Commentary: ‘Tracker’ Channels Sherlock Holmes

There’s no denying that Sherlock Holmes is one of the most pivotal fictional characters in history. Just from a storytelling perspective, being a detective with extreme perception allows for a wide range of plots. This is how he was able to be so successful and withstand the test of time. His stories are so varied and isolated that readers can pick up any one and just dive right in, following along with suspense and tension. It’s a formula that has been utilized many times over, and the CBS series Tracker does a great job of emulating it.

The program centers on a lone wolf survivalist named Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) who travels the country claiming rewards for locating missing people. He doesn’t have a home in the traditional sense, just a trailer. Because of his unique upbringing — trained to be a survivalist from his conspiracy-prone father — he has a unique set of detective and wilderness skills that allow him track and investigate with sharp perception.

On the surface of these characters, Colter and Sherlock couldn’t be more different. Sherlock has a pathological desire to solve puzzles while Colter has a genuine need to help people; an element of the character that stems from tragedy during his childhood. But it’s hard not to see the similarities in the mysteries they both undertake assisting strangers. In many Tracker episodes, Colter comes across a scenario without any information. He has to use his deduction skills to figure out what happened and find the next clue. Sherlock Holmes does this time and time again across all of his stories. Also, because neither of them are affiliated with law enforcement, they often have a standoffish relationship with the police, forcing them to resolve the situation on their own. It just goes to show that Sherlock Holmes can be an excellent template for telling a story even if so much of what makes him unique as a character is changed.

Tracker is now streaming on Paramount+.