a television project. On Rotten Tomatoes, for example, it received an 88% score from critics and a 62% score from viewers. Not everyone was convinced by the character played by Hartley (hence not the highest scores), but many noted that the story was quite entertaining and improved with each episode.

The title character travels across the United States in his old RV, helping regular folk and assisting the law with their investigations through his honed tracking skills. However, Shaw is not an altruistic hero: it is his unconventional work he does for a living.

Rather warm reviews and extremely high ratings (the series premiere just after Super Bowl LVIII drew an incredible 18.44 million viewers) ensured that the series would be renewed for a second season in March 2024, so we will definitely see Jensen Ackles as Russell Shaw again.

The entire first season of Tracker is available for streaming on Paramount+, Prime Video and Fubo TV.