There is a reason follower it’s the biggest show on television, and it’s all about the leading man Justin Hartley.
before entering we to Colter ShawHartley began with soap operas, incl passions i Young and restless. Then it happened to Smallville, Revenge i teachers ahead of his fan-favorite role as Kevin Pearson on NBC This is us. Hartley walked away from the hit series with three Critics’ Choice Television Award nominations and eventually branched out with film roles in A Bad Moms Christmas, Senior Year, The Noel Diary and more
But it was Hartley’s passion project — follower — that proved the actor knows what TV fans want. The show, which premiered in February 2024, quickly found success after being coined the premiere of the most-watched show since NCIS‘ final episode with Mark Harmon in September 2021. It was reported to average 18.2 million viewers per episode, based on Paramount+ and broadcast metrics.
varietyThe annual list of the 100 most watched TV shows of the year revealed it follower episodes achieved 15 top spots. Despite doing we wait 11 weeks for new episodes, season two dominated viewership with the season 2 premiere pulling in 8.3 million total viewers, a nearly 10 percent increase in viewership from the season 1 finale. The season 2 premiere also marked the show’s highest viewership since the series debuted in February 2024 following the Super Bowl.
At the center of the series is Hartley’s Colter, which welcomes the public week by week as they solve several missing persons cases across the country.
“One of the things I really love about Colter and the way we’ve built him is that he’s unapologetic about his masculinity,” Hartley told Men’s Journal in August. “I think that’s what people are looking for. You’re asking yourself, ‘What kind of people do I want to date?’ And mostly, ‘What kind of male friends do I have in my life that I really value?'”
The actor was delighted with the example are able to establish with Colter.
“I think we’ve created such an emotionally evolved character, and he really wants to get to the root of why people do things,” Hartley continued. “The facts are that (executive producer) Ken Olin and I set out to do a show that was actually a throwback. We wanted a new twist on a procedural, meaning our character would evolve over time.”
Hartley added: “It wasn’t going to be the same exact person every week. We hoped people would like it. People ended up loving it. I think there’s a huge appetite for this kind of show.”
Keep scrolling for a visual breakdown of Hartley’s most popular moments on screen as our favorite TV hero Colter Shaw:
CBS finds an excuse for Justin Hartley to take his shirt off
The tracker deserves it some applause for writing in a scene where Colter gets out of the shower just to give the people what they want.
Ready for your close up
While not necessarily a scene from the show, CBS has gotten creative with their themed photo shoots for each season of the show. Our personal favorite has to be Hartley hanging out in an Airstream while channeling his inner Colter.
Saving his friends
Colter’s work doesn’t just help him solve cases for strangers. three seasons, follower is devoting certain episodes to Colter helping himself out for free or as a favor to a friend because he’s so selfless.
A risk taker
Tracker wouldn’t be the show it is if Colter didn’t jump out of planes, run through snowstorms, and push himself to the limit for others.
A wife’s boy
Hartley has found a way to have some very stellar guest appearances follower but the best addition she was his real life wife, Sofia Pernas. The scenes between Colter and Billie (Pernas) have fans hoping that the duo might reunite, or at least run their own show.
Get into a workout
Just another example of CBS finding a way to show its lead, which none we they are crazy
Reuniting a dog with its master
The only thing better than a man who saves people is one who stops to investigate an abandoned dog, which later became Colter reuniting the pet with a boy after they were separated.
A family man
While we consider the Colter family drama messy, the Shaws have their sweet moments. One of them involves Colter visiting his mother and finding time to enjoy some pancakes before being pulled into another missing persons case.
Colter’s ‘Yellowstone’ moment
Frankly, it’s kind of surprising it took Hartley three seasons to show his cowboy skills while riding a horse through the desert.