‘Tracker’ Proves That Keaton Needs To Be a Series Regular

Brent Saxton as Keaton looks down at a criminal on 'Tracker'

While Tracker lost Robin Weigert after the first season, Season 2’s introduction of Brent Sexton’s Keaton was a welcome surprise for many. First appearing in “Trust Fall,” where Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) aided him in solving a case of his own, Keaton has stuck with our favorite network TV hero as he sought to find answers to his own “white whale” mystery. Now that “The Disciple” has wrapped that plotline up, Tracker seems to be keeping the door open with Keaton, as Colter notes that he will reach out if he ever finds himself in another bind. But the CBS series needs to do more than keep the door open, it should really offer him a spot inside…

‘Tracker’ Has More Than Proven Keaton’s Worth as a Teddi Replacement

Brent Sexton as Keaton looks at Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) on 'Tracker'

When we first met Keaton in “Trust Fall,” we weren’t sure if he was a character worthy of Colter Shaw’s (or our) trust. Throughout the episode, it became clear that this retired cop was just hoping to do the right thing, and was itching (much like Colter himself) to solve the case that has kept him up at night for years. The similarities between these two are obvious, and it made sense that Keaton would then offer to help Colter with his own problems. With not much else to do but enjoy retirement, Keaton still has a few tricks left up his sleeve, and could easily be inserted into Colter’s team. Sure, they may have to split the reward with yet another face, but it would be well worth it.

When Tracker first began, Colter had two handlers, a tech guru, and a lawyer on his payroll. While Teddi has effectively exited the show, Velma (Abby McEnany) continues to find Colter jobs and is now working even more closely with Reenie (Fiona Rene), who has opened her own law practice aside from moonlighting for Colter. Additionally, Bobby (Eric Graise) remains a core member of Colter’s team, giving our hero access to everything from public (and private) records and location information to social media and security footage. No doubt, Colter has built for himself an effective team, and if it ain’t broke, why try to fix it? After all, what else could Colter actually need? Aside from helping in the Gina Pickett (Lina Lecompte) case, is there anything unique that Keaton can offer? Well, “The Disciple” has made that pretty clear…

Keaton Has Access to Resources That Colter Shaw Does Not

Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) and Keaton (Brent Saxton) investigating in the woods on 'Tracker'

Keaton’s longstanding career in law enforcement and keen sense of character make him the perfect ally for Colter Shaw in the long term. With a spot on “Team Shaw” now open, it may just be time for him to come out of retirement. Not only is Sexton an impressive actor who would easily fit into the Tracker cast, but Keaton is a character who deserves to be explored further. There is certainly a lot more that Tracker could do with a former cop on Colter’s payroll, and even as a semiregular addition, there is a lot of potential as far as including him in the weekly cases is concerned. With how vital his contributions to “The Disciple” were, it’s easy to see how Tracker might utilize Keaton in a weekly format without him overstepping on Colter’s toes.

But why is Keaton a necessary addition? Well, simply put, because as a former police officer, he has access to specific government databases, law enforcement connections, and a well-developed set of detective skills that Colter could learn a thing or two about. At the end of “The Disciple,” Colter and Keaton note that, had our hero just had access to these same resources that Keaton did, Gina’s disappearance would have been solved long ago — likewise, the Teacher (Nicholas Lea) would have been behind bars before he had the chance to hurt anyone else. That is a sobering thought for Colter, who recognizes his limitations in a whole new light. Of course, these limitations may not be a bad thing narratively, as they force Colter to find other creative means for uncovering the truth (and offer plenty of exciting material for us as the audience). Nevertheless, Keaton remains an ally worthy of Colter’s time and one who would no doubt be a help and not a hindrance in the future.

‘Tracker’ Has More Than Proven Keaton’s Worth as a Teddi Replacement

Keaton Has Access to Resources That Colter Shaw Does Not

It could also be interesting to dive more into Keaton’s backstory as well. We know from the case that Colter took on in Washington’s Snoqualmie National Forest (as seen in “Trust Fall”) that Keaton was on the force for quite some time. We don’t know all the circumstances of his police work, nor if there may be other cold cases that never got solved. While Colter generally prefers to work outside the law, he has also been known to work with law officers whenever their directives align. As such, Keaton could offer a unique perspective for Colter concerning the world of law enforcement and may provide the right sort of connections to keep him from getting in trouble with local cops in the future.

‘Tracker’ Could Use Keaton Sparingly, but Still Keep Him Around

Justin Hartley and Brent Sexton in Tracker Season 2, Episode 9

Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) investigates a crime scene on 'Tracker.'

Because of his age and experience with many of the same sorts of cases that Colter himself investigates, Keaton could be an important voice in Colter’s life, carefully guiding our hero and offering help at a distance. As it stands now, Colter doesn’t have many mentors out there, nor father figures after the death of his own years ago. Keaton may just be the sort of person who can get through to Colter on a fatherly level and may be willing to help uncover many of his family’s secrets as well. While it’s unlikely that Keaton will ever be as much of a Tracker regular as Reenie or Bobby, there is no reason that he couldn’t be a presence on the series the same way that Velma is, helpful from afar.

Again, Keaton is the type of character who just works on a show like Tracker. He isn’t the main character, he isn’t a driving narrative force, and he is used quite sparingly (he has only appeared in three episodes thus far, and only at the very end of one of them). Never will he outshine Justin Hartley’s work as Colter Shaw, but he can contribute to moving the plot along and offer a helping hand. While it’s unclear if Brent Saxton will return again this season, Tracker should really consider upping him to a series regular by the time Season 3 (hopefully) rolls around.

‘Tracker’ Has More Than Proven Keaton’s Worth as a Teddi Replacement

Keaton Has Access to Resources That Colter Shaw Does Not

‘Tracker’ Could Use Keaton Sparingly, but Still Keep Him Around

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