Justin Hartley‘s hit CBS series Tracker has enjoyed including onscreen nods to Jensen Ackles‘ Supernatural.
Based on Jeffery Deaver‘s novel The Never Game, Tracker follows a survivalist named Colter (Hartley) who travels the country helping people and law enforcement tackle a variety of mysteries. Tracker expanded Colter’s world by introducing Us to some of his family members — including brother Russell played by Jensen Ackles.
Ackles’ appearance came after his long run opposite Jared Padalecki on Supernatural from 2005 to 2020. The former costars played brothers who were always on the road hunting monsters, which might feel familiar for fans tuning into Tracker.
Luckily, the comparisons don’t stop there. Tracker continued to lean into onscreen moments that nodded at Ackles’ time playing Dean Winchester. Keep scrolling for the biggest Easter eggs:
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The Car
During Ackles’ debut on Tracker in May 2024, his character playfully touched a Chevrolet Impala. This paralleled Dean’s Impala, which was passed down from his father, John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
Season 2 continued that subtle nod by showing Russell’s car, which looked like Dean’s iconic Impala.
“This is a sweet ride, I wouldn’t mind getting behind the wheel of this thing,” Colter told Russell, who replied, “That is never going to happen.”
Russell reiterated his love for his car when Colter asked to be driven into the woods. “This baby doesn’t drive on gravel,” Russell fired back. This mirrored Dean’s behavior on Supernatural when he affectionately referred to his vehicle as “Baby” on the show.
The Location
Russell and Colter’s first mission on Tracker took them to Roanoke, Virginia. That served as a reference to Roanoke Colony, which was referenced on Supernatural as Croatoan.
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The Story Lines
In season 1, Colter and Russell got caught up in a case full of curses and supernatural lore — pun intended. Then in season 2, Colter got caught up in a missing persons case related to aliens, with Russell being a big believer in the unknown, which served as a nice nod to Dean on Supernatural.
The Catchphrase
The season 3 trailer for Tracker shows Colter and Russell getting involved in a bar fight before Russell offered to “rock, paper, scissors” Colter for the last guy left standing. Supernatural fans will likely pick up on that Easter egg, considering Ackles’ Sam and Padalecki’s Dean would play that game when delegating undesirable tasks.
