Trackerhas proven itself to be a hit series for CBS, and while there are plenty of theories about why the show is doing so well, Justin Hartley has his own. The series sees Hartley as Colter Shaw, a rewardist who finds missing people in exchange for the posted reward money. Cases take Colter to new locations every week.
Those new locations help to keep the storylines fresh, even as the format of the mystery is mostly the same each week. Hartley does not think it’s the procedural format that intrigues people, though. Instead, he believes much of the success is owed to one aspect of Colter Shaw’s personality.
Justin Hartley Chalks Tracker’s Success Up To Colter’s Healthy Masculinity
Hartley Understands Colter Shaw
When speaking withMen’s Journal, Justin Hartley talked about the success ofTracker. While he points out in the interview thatTrackeris a procedural that allows the main character to grow over time, even if the story is not heavily serialized,he also believes Colter’s distinct type of masculinity provides success.
Hartley describes Colter Shaw as someone who “doesn’t apologize for his masculinity,” but also as someone who “is all about talking with people.” He told the magazine:
One of the things I really love about Colter and the way we’ve built him is that he doesn’t apologize for his masculinity. I think that’s what people are looking for.
You’re asking yourself, ‘What kind of people do I want to hang out with?’ And particularly: ‘What kind of male friends do I have in my life that I really value?’
I think we’ve crafted a character that is so emotionally evolved, and he really does want to get to the root of why people do things…
He’s a man through and through. And that doesn’t mean you have to be the loudest person in the room and know every single f*cking thing and throw tables around and scream and shout and yell and smoke and drink.
He’s all about talking with people. Reading people. Understanding them. He’s an all-encompassing man. He’s not just a guy. He’s a man.
Hartley’s assessment of Colter is accurate. Though Colter might be able to handle himself in a fight and survive in harsh climates on his own,he is relatively soft-spoken, willing to listen to those around him, and willing to understand points of view that are not his own. Those are not traits seen in many hyper-masculine action heroes.
Colter Shaw Can Be Tough And Sensitive
Action heroes of the past are much more toxically masculine.
Hartley’s take on the reason for Tracker’s success with the audience is definitely one that surprised me, but it is also likely a contributor to viewers sticking with the show since the premiere. Colter Shaw makes for a different kind of action hero withTrackerlike a modern Western.
Action heroes of the past are much more toxically masculine. These are the kinds of characters who ignore the needs of others around them to achieve their own goals, they take advantage of the women whose paths they cross, and they always have to be the biggest and loudest force in the room.
Colter is the opposite of that. While he might keep himself closed off when it comes to his past and the traumas associated with his family,he is more than willing to offer complete strangers support, empathy, and his own strength to help them through their traumas.
While Colter is busy searching for clues in seemingly impossible cases, he always handles witnesses or those who know the victims with kid gloves. He is soft spoken and understanding, waiting to understand who they are and what they know before he ever accuses anyone of anything.
Even in theseason 2 episode “The Nightingale,”in whichColter is faced with those who prefer violence do the talking, he chooses to use his words first. There, he is faced with gang members, angry police officers, and a survivalist, and he still attempts to diffuse situations by talking things out.
That is very much the hallmark of Colter’s character.Colter Shaw has all the skills(and then some) of classic action heroes, but without all of their toxic traits. That makes him a refreshing hero for today’s TV climate, where many newer procedurals are being canceled, and many characters are not getting the chance to be fleshed out.
Trackerwill likely outlive many of the newer procedurals, and that is due in large part to Hartley’s correct assessment of Colter Shaw’s positive masculinity.
