Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for Tracker Season 2 Episode 5.
The otherworldly hits keep coming for rewardist Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) and his team of misfits on Tracker Season 2. The CBS series has had storylines about vampires, aliens, and now witches in “Preternatural” – what’s next, werewolves? The episode opens with a teenage girl named Emmaline Trace (Alison Thornton) walking in the woods and singing to herself in Prior, Kentucky. It’s giving District 12 in a major way. Her tune of choice is an American folk song sometimes called “The Wayfaring Stranger,” which was popularized by artists like Burl Ives, Paul Robeson, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, and also The Last of Us Part II. (Given what we learn about Emmaline’s work with mushrooms later on, that may have been an intentional choice.)
Emmaline is foraging and collecting things in jars as she sings when she sees a snake. Those who have lived in the Southern U.S. can tell you that the snake is harmless just by looking at the pattern of its colorful stripes. The old adage “Red before yellow, you’re a dead fellow. Red before black, you’re okay Jack” rings true here. But even though the snake isn’t venomous, it seems like an omen. Emmaline can tell that something is amiss, and sure enough, moments later, mysterious men with guns loom over her.
Enter Colter Shaw. Velma (Abby McEnany) calls him up and urges him to take the job even though the reward is only five thousand dollars. Emmaline and her older brother Jasper (Connor Price), who put up the reward, are on their own. Velma relates to Emmaline and Jasper's story, but doesn’t get into the details with Colter. She tells Reenie (Fiona Rene) a little bit more when she hangs up: she never knew her father and her mother was institutionalized, so she was raised by her older sister. "There are some people that are raised," Reenie says, "and some people that are forged." Velma feels like these kids need someone looking out for them.
Colter Shaw Hunts for a Healer in 'Tracker' Season 2 Episode 5
Image via CBS
Fortunately for these siblings, Colter loves tracking and hates getting paid. He heads to Kentucky to look into Emmaline's disappearance, where he meets Jasper and learns that he and his sister are pariahs in their small town. They recently relocated from Tennessee, and Jasper works in mine safety inspection. A man from animal control named Jim Wheeler (Travis Hammer) has been dumping road kill on their doorstep. Is that related to Emmaline? Maybe, according to Jim – who claims Emmaline has been speaking to the devil. Whoa! Colter also learns that Emmaline was part of some drama at the ice cream shop where she worked with Jim’s cousin and decides to follow that lead instead.
The next stop on the small-town gossip train is the Icy Cone, where Colter finds out that Emmaline was fired because she’s a witch. Whoa again! Seeking a second opinion, Colter turns on the charm with Emmaline’s former coworker, Barbara. It’s incredibly awkward, more “how do you do, fellow kids” than flirting, but he does find out a little more information. Barbara says that Emmaline got promoted because another one of their coworkers, Shirley, kept missing work. A little while later, Shirley's husband, Travis (Cameron Fuller) came into work and cussed her out. Emmaline got fired after that altercation.
Thinking that Travis might be responsible for what happened to Emmaline, Colter tracks him down next. But as it turns out, Travis is not only not a hostile kidnapper – he credits Emmaline with curing his wife’s ovarian cancer and infertility. Colter is able to figure out where Emmaline was foraging based on the types of mushrooms she put in Shirley's ointment. He finds an abandoned cabin filled with notes and jars, and calls for Jasper to join him. The brother explains that their mother was a healer too, and that the fire that killed her was likely caused by people who disagreed with her methods and were afraid of what she could do. Between this, Agatha All Along, Dune: Prophecy, and Wicked, it really is the season of the witch. It’s also fun how so much of the tracking in this episode involves Colter going from person to person and getting them to spill the tea. Less need for research and hacking this go around!
The Witch Saves Colter’s Life in ‘Tracker’ Season 2 Episode 5
Image via CBS
Colter locates a family of drug dealers who live off the grid and have gerry-rigged the area. Travis has warned Colter about them, and Jasper has heard rumors, but since Emmaline was tight-lipped about her healing work, nobody knew where she foraged, and she didn't know what dangers were out in the woods. It’s there, at the compound, that he finds Emmaline. The girl does not immediately want to leave. It turns out Emmaline was kidnapped so she could heal the cartel’s sick father – and she feels obligated to do what she can. However, when her “spell” does not seem to have worked, the men turn on her. Colter helps her escape, but she gets injured by one of the booby traps.
He helps her stumble on foot to an abandoned shopping mall, where Colter dresses Emmaline’s ankle. They bond for a minute about their siblings. But after just a brief moment of peace, the goons catch up with them and a bizarre stand-off occurs. The drug dealers have more guns, obviously, and Colter is nearly out of bullets. The confrontation ends when Colter gets shot in the stomach with an arrow, as the men take Emmaline and leave him to bleed out. However, survivalist that he is, he manages to cause a distraction so that Emmaline can get back on his side.
Then, the drug dealers get a call from home that informs them that their father is actually feeling better, maybe even cured. Emmaline uses their faith in her to pull a Hail Mary and threatens to put a blood curse on their entire family. (She later admits to Colter that she made up that part.) The drug dealers run off, leaving Emmaline to heal Colter while they wait for an ambulance.
Colter Is Inspired To Make a Call in ‘Tracker’ Season 2 Episode 5
At the end of the episode, after checking himself out of the hospital (to Reenie and Velma's dismay), Colter leaves his sister a voicemail. Emmaline reminded him of her, so he decides to reach out. He also takes a jar of Emmaline’s ointment for his wounds. If nothing else, this season has inspired Colter to lead a more whimsical life and expand his rational but somewhat narrow set of beliefs. Contacting his sister and getting one step closer to solving the Shaw family mystery is a good move too.
Tracker airs on CBS on Sundays at 8 PM ET and is available to stream next-day on Paramount+.
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