7 things we learned about Tracker season 2 at San Diego Comic-Con

The CBS breakout series Tracker gained popularity quickly after its premiere, going on to become the #1 entertainment show for the 2023-2024 season. So it only made sense that the series held a panel all about everyone's favorite Rewardist at San Diego Comic-Con this summer to celebrate season 1 with fans and tease what's to come in Tracker season 2.

The panel took place on Saturday, July 27 in the Indigo Ballroom, and it was small but mighty with only two panelists: executive producer and showrunner Elwood Reid, and the show's star, Justin Hartley. This was Hartley's first Comic-Con in 15 years, and you could tell that he loved being back at the con...and teasing what's ahead for Colter Shaw this season.

7 things we learned about Tracker season 2 at SDCC

1) Tracker's premiere date has changed!

Tracker season 2 had previously been scheduled to air on Sunday, October 27, but at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that the new season has been moved up two weeks. The season premiere will now air Sunday, October 13 on CBS!

2) Season 2 will have a larger episode order

Many tv series had shorter episode orders in 2024 largely because of the WGA and SAG strikes in the entertainment industry. Tracker's first season consisted of 13 episodes, but it was announced during the panel that season 2 will have a total of 20 episodes.

3) There will be a UFO-centered episode this season

Is Colter Shaw going to Area 51? Showrunner Elwood Reid spoke on the panel about how Colter will continue to dive into different worlds and communities in each episode. "One of the things that's cool about the show is that it goes into a different world every week," Reid said. "We've got some story arcs we're really excited about this season... the second episode goes into exploring UFOs in a real way."

4) Jensen Ackles will return as Russell

Colter's older brother Russell contributed to the mysteries surrounding Colter's story in Tracker season 1, and fans were very excited when Russell appeared in the penultimate episode (especially fans of actor Jensen Ackles). During their SDCC panel, Reid revealed that -- along with UFOs -- Tracker season 2 episode 2 will also see the return of Russell.

While we will see Russell again in season 2, Reid confirmed that they don't want to overuse the character so that when Russell does appear, it delivers more of an impact. Watch the clip about the UFO-centered episode and Jensen Ackles' return from SDCC here:

5) There will be a time-jump at the beginning of Tracker season 2

We got confirmation during the panel that there will be a bit of a time jump at the beginning of this season. We will not find Colter Shaw still surfing at the beach when we fade into the season premiere. Instead, several months will have gone by and Colter will have moved on to a new spot with his Airstream.

6) We'll learn more about Billie this season

The Comic-Con panel left the audience with a cryptic message around one character in particular: Billie. Played by Sofia Pernas, Billie was introduced in episode 6, "Lexington," as a reward seeker who sees Colter as her competition, but who teamed up with him to track down a missing racehorse. Not only did we get confirmation that Billie would return in season 2, but Reid also teased that there is a mystery around Billie and that she's not completely who we think she is.

7) We will meet the man who was in the woods with Colter's dad

This one is a bit of a long tease, because we don't have a guarantee that this will happen in season 2. However, Elwood Reid confirmed that we WILL be seeing the man who was in the woods with Colter Shaw's dad the night of his death sometime on the show.

Tracker season 2 premieres Sunday, October 13 at 8pm on CBS. You can also stream new episodes the following day on Paramount+. And if you haven't finished watching season 1, what are you waiting for? All episodes are available to stream now!