“Tracker” is back, and so are the hit CBS drama’s viewers. The Justin Hartley starrer returned on Oct. 19 with 12.97 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s live+7-day multiplatform data. That was up 17% from the year-ago Season 2 premiere of “Tracker,” according to CBS.
“Tracker” was one of four CBS shows to make the top 5 so far this fall according to the most recent multiplatform 7-day viewing chart for the 2025-2026 broadcast season (entertainment only, meaning sports — which still dominates primetime — isn’t included).
CBS waited until mid October to bring back the majority of its scripted series, dubbing the week of Oct. 12 “CBS Premiere Week.”
Besides “Tracker,” shows performing well so far include “Matlock,” which is averaging 10.7 million viewers after two episodes; perennial newsmag “60 Minutes,” with 8.9 million viewers after four episodes; and newcomer “Boston Blue,” the “Blue Bloods” spinoff that opened on Oct. 17 with 8.64 million viewers.
That “Boston Blue” number was up 6% vs. the year-ago “Blue Bloods” season average. Among other series premieres, the Oct. 17 premiere of “Sheriff Country” (a spinoff of “Fire Country”) averaged 7.73 million viewers (up 35% from the season average last year of previous timeslot holder “S.W.A.T.”), while new comedy “DMV” launched on Oct. 13 with 6.6 million viewers, up 46% from the season average of last year’s time slot holder “Poppa’s House.”
Among other CBS returnees, the Season 23 premiere of “NCIS” averaged 8.6 million viewers; the Season 5 premiere of “Ghosts” averaged 8.27 million viewers; and the first two episodes of “Elsbeth” Season 3 averaged 8.26 million viewers.
Also: The Season 2 premiere of comedy “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” averaged 7.85 million viewers and the Season 8 premiere of “FBI” averaged 7.58 million viewerts.
Thanks to the return of those series, according to CBS it now leads the fall in live+7 ratings for entertainment fare, averaging 6.8 million viewers in total multiplatform numbers, followed by ABC (6.5 million), NBC (5.7 million) and Fox (3.1 million).
SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from the Season 1 finale of Tracker.
Colter Shaw is off the case — but just until the next fall broadcast season begins.
Season 1 of CBS‘ Tracker ended Sunday night with one of Colter’s (Justin Hartley) hardest and most personal cases yet when a family friend’s daughter goes missing while storm chasing with a friend. Officials are certain that she and her friend were lost at sea, but Colter isn’t so sure.
Not only does he use his unique skills to bring Lizzy’s daughter home, he also is able to expose the seedy underbelly of the town that’s covering up her disappearance, which is linked to a string of other crimes.
Audiences were left on a cliffhanger as, at the end of the episode, Colter uncovers yet another cryptic fact about his past, leaving him with more questions about his family’s involvement in his father’s death.
As it turns out, Lizzy (Jennifer Morrison) had been keeping a box of his father’s things, which she recently sent to his sister Dory, who had failed to mention anything about that last time she and her brother had spoken about their dad. In fact, she’d even brushed off Colter’s concerns about the details of their father’s death when he’d found new information that connected his dad to some shady government dealings.
Star and executive producer Justin Hartley spoke with Deadline about that finale episode as well as what’s in store for Season 2 as Colter continue to unravel the mystery surrounding his family.
DEADLINE: The episode ends on a pretty big cliffhanger about Colter’s family, insinuating his sister and mom may be covering some things up. How did you feel about where it all left off?
JUSTIN HARTLEY: I feel great about it, to answer your question. When you have a show like this, and you end it in such a good way, and you wrap up all these stories in a pretty little bow, it’s cool, and it’s great. But we have a whole other season to shoot that we have to make better than Season 1. So…while we wanted all those storylines wrapped up, we also wanted those bows to sort of lead to other questions— bigger, deeper questions — about his past. So I think we did that in answering some of these questions that we had built up all year. I think we did a good job of making sure that the answers to those questions then lead to a bigger mystery, something that we can unpack in Season 2.
DEADLINE: In an earlier episode, Colter was able to reconcile a bit with his brother. Do you think that Colter really believes his brother is innocent now? Where does he stand on that familial mystery?
HARTLEY: I could be totally wrong, but now that the season’s over, I’ll tell you what I what I did. What Colter does is he finds people, and he reads people. He reads body language. He can look at people. He looks into their eyes, and he understands people. He’s a soulful guy himself as well. I chose in that moment when Jensen [Ackles] was looking at me, and the way that he was playing it, I chose in that moment, just based on his performance, basically, that I was going to really, really want to believe him.
So I think that’s where Colter is. Obviously, he doesn’t have all the answers. He’s the kind of guy that he will turn every rock and make sure that it’s 100% one way or the other. He’s a percentage guy. But I think if he was putting a percentage on it, I think he would say, he’s 85% sure that Russell didn’t do it. I think that by the end of Episode 12, he’s 95% sure that Russell didn’t do it. In the finale, you find out that Lizzie has been talking to Russell every once in a while. There’s something else is going on. So maybe he didn’t push him, but did he plan something? He knows a lot of information about that night that Colter doesn’t know. It’s very odd. There’s their stuff in this box that they’re not sharing it with Colter. There’s a reason for that. So does Colter think that he pushed him off the cliff now? Probably not. But does he think that he had nothing to do with anything or doesn’t have any knowledge about his father’s death? And that he’s completely in the dark just like Colter is? I don’t think that’s the case either.
DEADLINE: As an actor, do you prefer to know where the story is going and what the real answer is, or do you prefer to stay in the dark as well?
HARTLEY: Well, I’m a curious guy. I can’t really help myself but to brainstorm. Also, it’s tough because I’m behind the curtain a little bit too, being an EP. So I kind of know the story. I can make up stories in my head, but I do know some of the facts.
DEADLINE: So you already have it all planned out?
HARTLEY: We have information there. But then there are things that happen throughout the year where, for instance, you might have a guest star that comes on, and it just clicks…Okay, now we’re using more of that. So all of those stories, those aren’t things that we have mapped out for five years going, ‘Okay, he’s going to interact with this characters 17 times from…’ We don’t have that. We just kind of know where that’s going. But as far as the actual event that happened, and who’s responsible for it, we have that. Now, the way that you get there changes throughout the season, because you might have something going on, and you plan it a certain way, and you have all your ducks in a row, and then all of a sudden, something pops in, you’re like, ‘Whoa, this is special, we should hang out here a little bit longer than we thought.’
Then there are other times where you have an idea, and you think it’s going to be amazing on paper, and then you see it, you’re like, ‘Okay, we should move on from this, because I think we’ve told that story, and it’s time to go.’ The guys that I work with, Elwood and Ken, they’re very collaborative. I guess no idea is a stupid idea, but I have had a couple of really, really stupid ideas. But sometimes those ideas lead to better ideas. Sometimes someone can take your stupid idea and go, ‘Well, what if this?’ And then all of a sudden, it becomes something a little bit better than what you had.
DEADLINE: Some of the cases this season are pretty wild. They’ll start in one place, and end up somewhere I never expected. Is that what you mean?
HARTLEY: It’s tough, because you have to make these cases smart, because the audience is smart. You have Colter, who’s very smart and resourceful. You have Bobby, who’s very smart and resourceful. You have Reenie, who’s very smart and resourceful. And you have an audience who’s really smart and resourceful. We make every effort to nail every single point. We’re not 100%. We make mistakes all the time. In every episode, we make mistakes, I’m sure. I know that I do. But that’s not intentional, it’s not for lack of effort. We’re trying to make it perfect. Eventually, we’ll get there. When we make it perfect, we’ll stop. But until we make it perfect, we’ll keep doing more.
DEADLINE: So you got to act alongside your wife, Sofia Pernas, again. How did that idea come about, and how was it to be back on set together?
HARTLEY: She hated it. [Laughs]. No, we have a great time together. I just thought it would be a really cool idea. It was sort of my idea from the beginning to have this character that comes on that you just mentioned. I think it was in the second episode, there was a big reward for a car…there was a line that one of the ladies said, ‘Word on the street is that Billie is circling the case.’ And then Coulter kind of eye rolls. If you’re really paying attention, you go ‘Oh, he’s got a rival, this guy Billie.’
So my idea was to tease that and intentionally named the character Billie, and then reveal that Billie is, of course, Sofia. We didn’t get to tease that as much as I would have liked, just because we were so pressed with time. But that was the intention. Then when she came on, to be honest with you, I’m not sure how much of that character aspect that she brought was actually written. I think you’re just watching a talented actor. There were a few things we had the benefit of discussing privately that, normally, you don’t have time to do that. But when you live with the person, you can talk about that stuff at dinner, and go, ‘Hey, what about this?’ So we really got a chance to dialogue that.
DEADLINE: Can we expect Billie back in Season 2?
HARTLEY: She’s definitely coming back. We have some pretty cool stuff for her to do next year. She’ll be back several times next year. We have plans to bring back my whole my family…We have a lot of questions to answer with Colter’s mother. Jennifer Morrison does this really wonderful performance. I think we’d be remiss not to bring her back. We built this really great group of actors [who are] hopefully more than willing to come back, because we’d love to play more with them. We have a bunch of stories to tell with all [of them].
Viewers of Tracker Season 1 are wondering how many episodes are in the series and when each new episode comes out. Tracker follows Colter Shaw, an investigator tackling enigmatic disappearances, blending suspense and legal intrigue in a gripping series that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
Here’s how many episodes are in Tracker Season 1 and on what day new episodes come out.
How many episodes are in Tracker Season 1?
Tracker Season 1 has 4 episodes.
The episode list is as follows:
Episode 1: Klamath Falls
Episode 2: Springland, ID
Episode 3: Shasta, CA
Episode 4: Missoula
The show revolves around Colter, an investigator tackling cases involving missing persons, particularly focusing on the disappearance of 14-year-old Gil Brown in Klamath Falls, potentially abducted by his criminal father. Throughout the series, Colter faces various challenges, often requiring assistance from legal expert Reenie Greene. As the narrative unfolds, viewers are taken on a journey through different locations such as Springland, ID, Shasta, CA, and Missoula, each episode presenting unique mysteries and dilemmas for Colter to solve.
Justin Hartley stars as Colter Shaw, with Mary McDonnell as Mary Dove Shaw, Robin Weigert, and Abby McEnany as Teddi and Velma Bruin, Eric Graise as Bob Exley, and Fiona Rene as Reenie in this captivating series.
When do new Tracker episodes come out?
New episodes of Tracker Season 1 typically come out every Thursday at 10 p.m. on CBS.
The official synopsis for the series reads:
“Lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw roams the country as a “reward seeker,” using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family.”
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Doing well in Warzone is often about making the most out of what you can find on the field. But with the ability to recover or purchase your loadout, one of the best ways to gain an advantage over the competition is to grab your curated selection of guns and perks.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 has a ton of guns. Like, a lot. There’s nothing wrong with picking one that looks, sounds, and feels great for your personal playing style, but with the game having been out for a little while, a specific meta is starting to emerge. Let’s jump into some of the best choices out there, broken down by category (I’ll also briefly cover how to get access to your loadout as well).
Best assault rifle loadout for Warzone 2.0
It doesn’t get any more steak and potatoes than an assault rifle in Warzone. While the trusty M4 is always a reliable and performant weapon, the TAQ-56 stuck out early on as one of the best assault rifles in Modern Warfare II.
You may prefer different attachments for different uses, but most assault rifles in Modern WarfareII benefit from prioritizing boosts to medium-range effectiveness. Sniper rifles, battle rifles, and marksman rifles will usually outpace an assault rifle at long distance, while SMGs are typically great for up-close engagements. Your mileage may vary, but here are some attachments to consider for the TAQ-56 assault rifle:
Maybe you shouldn’t use the grenade launcher, but c’mon where’s the fun in that?Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Muzzles: Harbinger D20 or Echoline GS-X Barrels: 17.5 Tundra Pro Barrel Underbarrel: FTAC Ripper 56 or Hellscream 40mm (for the lulz) Ammo Type: High Velocity or Armor Piercing (pierces walls and is effective against vehicles. Does fuck-all against armor tho) Magazine Size: 60 rounds
If you want to swap one of these out to gain an Optic, the Aim-OP V4 is a good choice. I personally prefer the Lonewolf, but that’s more of an aesthetic choice than a functional one.
And if the Taq V ain’t to your liking, you might also want to consider the M4, Kastov 762 or 74U. Folks out there also really like the Chimera, which you need to extract from Building 21 in the DMZ to obtain (good luck). I also like the STB 556 a fair bit.
Best SMG loadout for Warzone 2.0
SMGs put out a lot of bullets, and fast. Your running speed will usually be higher with one equipped as well, so having one of these will benefit you in more ways than just damage output.
While the FSS Hurricane and Vel 46 aren’t bad choices, when it comes to SMGs, the Fennec 45 is easily one of the best in Warzone 2. It’s not uncommon to find these on enemies, kitted out to an extreme degree for good reason: It fires bullets real-fuckin’-fast™ and feels damn stable while doing so.
The Hacksaw is a pretty fun Fennec blueprint.Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Here are some attachments to consider for the Fennec 45:
Optic: Cronen Mini Pro or SZ Holotherm Muzzles: XTEN RR-40 or Singuard MKV Barrels: Covert Force or ZLR 16.5 Ignition Barrel Underbarrels: FSS Skarkfin 90 or Agent Grip Magazine Size: 45 rounds
And if the Fennec isn’t your cup of high-bullet-output tea, you may wish to consider the Vaznev-9K.
Best Sniper Rifle loadout for Warzone 2.0
I expect opinions on this to diverge more than any other category on this list. Sniper rifles are a little rare out there in Al Mazrah, particularly for Warzone 2.0 proper which tends to see fights break out at close enough distances that a sniper would be somewhat of a disadvantage. In the DMZ, however, they’re often indispensably valuable.
Warzone 2.0 has a nice selection of sniper rifles which some might say don’t differ a whole lot between each other. For the most part, you can rely on powerful, bolt-action rifles doing substantial damage and frequently downing enemies with a single hit. But that Signal-50’s semi-auto rate of fire is hard to argue with. The Victus XMR has lately emerged as the go-to sniper rifle. If you struggle to land solid shots, one at a time, however, you might want to fall back on the Signal-50 for its higher rate of fire.
Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Here’re some great attachments choices for the Victus XMR:
Muzzles: Bruen Counter-Ops Muzzle or Bruen Agent 90 Silencer (reduced damage, but no negative to ADS speed) Barrel: Mack 8 33.5 Super Barrel Stock: XRK Rise 50 or FTAC Homeland Ammo Type: 50 Caliber High Velocity Guard: Corvus Responder
The RPK (why are we even considering other LMGs?)
The RPK sometimes feels like a damn Swiss Army knife. With high damage, fast rate of fire, and a decent-sized magazine that reloads nearly as quickly as an assault rifle, the slow-ass reload rates of other LMGs like the Rapp H or Sakin MG38 are left in the dust by this one clear standout. The RPK isn’t just one of the best LMGs, it’s one of the best guns in the game.
And though we’re talking about the battle royale, here’s a quick tip for DMZ: If you’re low on weapons, securing an RPK is your first objective. Most enemies tend to have them, and having a stash of these to fall back on when your insured weapon is on cooldown can help you build some momentum in the next deployment. Have I told you about my personal lord and savior, DMZ, yet? By the way, extraction shooters are amazing, in case you didn’t know.
Back to Warzone. Here are some great attachment choices for the RPK:
Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Optics: Aim-OP V4 or SZ Vortex-90 Muzzles: Polarfire-S or Zulu-60 Stock: Heavy Support Underbarrels: FTAC Ripper or VX Pineapple Rear Grips: Demo-X2 or Ivanov ST-70 Grip
What about battle rifles, marksman rifles, and other weapon loadout choices in Warzone 2.0?
Right now the Warzone meta centers around assault rifles, SMGs, and that darn RPK. Unless you’re going for some counter-cultural personal expression or are trying a new experimental build, everything listed above is likely your best choice when curating a loadout. But let’s consider a few alternatives if what I’ve mentioned so far isn’t to your liking.
Battle Rifles: Taq-V, FTAC Recon. (Some people like the SO-14. I fell off this in favor of the other two listed here). Marksman Rifles: EBR-14, TAQ-M Shotguns: LOL None.Season 01 Reloaded nerfed Shotguns pretty badly. The Bryson 800 is probably the best of these right now, but you’re better off just ignoring this category for now.
Recon: Double Time, Tracker, Focus, Birdseye Great for: Moving fast, keeping your aim on point under pressure, and gathering intel on your enemies
Things can get quite hot in Warzone. The Recon perk package will help you move faster with Double Time, spot enemy footprints with Tracker, avoid flinching when aiming at enemies with Focus, and Birdseye will reveal enemy locations and the direction they’re facing on the mini-map whenever you call up a UAV.
Specter: Double Time, Tracker, Spotter, Ghost Great for: Moving fast, spying on enemies, and laying low
Specter is similar to Recon in that it has Double Time and Tracker, but it adds Spotter for locating enemy equipment, and Ghost, making you invisible to UAVs, Portable Radars, and even that darn Heartbeat Sensor. That last perk kinda makes Specter a must-have.
Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Vanguard: Double Time, Bomb Squad, Resupply, High Alert Great for: Moving fast, reducing explosion damage, extra lethal equipment, and supernatural senses
Vanguard also comes with Double Time, so you’ll have your speed to rely on. You’ll also be able to move with less concern for explosions, as Bomb Squad will reduce damage from any non-Killstreak explosive. Resupply will help you stay stocked on lethal equipment, but High Alert is the real appeal of Vanguard as it will let you know when you’ve been spotted by an enemy you can’t see. If you value your privacy, grab this one for sure.
Screenshot: Activision / Kotaku
Weapon Specialist: Overkill, Strong Arm, Spotter, Survivor Great for: Carrying two primary weapons, throwing grenades more accurately, and staying alive
If you want your loadout to come with two assault rifles, an assault rifle and an SMG, an RPK and a sniper, or just about any combo of two primary weapons, look no further than the Weapon Specialist perk package. Overkill lets you slot two primaries into your loadout, and that’s by and large the main appeal here. But having the ability to accurately throw grenades, spot enemy equipment, and ping foes who down you (very handy for duos, trios, and quads) isn’t bad either.
What about tactical and lethal equipment?
Choosing the best tactical equipment in Warzone is often a matter of playing to the strengths of your playstyle. Also, in Warzone (as well as DMZ), tactical equipment might be something you frequently change up as you find new stuff on the map.
If you like to play it safe and keep some distance between you and other players, consider the Spotter Scope or Heartbeat Sensor.
Both Warzone and DMZ take place on a biiiig map. The Spotter Scope (essential in DMZ, imho) will help you spot potential danger ahead or behind you, while the Heartbeat Sensor is pretty handy when clearing a building. Watch the battery life on the Heartbeat Sensor, however, that thing evaporates quicker than a Steam Deck running Cyberpunk 2077.
Stims can save your life when you’re out of armor.
You’ll go into Warzone with two-plate armor vests (in DMZ you default to just one, which is even deadlier). Stims can often mean the difference between life and death as they’ll quickly juice your health back up. If you ask me, I save Stims for recovery on the battlefield, but you might decide to toss it in your loadout if you find you like to advance on an enemy even after your plates are broken.
Flash, Stun, Tear Gas and Smoke grenades are versatile and effective.
Want to piss off an advancing enemy who looks armed to the teeth? Blind ‘em with a flash grenade. Stun grenades can achieve similar results. Tear gas is also an effective way to screw with an enemy, exposing precious seconds of vulnerability. But if you want to vanish quickly, a big ploom of smoke can be very advantageous.
And if you’re a DMZ fan, I recommend saving more than a few Smoke grenades to spam the chopper when you’re exfiltrating. It’s a great way to obscure your location at a distance and confuse foes rushing the chopper. Be warned, however, thermal scopes (which include the Spotter Scope and Recon Drone) can see through that smoke.
What about Field upgrades?
Field upgrades don’t just give you an advantage, they can help your whole team. But they’re not a part of your loadout in Warzone (though they are in DMZ). You’ll have to find them on the field or grab ‘em at a Buy Station. Packing or finding a Munitions Box or Armor Box is one of the best options. Revive Pistols will also save you or a friendly if they’ve been downed, keeping you in the fight and out of the Gulag.
Beyond that, Battle Rage ain’t a bad choice if you like to get in people’s faces, and it pairs well with a high-output SMG like the Fennec 45.
I am personally a huge fan of the Recon Drone. In DMZ, at least, I’m never without it. In Warzone things might border too close to constant chaos for a Recon Drone to be of use, but it is a quick and effective way to get a bird’s eye perspective on what’s around you, following you, or just up ahead.
Inflatable Decoys can be hilarious when used well, but they take up a slot that might be better filled by other Field Upgrades mentioned here.
And how do I find my loadout?
Jeez this game has a lot of stuff you can find and use. You’ll spawn in on Warzone with a scrawny little pistol, so you’ll need to get that loadout from a few different places.
If you clear out an AI Stronghold, you’ll find a chest where you can acquire your loadout. Alternatively, you can wait until the announcer calls out random supply drops—but be warned, everyone will be gunning for those. You can now, thankfully, also buy your loadout via a Loadout Drop Grenade. This was added (back) into the game recently, and according to Raven Software might be subject to some changes and alterations.
Here’s the price breakdown for loadout drop grenades according to squad player counts:
Solos: $8,000
Duos: $16,000
Trios: $24,000
Quads: $32,000
Once you have one of these, you can just toss it out and wait for your Loadout to drop from the sky, ready to equip and slaughter the opposition with.
Like many battle royales, smart, in-the-moment decision making is just as essential as any weapon in the game. The weapon choices here will help you find the right loadout for your playstyle. I can’t help you with the exploding helicopters though.
