Tracker Summary: Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas show off their chemistry

The chemistry in between Justin Hartley And Sofia Pernas was at an all-time high when the couple got back together in the second season of tracker.

In the series' latest episode, which aired on Sunday, October 27, Colter (Hartley) teams up with his ex Billie (Pernas) as she tries to solve a case in her hometown. As a result, Colter learned more about Billie – including why she was running from her past.

“My mother looked after me and my sister alone. To make ends meet, she was a con artist. “Sometimes she used us to distract a store clerk when he was shoplifting, and one time she even had us shake donation cans at Christmas,” Billie revealed after she and Colter found a missing high school baseball star. “But her big downside was when she got a job at City Hall. She was the accountant and embezzled almost half a million from the state treasury. The city was unable to pay salaries and pensions this year, and people are talking. My family name was ruined.”

Colter tried to comfort Billie, saying, “You were a child, it wasn't your fault.” According to Billie, she was still punished for her mother's actions.

Related: Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas have hinted at their return to Tracker

Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas reunited on screen for an episode of CBS' Tracker — and that's just the beginning. “Tracker,” which premiered in February 2024, centers on a survivalist named Colter (Hartley) who travels the country helping people and law enforcement solve a variety of mysteries. As the series progresses, viewers learn something […]

“You think that would have been important. My sister was already 20, so she left town and I was a senior and just stuck it out until graduation. “I will never forget how cruel people were,” she remembers. “It didn’t matter that the FBI said I was a victim too, they all blamed me anyway.”

When Colter asked why Billie returned to a place where she wasn't welcome, she replied, “I know, but I wanted to do something positive and lasting here.”…The fact is, I was young, but I knew that what my mother did was wrong and I didn't stop her. I loved and hated her at the same time.”

The intense conversation allowed Colter and Billie to share the secrets of their “dark family.” But when Billie asked what they should do about their similar trauma, Colter suggested “not talking about it” and the fictional couple drank in silence at the bar.

“You have a nice scene where she really opens up to him,” Hartley, 47, said TVLine during a joint interview with Pernas, 35, about the pivotal scene before it aired on screen. “The way you played it was beautiful. Your performance suggests that you have never shared anything before [this information] with anyone, ever.”

Colter's undeniable connection to Billie has been explored on the show since the first season. According to Hartley, the plan was always to bring Pernas along in an important role.

“I just thought it was a really cool idea. “It was my idea from the beginning to have this character that you just mentioned,” Hartley explained deadline in May. “I think it was in the second episode there was a big reward for a car. There was a line where one of the ladies said, “Word on the street is that Billie is circling the case.” And then Coulter kind of rolls her eyes. If you really pay attention, you think, 'Oh, he's got a rival, that Billie guy.'”

Hartley, who also serves as an executive producer on the procedural, recalled laying the groundwork for Pernas' character before she appeared, adding, “My idea was to tease that and intentionally name the character Billie.” and then of course revealing that it's Billie, Sofia.”

He continued: “We haven't been able to tease this as much as I would have liked, simply because we were so pressed for time. But that was the intention. When she came along, I’m honestly not sure how much of that character aspect that she brought with her was actually written.”

However, Billie isn't the only woman in Colter's life. During the Season 2 premiere earlier this month, fans were introduced to Camille (Floriana Lima), who is involved in an open case that Colter has been unable to solve.

“I think the relationship changed because of the trauma bond. That’s exactly what it is – a trauma bond,” Hartley said TVLine at the time. “It's very, very sad, but it's like those married couples who lose their child and can't be together anymore because they see their child in the other person.”

As further episodes delve into Colter's Camille's past, viewers learn more details about him. “[This story line] is structured in such a way that when you look at it you think, 'Oh man, that was a pivotal moment in Colter's life that changed the way he approaches his work and his relationships with other people,'” Hartley explained.

tracker airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.