CBS is in its nun era with multiple shows — including Tracker and Matlock — finding ways to feature episodes around a member of the clergy.
Justin Hartley‘s hit series, Tracker, which has continued to dominate with their ratings, enlisted a character who is a nun in the Halloween episode. The third season had its work cut out for them after Robin Weigert, Abby McEnany and Bobby Graise departed the show.
Executive producer Elwood Reid teased what fans can expect as the show expands.
“Some of the danger is in here because he’s not a cop. He is this guy who is poking his nose in places,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in October of the main character. “The network is always like, ‘He can get messed up, he can lose a fight, he can get conked on the head and he can have a gun pointed at him.’”
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Reid added: “Justin pitched an idea for the season 3 midseason finale where it doesn’t go well for Colter. That’s what makes him fun is he is not a superhero.”
The showrunner noted that the perk of Tracker‘s success is finding ways to raise the stakes.
“When I watch a lot of these types of shows, the minute the character becomes infallible or perfect then I’m uninterested,” Reid explained. “I like when characters have flaws and make mistakes and are mortal and can be wounded and can screw up.”
He continued: “I’m very conscious of not making Colter too perfect. We are scuffing him up, letting him screw up and letting him do the wrong thing. I think that’s what makes the character fun to write — at least for me.”
Over on Matlock, Matty (Kathy Bates) and Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) are trying to figure out if they can be friends again after the newcomer lied about her past as part of a revenge plot. Olympia ultimately figured out that Matty was lying to her the entire time despite ex-husband Julian (Jason Ritter) being the one at fault.
“The stakes are so high because where is this Wellbrexa document going? And that’s what season 2 is about to take you on a journey with: that document,” Marshall teased to Us in September before elaborating on how Olympia deals with being lied to by those closest to her. “Throughout season 1, everyone betrayed Olympia — from Julian cheating to Shay cheating with Julian to Matlock being a total lie. Then Sarah takes a case behind her back and Billy helps her. Elijah doing the two-step with Senior on her client because she broke up with him. Like, how does this woman still show up to Jacobson Moore, with this wall up and this protection?”
Keep scrolling for the nun-related story lines taking over CBS:
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‘Tracker’
The show’s first Halloween episode, which aired in November, followed Colter as he traveled to Massachusetts to assist on a case involving the murder of a nurse and the disappearance of an arsonist, which all led back to a killer nun.
‘Matlock’
In a November episode, Matty and Olympia continued to test the boundaries of their friendship while helping a group of nuns win a legal case.
‘Elsbeth’
An upcoming episode of the show features Dianne Wiest as a nun involved in a murder investigation after a pop star’s purchase of a failing convent leads to a shocking death.
