The Shaw Family
Lee Tergesen as Ashton Shaw
Wendy Crewson as Mary Shaw
Jensen Ackles as Russell Shaw
Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw
Melissa Roxburgh as Dory Shaw
Questions – All the Stuff We’re Dying to Know
The long arc of the show does a deep dive into the Shaw family history. As we move into Tracker season two, below are all the questions that still needs answers. Each one is prefixed by the season number, episode number and question number. Can’t wait to check off each one as the Shaw family history unfolds for us in the coming months.
- 01-01-01. What incident happened that made Ashton Shaw uproot his family and move into the wilderness?
- 01-01-02. What changed their life from “adventurous” to “being on the run?”
- 01-01-03. Who or what are they running from?
- 01-01-04. What happened after Russell walked away from the top of that cliff?
- 01-01-05. What does Colter’s mom mean “for everyone’s sake?”
- 01-01-06. At this point of the season timeline, it seems reasonable to assume that Russell is guilty. His guilt explains why Colter refuses to speak with him, and his mother’s insistence that he doesn’t. Is it true? Did Russell kill Ashton Shaw?
- 01-01-07. Why the attempts at contact now after 20 years of estrangement? What changed?
- 01-02-08. Who broke into Colter’s mom’s home and his late father’s office?
- 01-02-09. A figurine taken from Ashton’s office was used to prop up the ominous (I’m watching you) note. Is there anything significant about this figurine? Why did Colter’s mom hide the note from him?
- 01-02-10. The cabin where Colter’s mom lives wasn’t damaged (reasonable assumption as Colter would have noticed), so either she doesn’t lock the door to her cabin, or the intruder had a key. Which is it?
- 01-02-11. If Ashton Shaw has been dead for 20 years, why is someone suddenly interested in his belongings now?
- 01-02-12. What is in the file that Colter stole from the cult leader’s office?
- 01-11-13. Why does Colter refuse to maintain regular contact with his sister Dory? Does he harbor resentment towards her as she describes?
- 01-11-14. Colter and Dory discover from the file that their father worked for the government for 7 years. In what capacity?
- 01-11-15. Why did their mother keep that information from them?
- 01-11-16. How is it that an Aunt Melissa and Uncle Dave show up at the Shaw family household to take the children away? This is not something that just happens. Did their mother call them? Was it for their safety?
- 01-11-17. Whatever version of events Colter is being fed via their mother, Dory believes it is either a lie or a manipulation. Which is it?
- 01-12-18. One of three things are a possibility. Ashton Shaw killed himself. The stranger in the woods killed him. Russell is lying to Colter and he is the real murderer. Which is it?
- 01-12-19. Russell claims that their father had enemies. Who was the stranger in the woods the night Ashton Shaw died?
- 01-12-20. What does this strange man have to do with their mother?
- 01-12-21. Did their mother have anything to do with their father’s death?
- 01-12-22. Why would their mother tell Russell it would be better if he left?
- 01-12-23. According to Russell, he did not kill his father. It makes sense that he would have told his mother that. His mother told him to keep quiet about what happened, which is confusing because it sounds like Russell doesn’t know what happened. Big Question: What did happen?
- 01-12-24. Bigger Question: Why did their mother convince Colter that Russell was responsible for their father’s death?
- 01-13-25. Did Colter’s mother know of the affair that her husband was having with Lizzy’s mother?
- 01-13-26. Ashton Shaw and Lizzy’s mother argued about something. Does it have to do with the contents of the file box?
- 01-13-27. Is Ashton’s death linked to the contents of this box?
- 01-13-28. What is in the file box that Lizzy sent to Dory?
- 01-13-29. Why did Dory not tell Colter about the box?
- 02-02-30. We learn that Ashton Shaw took his kids to “Eagle Head Rock” to witness a UAP siting. Is this linked to reasons why he and his family were on the government watch list?
- 02-03-31. We learn that as a kid, Colter had some talent as a baseball player but his father denied him the ability to play.
- 02-03-32. Colter admits to loving and hating his mother at the same time, but no details are provided.
- 02-05-33. Colter shares an anecdote about Dory and how she used to concoct potions when she was a kid and tell everyone they were curses.
Answers – The Shaw Family History
- 01-01-06 / 01-12-18 / 01-12-23 / 01-12-24: All these questions implicate Russell in the killing of Ashton Shaw. At this point it seems unlikely, but the jury is still out on his actual involvement until Colter can pin down this information with their mother.
Reminder
Don’t forget to catch Tracker on CBS/Paramount+ Sunday Evenings at 8:00pm ET/PT.
