Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) is used to cases taking unexpected turns in Tracker. He often starts searching for a missing person and ends up uncovering a bigger mystery. However, in Season 2, Episode 11, Shades of Grey, he does not see a betrayal coming inside a cupcake shop. This mistake almost costs him and others their lives.
The episode begins with Colter held at gunpoint in New Jersey. Two men threaten him and accuse him of interfering where he should not have. This is not surprising, given his profession. Then, in a flashback to 18 hours earlier, the episode shifts focus to Reenie (Fiona Rene).
She and her boyfriend, Elliott (Michael Rady), receive a call from a client who is upset about her missing son. They stop their date night to contact Colter and assign him the case.
Also Read: ‘Tracker’ Season 2 Episode 10 Recap: Colter Shaw Hunts a Survivalist and Faces Deadly Bikers
Colter Travels to the City for a New Case
The client, Ivy Hale (Amy Pietz), owns a chain of cupcake bakeries in New Jersey. Her son, Matt (Derek Anderson), works in finance in Manhattan and has disappeared. Colter visits Ivy at one of her shops. She disapproved of Matt’s girlfriend and had a heated argument with him before he vanished.
Colter also meets Ivy’s cousin, Casey (Reilly Dolman), who works as a courier. Casey seems bitter because Ivy treats him poorly. He tells Colter that Matt was planning a trip with his coworkers. Colter crosses the river to look into Matt’s work and personal life.
At Matt’s office, Colter easily gathers information. The receptionist, Janice (Alex Sgambati), is distracted by her romance novel. She enjoys Colter’s charm and eagerly shares details. He learns that Matt was in a relationship with a married woman named Lucy (Rhianna Jagpal). Bobby’s cousin, Randy (Chris Lee), helps Colter find Lucy’s private apartment.
When Colter arrives, Lucy is tied up in the bathroom. However, there is no affair happening. She and her husband have been separated for years. She explains that two men with Eastern European accents kidnapped Matt. Matt warned her not to call the police.
She last saw him at a hotel where he was hiding. Colter visits the hotel, but the employees seem suspicious. The receptionist is unfriendly, and Colter’s attempt to bluff his way around fails. He gets caught snooping in the basement and ends up face-to-face with a dangerous mafia boss named Lindo (Al Sapienza).
A Cupcake Business Turns Deadly
Ivy is not just a baker—she is also a mafia boss. Lindo denies kidnapping Matt but decides that Colter knows too much. His men take Colter under a bridge to kill him. Colter convinces one of them, Vargas (J.J. Solia), to let him go and search for Matt.
Vargas turns on his partner, Pete, and kills him. Vargas and Matt both received mysterious text messages that made them suspect someone was trying to start a war between their families. Vargas told Matt to leave town to stay safe.
The kidnappers send Ivy a picture of Matt along with one of his teeth. They claim Lindo is responsible. Ivy agrees to pay the ransom and fires Colter. Colter warns her that someone is manipulating both families. Meanwhile, Elliott and Reenie bring Colter’s truck.
Elliott insists that Ivy is trying to leave her criminal past behind. This hints at a bigger betrayal. Randy traces the kidnappers’ location, but Ivy is walking into a trap.
Sure enough, when Ivy arrives at the drop-off location, her cousin Casey pulls a gun on her. He is angry that Ivy kept him out of the business. He planned the entire kidnapping to take over. Colter, who sent Vargas to save Matt, jumps in to stop Casey.
Casey tries to grab a knife that fell on the train tracks but accidentally electrocutes himself. What started as a dangerous situation turns into one of Colter’s easiest victories.
Colter and Reenie Share a Quiet Moment
At the end of the episode, Reenie visits Colter at his van. He has set up chairs by the fire, expecting her arrival. They talk while drinking beer. She invites him to join her and Elliott at an escape room, but he declines. She gives him a $50,000 reward from the Cupcake Mafia. Colter jokes about donating the possibly illegal money to charity.
The romantic tension between Colter and Reenie still exists, but it is not overwhelming. Reenie is focused on her business, and Colter has other relationships. However, Elliott’s quick defense of Ivy raises suspicion. He might have known more than he admitted. This relationship seems likely to end soon.
The episode also hints at bigger events to come. A new client could bring more trouble, and the show continues to show parent-child relationships. The season’s final episodes are shaping up to be intense. At least Ivy Hale now owes them a favor. That could be more valuable than cupcakes.
Conclusion
Colter Shaw’s latest case in Tracker Season 2, Episode 11, proves that even a simple missing person case can lead to something much bigger and more dangerous. What starts as a search for Ivy Hale’s son quickly unravels into a deadly power struggle within a criminal organization.
Colter faces betrayals, manipulations, and life-threatening situations, only to discover that Ivy is not just a cupcake entrepreneur but a powerful mafia leader.
The episode keeps the suspense high as Colter pieces together the truth. His ability to adapt and think fast helps him survive, but even he does not see every betrayal coming. The shocking twist involving Ivy’s cousin Casey highlights how greed and ambition can lead to reckless choices.
Meanwhile, his interaction with Reenie suggests that their relationship could evolve in future episodes, especially with Elliott’s suspicious behavior.
As Season 2 heads toward its final episodes, many unanswered questions remain. A new client could bring more complications, and past cases may still have consequences. Colter might have escaped this danger, but his work is far from over. With enemies lurking in the shadows, he must stay prepared for whatever comes next. The stakes have never been higher.
New episodes of Tracker Season 2 air Sundays on CBS.
