Justin Hartley is greatest identified for his function as Kevin Pearson on the critically acclaimed NBC sobfest “This Is Us.” However his new CBS collection “Tracker” is showcasing him in a brand new mild. Primarily based on Jeffery Deaver’s best-selling novel, “The By no means Sport,” “Tracker,” which is govt produced by Hartley and his ChangeUp Manufacturing firm, facilities on his lone-wolf survivalist character Colter Shaw. Stoic and aloof, Colter travels across the nation along with his Airstream trailer hooked to his pickup truck, monitoring down folks and objects for a charge. A typical procedural drama, “Tracker” digs into a brand new thriller every episode, with Colter, who calls himself a “rewardist” (although he’s primarily a bounty hunter), utilizing his skilled coaching to unearth clues others have missed. Whereas some episodes are extra intriguing than others, the present’s really compelling conundrum, Colter’s troubled upbringing, doesn’t get the highlight it deserves.

The pilot, titled “Klamath Falls” — and given the much-desired post-Tremendous Bowl launching pad on CBS — follows Colter on a $20,000 quest to find out the whereabouts of a 14-year-old boy who goes lacking after being contacted by his estranged start father. This opening episode painstakingly illustrates Colter’s preoccupation with small particulars, mastery of numerous weaponry and complete data of survival percentages. Sadly, when the collection isn’t actively zoomed in on the varied leads within the circumstances, the stilted dialogue among the many characters makes it difficult for viewers to hook up with the narrative.

Many long-running procedural dramas like “9-1-1” and the “Legislation & Order” franchise boast hefty casts with complicated backgrounds and storylines. Nevertheless, “Tracker” has a modest forged whose rapport is sophisticated by the truth that Colter is consistently on the street. His admins include spouse and spouse crew, Velma (Abby McEnany) and Teddi (Robin Weigert) Bruin, who work out of their house, digging up circumstances for Colter, guaranteeing he collects the rewards and urging him to remain on job. Bobby Exley (Eric Graise), a double amputee Colter may need rescued prior to now, is one other important crew member. A talented hacker, Bobby effortlessly digs up info on victims and suspects whereas delivering a witty line or two. Lastly, there’s Reenie Greene (Fiona Rene), an lawyer who gained’t let the simmering sexual stress between her and Colter colour her means to get him out of authorized binds. Since all of those characters are unfold round totally different corners of the nation, the present doesn’t all the time really feel cohesive.

As a procedural, “Tracker” works high quality. Although the collection opener isn’t precisely riveting, Episode 2, “Springland,” follows Colter monitoring down a lacking lady in a resort city. The hostility he encounters from everybody, together with the sheriff and an prosperous household, is palpable. When the reality behind the lady’s disappearance is revealed, it’s genuinely a shocking flip of occasions. Episodes like this show how simply viewers may be sucked in by these kind of dramas whereas highlighting how difficult it may be to ship participating chapters persistently.

Nonetheless, essentially the most fascinating side of “Tracker” isn’t the rewardist’s numerous investigations. As a substitute, as is displayed within the pilot, Colter’s traumatic childhood, residing off the grid and being raised by a father coping with psychological sickness and paranoia, deserves a more in-depth look. An incident involving Colter and his siblings throughout one in every of his dad’s outbursts modified the Shaw household without end. However after all, being the recluse that he’s, Colter is in no rush to confront his previous or unpack any of the trauma surrounding it.

Total, “Tracker” works high quality for a community drama, however it’s no standout. If not for Hartley’s star energy, it will be forgettable, particularly since Colter Shaw lacks the charisma of Kevin Pearson. Even amid knife fights, shootouts and harmful encounters, the present affords nothing that hasn’t already been seen in an more and more crowded tv panorama. Whereas the collection is straightforward to dip into, with out a constant core case, it’s additionally simply as easy to step away from it and switch to long-running collection with cult followings or different procedural rookies which have mastered the twist and highlight a core group of charming leads.

“Tracker” will premiere Feb. 11 on CBS after the Tremendous Bowl, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays.