Sofia Pernas as Billie and Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw. Ed Araquel/CBS
Justin Hartley‘s onscreen reunion with wife Sofia Pernas on his CBS series Tracker had Us in our feelings — despite those ups and downs between their characters.
During the new episode, which aired on Sunday, March 24, Colter (Hartley) found his next case when a prize-winning horse named Argo went missing. While getting information from one of the owners to help him track down the kidnapper, Colter ran into his ex Billie (Pernas).
Their reunion marked the first time Colter and Billie saw each other since she double crossed him on an old job. Colter, however, quickly shared some information with Billie and referred to them as “old partners.”
“That’s sweet considering we only worked together once,” Billie noted. “You know when I saw this job I thought, ‘In and out, open and shut, easy money deal.’ And then you walked in. It’s going to be fun beating you to the reward.”
After meeting on set, Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas have continued to enjoy sharing the screen. The couple originally crossed paths while filming The Young and The Restless in 2015. Hartley and Pernas costarred on the soap for nearly a year before moving on to other projects. “You meet in different capacities. We didn’t work […]
Colter and Billie both have eyes on the $250,000 reward, but it doesn’t take long before they team up. The onscreen collaboration is the third time Hartley and Pernas have worked together.
Hartley and Pernas originally met on the set of The Young and The Restless in 2015. It wasn’t until they reconnected years later that they started dating and subsequently tied the knot in 2021. Since then, the pair have shared the screen on Quantum Leap and now Tracker.
“It’s amazing. It’s good for the environment, too. You can carpool and everything, so it’s wonderful,” Hartley told E! News in February 2023 about plans to star alongside Pernas in future projects. “Absolutely we’ll do that. For sure.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of how Colter and Billie’s paths crossed on the newest episode of Tracker:
The newest episode of Tracker airs on CBS Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.
A Complicated History
After finding out that Billie is on the same case, it didn’t take long for the duo to end up looking for clues in the same place. That set the scene for Colter to bring up the past betrayal on Billie’s end.
“When you were working for me and you sold me down the river,” he accused Billie before she offered her side of the story: “I was working with you, not for you. And for the record, I am the one who brought you the job.”
According to Colter, Billie “begged” for his help, adding, “You had no idea what you were doing until I showed you the ropes.”
Billie, however, saw the situation differently. “I guess I got that reward money out of sheer luck and you showing me the ropes,” she quipped. “Kind of sad and sweet in an old fashioned way.”
Colter admitted that he “trusted” Billie before she double crossed him. She appeared visibly fazed before responding, “It’s been five years. Maybe it is time to move on.”
In addition to Colter’s comments, his friends also had plenty to say about Billie. Velma (Abby McEnany) and Teddy (Robin Weigert) tried to remind him of Billie’s betrayal when they felt his resolve slipping.
“She left you with an empty briefcase being chased by thugs,” the twosome noted. “Screwed you out of the reward.”
Bob (Eric Graise) was surprised by Colter and Billie’s run-in as well, saying, “[I] heard a lot about you. Only person Colter has lost a reward to.”
Surprising Reunion
After choosing the same case, Colter and Billie continued to follow the same leads. They were ultimately forced to work together as a result since they were always in the same place. One of those instances led to some light flirting between the exes.
“Wow, you are really slipping. You didn’t even clear the room,” Billie said when Colter seemingly didn’t notice her hiding in an office. Colter, though, wasn’t surprised, adding, “I didn’t need to clear the room. I would recognize that perfume anywhere.”
Billie followed up by noting how “damn good” Colter looked in his tux.
Reluctant Partnership
Despite their history, Billie suggested that she and Colter work together instead of slowing each other down.
“How much time and energy did you put into thinking about my next move? I put in more than I care to admit,” she said. “Listen, the way I see it we work together and we move on faster. I got a job in Austin to get to that just hit my radar. Lots of money and no bleeding hearts.”
Colter wasn’t as onboard with the idea since he didn’t “trust” Billie. It didn’t take long for Billie to convince him to give their partnership a chance.
“We were good together,” she recalled while asking for a truce.
Growing Closer Than Expected
As the case unfolded, Colter and Billie seamlessly slipped into a team again. Billie later surprised Colter — and Us — when she suggested they have dinner once they solve the mystery behind Argo’s disappearance.
“I know exactly what you are doing,” Colter fired back. “You are buttering me up and then you are going to make me do all the legwork.”
Billie, for her part, admitted she liked the idea of having Colter do all the work and explore their connection again once the case was shut.
The duo found themselves even closer when Argo’s disappearance led them to a deserted farm. The trip was a trick by the actual kidnapper, who locked Colter and Billie in a burning barn. They managed to survive but only because they trusted each other.
“Thank you for helping me back there by the way,” Colter told Billie once they were safe. “You could have let me fall.”
She replied: “You really think that’s who I am? I guess I earned that. It’s your own fault. You were acting so superior. I had to prove I was above your level.”
The emotionally intense moment took place in Colter’s car as he bandaged Billie up. In a rare moment of honesty, Colter revealed he “always thought” Billie was “above” his level. The conversation nearly led to Colter and Billie sharing a kiss before they were rudely interrupted by a phone call.
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Leaving the Door Open for Betrayal
The last leg of the case involved Colter and Billie splitting up. Colter would retrieve the horse while Billie prepared the trailer to transport the animal back home. Before their separation, Colter seemingly questioned whether Billie would turn on him at the last second.
Billie did little to shut those feelings down when she said, “It was fun working together. I mean it. Right?”
Colter and Billie were subsequently cornered by Argo’s kidnapper, which didn’t leave room for them to betray each other. They later rehashed their plans during a phone call when Billie point blank asked whether Colter would have “double crossed” her.
“I thought about it but no,” he said before Billie added, “I was thinking about it.”
Potential Hope for the Future
Due to Argo’s kidnapper being one of his owners, Colter and Billie didn’t actually receive the reward because all assets were frozen. Billie referred to the situation as a “huge waste” of time, which isn’t exactly how Colter felt about the situation.
“I don’t know if it was a waste of time,” he said. “Plus, you were right. It was fun working with you.”
Colter attempted to broach the subject of meeting for the dinner Billie “promised” him. Billie, however, had already moved on to her next case.
“Rain check? I’m late for that job in Austin,” she told Colter. In response, he left her with some parting words, adding, “Good luck with that and I will see you when I see you, Billie.”
