Episode 1 of "Tracker" opens in the desolate Black Rock Desert of Nevada, where our protagonist, Colter Shaw, attends to a stranded hiker named Jesse. Her leg is injured, immobilizing her, and she's panic-stricken. Amidst her hysteria, Colter remains steadfast, his experience guiding him. He calmly explains to Jesse that waiting for rescue will only diminish her chances of survival. Stabilizing her leg, he carries her to safety in his pickup truck.
Colter is a man driven by rewards, his eyes always peeled for any bounty offered for missing persons or animals by worried families or the police. He works closely with his team, the duo of Velma and Teddie, who provide him with case details and handle his finances. During a video conference discussing Jesse's case, Velma informs Colter that a man has been calling for him from the infamous Devil's Notch. Upon hearing this name, Colter's demeanor changes, a spark of recognition igniting in his eyes. Checking his phone, he sees several missed calls from the same number, but he chooses to ignore them.
His next case takes him to Klamath Falls, Oregon, where a 14-year-old boy named Gil has gone missing. The prime suspect is his biological father, Edward Brown, who has a troubled past with both the law and Gil's stepfather, Mark. Gil's mother, Sarah, initially lies about having severed all contact with Eddie, but Colter is quick to catch her deception.
Eddie had expressed his intention to meet Gil weeks prior, and Gil had reciprocated the desire. This becomes the starting point for Colter's investigation. He calls upon Bobby Exley, his technical expert, to assist him. With Bobby's help, Colter uncovers a crucial clue: Gil's last message to Eddie confirming their meeting at Burger Bin, a fast-food restaurant. When the manager refuses to grant him access to the drive-through CCTV footage, Colter persists, sneaking into the back office to view it himself.
Colter sends an image of the man who picked up Gil to Sarah, but her horrified reaction reveals that the man is not Eddie. Suddenly, Colter is arrested, and Velma and Teddie scramble to secure a lawyer. Their only option is Reenie Miller, who shares a complex romantic history with Colter. When she arrives at the station, she makes sure to give Colter a piece of her mind about his past abandonment. Fortunately, Colter is released and allowed to continue his investigation. He even forms a bond with Officer Amini, who arrested him, impressed by his dedication to finding the missing boy.
Colter contacts Bobby again to learn the identity of the man in the image. While Bobby is unable to provide a name, he reveals a shocking fact: Eddie has been dead for six months. Determined to unravel the mystery, Colter visits a residential re-entry center where Eddie once resided. There, he learns from fellow residents that the man in the image is Jack Horvath. During his incarceration, Eddie had spoken fondly of a stash of buried money, leading Colter to speculate that the kidnapping could be linked to this hidden treasure.
Only Gil possesses the knowledge of where the buried treasure lies, and that's precisely why Horvath abducted him. Gil relays this crucial information to Mark and Sarah, who, despite all odds, persuade the State Police to grant Colter the opportunity to approach Horvath in his own unique manner. With a mere two hours on their hands, Colter and Amini embark on a tense journey to the Sun Pass Forest.
Only Gil possesses the knowledge of where the money is hidden, and that's precisely why Horvath abducted him. Carrying this crucial information, Colter approaches Mark and Sarah, imploring them to persuade the State Police to allow him to confront Horvath in his own unique manner. With just two hours to act, Colter rushes to the Sun Pass Forest, accompanied by Amini.
Episode 1 also delves into Colter's past, revealing the complexities of his family life. As they embark on their journey, Colter shares his life story, painting a vivid picture of his upbringing. Both his parents were esteemed professors at Berkeley, but a fateful incident led to their divorce. His father, taking Colter, his older brother Russell, and younger sister Dory under his wing, taught them the essentials of survival, including the perilous art of free climbing in the dreaded "Devil's Notch."
However, one fateful night, their father wandered off into the darkness, and Russell, consumed by a growing mental illness, followed in his footsteps. He never returned, his hallucinations and disillusionment with reality becoming his undoing. In a flashback, Colter finds his father lying unconscious on the ground, a haunting reminder of the tragedy that struck their family.
Returning to the present, Colter enters the forest, only to discover Gil chained to the rear of Horvath's truck. Horvath emerges from the shadows, gun in hand, but Colter remains unperturbed. He calmly reasons with Horvath, explaining that there is no buried treasure as Eddie had merely boasted to gain social status. If Horvath leaves without Gil, he stands a chance of escaping unscathed. But if he insists on keeping Gil hostage, the police will descend upon him like a swarm of bees.
Horvath, swayed by Colter's logic, relinquishes the truck keys. But just when things seem to be turning in their favor, the sound of a police chopper echoes through the forest, causing Horvath to suspect a trap. He lashes out, shooting the tracker in the arm and attempting to flee. But Amini, the chopper, and Colter are relentless in their pursuit. Cornered and with no escape in sight, Horvath takes his own life.
The truck begins to roll down the steep slope, with Gil and Colter still trapped in its rear. Their lives hang in the balance as they struggle to survive the descending vehicle and the uncertain fate that awaits them at the bottom.
The vehicle dangled precariously over the edge of the cliff, its survival hanging by a thread. Colter turned to Gil, his face etched with determination. "My arm's been hit, I can't pull us up," he said gravely. "Our only chance is to jump into the river below. We might survive that way." Gil, though hesitant, trusted Colter's judgment and followed his lead. Together, they leaped into the unknown, only to emerge from the churning waters, both miraculously alive.
In the hospital's sterile halls, Colter's advice to Gil was as poignant as ever. "Lean on the people you have in your life," he urged, his voice soft yet urgent. "They'll be your support when things get tough."
And then, amidst the chaos and recovery, a new romance bloomed. Colter and Amini found solace in each other's arms, their relationship deepening with each passing moment. But the joy was fleeting, as Colter's next assignment loomed large on the horizon, threatening to tear them apart.
With a heavy heart, Colter returned to the cabin in the woods where he'd grown up. It was there, among the familiar surroundings, that he received the shocking news of his father's death. Ashton, a man of steel and stone, had perished in the wilds, leaving Colter with a void that could never be filled.
That fateful night, as the rain poured down, Colter stood at the edge of the Devil's Notch, staring down at the lifeless body of his father. Russell, standing at the top, his face a mask of indifference, seemed to taunt Colter with his father's demise. It was clear that Russell had been the one to push Ashton to his fatal fall, and it was Russell who had been trying to contact Colter all this time.
As Colter met his mother at the cabin, the unresolved issues within the family became all too apparent. The secrets and lies that had been woven throughout their lives were slowly being unraveled, revealing a tangled web of emotions and betrayals that would shape Colter's future in ways he could never have imagined.
