Season-long mysteries are normal for TV, and it’s something that both Matlock reboot proved how it’s possible to reveal bits of the mystery and later add more layers to it.

In some good news, Tracker season 3 now has the chance to further develop on the Shaw family mystery, thanks to some reveals at the end of season 2. To be able to create a more exciting mystery, it will need to move the plot faster, learning from the success and lessons of Matlock. This doesn’t mean everything needs to be revealed in one season, but some answers should be teased out to keep viewers engaged.

Tracker Has Overextended Its Shaw Family Mystery

It Took 2 Seasons To Learn About Ashton Shaw’s Death

From the beginning of Tracker season 1, we learned that Ashton Shaw had died years earlier, and there was a mystery surrounding his death. Nobody knew if he had been pushed or had jumped, but Colter’s mother, Mary, quickly pointed fingers at her elder son, Russell. This led to Colter questioning his brother’s actions, only for Russell to show up at the end of the season to say that he had nothing to do with the death and simply found his dad’s body.

It took a whole season just to learn this, and until the Tracker season 2 finale to get confirmation that Ashton was killed. This was a drawn-out mystery, and many felt like it was forgotten about, as Colter wouldn’t even mention his family that often. There were too many layers to the mystery and to the initial question about what happened to Ashton that night, causing the entire storyline to become convoluted quickly.

Matlock Season 1 Finale Resolved Its Biggest Mystery And Set Up A More Interesting Season 2

Olympia Found Out About The Wellbrexa Study By The End Of Season 1

While one of the big storylines of Matlock season 1 revolved around Matty hiding her true identity, it was all because of one major mystery. She needed to find out who removed the Wellbrexa study, which could have taken opioids off the streets sooner, potentially saving her daughter’s life. It took a whole season to get some answers, but after a couple of misdirects, we got the big answer before the season came to an end, offering a good payoff for loyalty.

It took a whole season to get some answers, but after a couple of misdirects, we got the big answer before the season came to an end, offering a good payoff for loyalty.

It was Julian, and Olympia ended up being pulled into the mystery to get the answers. This now sets up a far more exciting storyline for Matlock season 2, as the season 1 finale ended on a cliffhanger. Will Olympia turn Julian in, or will she continue to hide the documents as well?

Matty has no idea Olympia found them, and it’s hard to tell whether Olympia will want to protect the father of her children or do the right thing. If Olympia works with Julian, it continues the mystery for Matty, but we know there’s a new level to the arc. There are also questions about whether Olympia will out Matty as a fraudster, removing that threat and forcing Matty to figure out a new way in Matlock season 2 to prove the law firm did something illegal.

Why Tracker Unveiling Ashton's Killer Earlier Would Have Been Better For Its Future

There Are Exciting Questions For Tracker Season 3

Throughout two seasons of Tracker, we focused on whether Ashton was killed or not. It became clear he was probably killed, but the question of who the killer was came up time and time again. Now, Tracker season 3 has the chance to move on from that mystery and deepen it. Rather than focusing on the who, there is a bigger question of the why, and unveiling the killer in season 1 would have made Tracker season 2 more interesting.

Colter has far more mysteries to work with, leading to more for us to pick out of episodes in Tracker season 3.

Colter has some of Ashton’s old work now that Dory dropped it off for him. Russell will also want to get to the bottom of it since he was implicated by his mom. We also know that Colter’s mom was involved, so there are questions of why she would go as far as wanting her husband dead and then why she would suggest her elder son had something to do with it. Colter has far more mysteries to work with, leading to more for us to pick out of episodes in Tracker season 3.

Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.

SIGN UP NOW!