‘Tracker’ Season 4 Moves Colter Shaw to California

Tracker returns for its fourth season on Sunday, October 4, with Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw taking his reward-seeking work into a brighter but no less dangerous California setting.

The CBS premiere, titled “Safe Harbor,” is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. PT, although the Eastern start may shift if the network’s earlier NFL coverage runs long. The episode sends Colter to the Port of Los Angeles while he searches for a teenage boy’s missing father and encounters a larger criminal operation.

A new landscape for a familiar formula

The most visible change is the show’s move from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Early episodes exchange the muted Pacific Northwest look for Southern California light, giving the procedural a different visual identity while keeping its case-of-the-week structure.

That shift arrives after Season 3 resolved much of the mystery surrounding Colter’s father and the Chrono Stasis Institute. Russell Shaw, played by Jensen Ackles, ended the season carrying secrets of his own after making a deal intended to protect his brother. Ackles is expected to return later in the season, but the premiere initially leaves Colter operating without him.

The supporting lineup continues to include Fiona Rene as Reenie Greene, Abby McEnany as Velma Bruin and Chris Lee as Randy. Cassady McClincy Zhang, who plays Mel Day, has been elevated to series-regular status, broadening the team around Hartley’s central character.

The series keeps its weekly engine

Despite the production move and cast adjustments, the early episodes still rely on the show’s core appeal: Colter enters an unfamiliar situation, follows evidence others overlook and races to find someone in danger. The California setting changes the scenery rather than replacing that engine.

Season 4 will air Sundays on CBS. New installments are also set to reach Paramount+ the following day, while the platform carries the first three seasons for viewers who want to catch up. The premiere therefore works as both the start of a new chapter and a continuation of the procedural rhythm that made the series a broadcast hit.