'Tracker' 3 Episode 21 Recap: Jensen Ackles returns as Shaw family secrets come to light ahead of finale
'Tracker' is finally addressing one of its central mysteries, and it is pushing the Shaw brothers into more dangerous territory. The episode titled 'Chrono Stasis' featured Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) teaming up with Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles) to figure out what exactly went down with their father, Ashton Shaw (Lee Tergesen). In the previous episode, Colter found that their father was running a top-secret government operation in Alaska, which led to an accident. He contacts Russell to help locate a woman named Serena Yukich, who used to work with their father on the same project. Russell shows up, determined to get to the bottom of their father's covert operations.
The brothers' first stop is Echo Ridge, where their mother (Wendy Crewson) now resides. Mary reveals to Colter that Ashton lost his mental stability after the accident. The family suffered immensely because of Ashton's erratic behavior. Mary, at one point, wanted to move away with the children, but Ashton stopped her, fearing that the boys would get into trouble because of his past. Ultimately, Mary, to safeguard her children, played a part in Ashton's eventual death. In the last three seasons, it was revealed that she let Colter believe that Russell was responsible for the death, and also kept the former away from the investigation into the death, fearing her secret would be revealed. Now with everything out in the open, she is ready to move on and plans to sell the cabin she once shared with the family. Colter pushes her for answers about his father's condition in this heart-to-heart, and all Mary has to say is that things started to shift after the Alaska posting.
This means that all the answers lie with Serena, the only known Alaska connection. It is revealed that Serena now lives off the grid, away from society, possibly to protect herself from the government's wrath. She agrees to talk and shares that the project titled 'Chronos Stasis' dealt with “stretching the limits of their (subjects') capabilities.” Initially, the test subjects were adults; later, it included highly intellectual children. During one of the exercises, a child lost his life, which sent Ashton over the edge. He tried to close the program, but the authorities doxxed him, ensuring that no one would believe him. Serena also did not trust his words and continued working in the program, albeit at a different location.
Serena came face-to-face with the brutal reality while sitting in on remote viewing sessions with a subject named Danny. The boy mentioned seeing his mother in the sessions, which surprised Serena, as he was listed as an orphan. After some digging, she found out that the boy was never an orphan. After learning about his high IQ, the authorities facilitated a car accident that killed his father, and later abducted the child. Serena's enquiries came to the government's attention, and like Ashton, she was also kicked out. To date, she hasn't forgotten about Danny. Seeing her get emotional, Colter promises to find Danny and bring him to safety.
Colter turns to his trusted aide, Randy (Chris Lee), for information about the program's current base. After some digging, Randy finds that the program may be operating out of a pharmaceutical company called Dorix Logics and informs Colter. The brothers break in, and Russell is quickly apprehended, while Colter escapes and finds Danny. To Colter's surprise, Danny presses a button to call guards to grab him. “You don’t understand, I can’t leave,” he says before the screen reads, 'To Be Continued.' The season finale, set to air on May 24 on CBS, will reveal what lies ahead for the brothers and shed more light on the dangerous operation.
