‘Tracker’ Season 4 Episode 5 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch & Preview: Jensen Ackles Returns as Russell
Jensen Ackles is set to return as Russell Shaw on Sunday, November 1, reuniting with Justin Hartley’s Colter in an episode titled “Need to Know.” The brothers come back together relatively early in the run, which suggests the larger family storyline may either stretch across the whole season or resolve sooner than expected.
Anyone planning around the ‘Tracker’ release date will want the air time, the streaming options and a clear sense of what the official synopsis promises. Here is what CBS and the reporting around the episode have confirmed so far.
‘Tracker’ Release Date for the Next Episode
The new episode airs on Sunday, November 1, 2026. It follows “Purification,” which aired on October 25. That keeps the series on a steady weekly rhythm.
New episodes of the show arrive on Sundays on CBS. After “Need to Know,” the next installment on the schedule is “Blind Spot,” set for November 15.
The previous season ended on May 24 with a cliffhanger that threatens to expose a major secret about Colter. That unresolved thread is a big reason the return of Russell carries more weight than a typical guest appearance. This is also the first run of episodes shot in California after earlier seasons were filmed in Vancouver.
‘Tracker’ Air Time on CBS
Regular episodes of the show air at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CBS. That is the slot viewers should expect for the Ackles episode. Viewers in other regions will need to convert from those two reference times.
The premiere began at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, a half hour later than usual, and that shift applied to premiere night only. Paramount+ lists 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific as the standard slot for the season, beginning October 11.
‘Marshals’ airs on Sundays at 8 p.m., directly ahead of ‘Tracker.’ The pairing gives CBS a two hour block of action drama on Sunday nights, and it means the lead in has the same audience in place when Colter’s hour begins.
Where to Watch ‘Tracker’ on CBS and Paramount+
The simplest way to watch is live on CBS, and the series is also available through Paramount+. How soon an episode becomes available online depends on the subscription tier.
Paramount+ Premium subscribers can watch live and on demand as the episode airs on CBS, while Essential subscribers have to wait until the day after, which would be Monday. Viewers who prefer to see the Shaw reunion without spoilers should plan around that difference.
Live television streaming platforms such as Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV carry Sunday programming in real time. Subscribers on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME can also watch the broadcast live through their local station feed.
‘Tracker’ Preview as the Shaw Brothers Reunite
According to the official tune in description, a military contractor’s wife and daughter are kidnapped, and Colter discovers that Russell is investigating a related lead. The brothers then join forces to uncover a high stakes cover up. The setup places Colter’s usual search for missing people directly in the path of his brother’s own work.
The brothers were last together in the previous season finale, when Russell took a shady job so Colter would not learn what a government file said about their father. Colter remains unaware of that arrangement, so the reunion begins on friendly terms. Jeff Pierre guest stars as Grant Valko in the episode.
Screen Rant observed that the images and synopsis suggest the hour will concentrate on the case of the week rather than directly address the lingering secret between the brothers. That fits the procedural format the show has leaned on throughout its run, though Ackles appearances have often nudged the larger story forward as well.
Hartley told TVInsider during filming that Ackles is “in at least one, and we’ll have him back when we can.” He added that a few more appearances are likely in the new year. With Colter still in the dark about what Russell agreed to, do you think this joint case ends with the brothers closer than ever, or does the cover up they uncover threaten to expose the truth about their father before Russell is ready?
