Colter gets swept up in a conspiratorial spiderweb in the CBS series’ midseason finale.

Tracker season 3 midseason finale explained: Unpacking Colter’s latest conspiracy (and that cliffhanger)

Colter gets swept up in a conspiratorial spiderweb in the CBS series' midseason finale.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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December 14, 2025 9:30 p.m. ET

Brent Sexton as Keaton and Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw in the 'Tracker' season 3 fall finale. Credit:

Sergei Bachlakov/CBS

- The fall finale of CBS's *Tracker* season 3 finds Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) getting swept up in a far-reaching criminal conspiracy.

- The episode introduces a bloodthirsty villain in Emile Lang (Mark Engelhardt).

- Season 3 returns on March 1, 2026.

The trail never ends for Colter Shaw, the crime-solving survivalist of CBS's *Tracker*.

*Tracker*'s third season began with Justin Hartley's Colter reuniting with his brother, Russell (Jensen Ackles), who's offered him some leads that could potentially shine a light on their father's mysterious death (and their mom's involvement in it). Colter also happened upon something called the Process, a nefarious system in which those nursing dark secrets are blackmailed into committing heinous crimes.

Secrets also abound in "Good Trouble," the show's midseason finale. It begins with the murder of a dairy farmer and the gruesome discovery of a mass grave on his property. From there, the episode spirals into a conspiracy involving a Pacific Northwest crime boss, a formidable contract killer, and a potentially corrupt cop. It ends with several dangling threads and a car crash that doesn't look good for anyone involved.

Ready to break down the *Tracker* season 3 fall finale? Keep scrolling.

What’s buried on the dairy farm?

Brent Sexton as Keaton, Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, and Jes Macallan as Det. Willa Simms in the 'Tracker' season 3 fall finale.

Darko Sikman/CBS

Bodies. A lot of them.

In Tacoma, Wash., Colter is recruited by retired cop Keaton (Brent Sexton), whom we last saw helping Colter catch a serial killer in season 2, to track down Nat Dobbs (Dean McKenzie). After a little digging, the pair discovers that Dobbs disappeared while investigating the aforementioned dairy farm. When they arrive on the scene, they discover several bodies buried on the property.

Colter and Keaton are informed by Det. Willa Simms (Jes Macallan) that there are at least 10 bodies, some dating back as far as six months. There's no clear connection between the dead, but they were all shot execution-style.

Randy (Chris Lee), Colter's tech wizard, offers a lead when he digs into the financial records of the dead farmer, who had been receiving huge deposits into his bank account from a shell company run by an Armenian crime boss named Zhan Menassian (Arnab Biswas). Menassian, it appears, was paying the farmer to bury bodies on his property. So, why was the farmer killed? Good question.

In search of answers, Colter manages to sneak into Menassian's apartment, where he finds the crime boss dead.

Who killed Menassian?

After Colter and Randy hack Menassian's security system, they discover that he was killed by Dobbs. This comes as a shock to Keaton, who believes his old partner to be a good man (despite a weakness for women).

But they catch something else in the footage: a reflection in the window that reveals Dobbs wasn't alone in Menassian's apartment. Keaton recognizes him instantly as Emile Lang (Mark Engelhardt).

Who is Emile Lang?

Mark Engelhardt as Emile Lang in the 'Tracker' season 3 fall finale.

According to Keaton, Lang is a contract killer who's been presumed dead the past five years. He last made waves for killing a cop in a nightclub shooting. It turns out it was a resurfaced Lang who shot the farmer and abducted Dobbs.

The first time we see Lang, he's peppering a restrained Dobbs with questions about who sent him to the farm. When Dobbs says he only went to the farm after reading about the shooting in the paper, a dissatisfied Lang tortures him via electric shock.

'Tracker' star Justin Harley previews Jensen Ackles' season 2 return

'Tracker' season 2 finale reveals who killed Colter's dad, raises more questions

It's still unclear what sent them to Messarian's apartment to carry out the hit, though we do know the pair eventually got into a car accident that left Dobbs critically injured and Lang in rough shape. By the time Colter and Keaton discover the wreck (and Dobbs suffering alongside it), Lang has escaped into the woods.

Keaton is baffled. What has Dobbs gotten himself into? As his old partner takes his last breaths, he directs Keaton to Messarian's cell phone, which he took after the murder. "I tried," he says before dying. "I'm sorry."

While answers are sure to be found on the phone, Colter is more concerned with tracking down Lang.

What is Lang’s plan?

Brent Sexton as Keaton, Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, and Dean McKenzie as Dobbs in the 'Tracker' season 3 fall finale.

Sergei Bachlakov/CBS

Lang steals a car, gets some new clothes, and buys a gun, which he takes with him to the home of an accountant named Bradley Weitz (Trevor Hinton). There, he gets inside by pretending to be with the gas company. Weitz is oblivious until he gets a text: "SOMEONE KNOWS. GET OUT," it reads. Weitz runs to his safe, retrieving a gun, but Lang intercepts him. "I think we should have a talk," he says.

Colter and Keaton track the stolen vehicle to Weitz's house. In the garage, which is filled with labeled boxes, Colter finds Weitz. He's been shot execution-style, just like the bodies buried on the farm. Keaton, meanwhile, catches Lang leaving with a box he stole from Weitz's garage. They exchange gunfire, but Lang manages to escape after putting a bullet in Keaton.

Colter scoops up Keaton, who's bleeding out from his wound. As Colter drives him to a doctor, Keaton relays something he learned from the housekeeper, whom he found restrained with duct tape over her mouth. It turns out Lang was looking for someone named Cassie Lindstrom.

Lindstrom, Keaton says, was also the name of the cop that Lang murdered at the nightclub.

How does the Tracker season 3 midseason finale end?

Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw in the 'Tracker' season 3 fall finale.

Darko Sikman/CBS

As "Good Trouble" comes to a close, we cut over to Reenie (Fiona Rene), Colter's attorney. She's been doing some digging and discovered that Messarian operated a different shell company several years back that has since been shut down for fraud. That company made transfers to the farmer, but she also notes transfers made to Dobbs.

It sure looks like Dobbs was taking bribes from Messarian. In fact, it seems like a lot of prominent folks were. Perhaps this is why the local authorities, including Det. Simms and Police Commissioner Bogart (Sasha Roiz), both urged Keaton and Colter to stay out of the investigation. How deep does this conspiracy go?

We're then back with Colter and Keaton, whose car is sprayed with bullets. The car flies off the road and flips upside down. And with so many questions still unanswered, the screen reads "To be continued."**

When does Tracker season 3 return?

*Tracker* season 3 will return on Sunday, March 1 at 9 p.m. ET.**

How can I watch Tracker?

*Tracker* airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

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