One of Tracker’s Best Characters Is Missing (And Fans Want to Know What’s Going On)

For a couple of weeks now, the biggest show on network TV has been without one of its only main characters. Eric Graise’s Bobby Exley appears in nearly every episode of Tracker, acting as Colter Shaw’s “man in the chair,” hacking into phone data and getting Colter whatever information he needs. For the last two weeks, however, Bobby has not only been absent from TV, but he has had a brand new character filling in for him. This has left plenty of Tracker fans wondering if Bobby is ever coming back, or if he has somehow been written out of the show.

Starting with “Nightingale,” the 10th episode of Season 2, a new character named Randy (Chris Lee) has been answering Bobby’s phone and manning the computer for Colter. Bobby’s cousin and fellow hacker, Randy told Colter in that episode that Bobby is “dealing with some family stuff,” and that he was brought in to fill in so Colter wouldn’t be left hanging.

That’s the only mention we’ve had of Bobby on Tracker in the last couple of weeks, but that shouldn’t worry fans of the character too much. If Graise had been written off the show, there probably would have been some kind announcement or report about the exit by now. Graise is still credited as a series regular.

In all likelihood, there was probably a scheduling issue for a couple of weeks that kept Graise from appearing. There’s no confirmation of that, but it is a totally normal thing in these full-season network TV shows for a key character to step away for short stints.

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What we do know is that the trailer for the second half of Tracker Season 2 does indicate that Bobby will be back at some point. The “rest of season” trailer that CBS released for Tracker features a glimpse at Bobby at his computer helping Colter with a case. The shot in the trailer isn’t footage from an episode earlier in the season, indicating that he will appear again as Season 2 continues.

While a lot of fans are asking about Bobby’s future, the more important question might actually be about the character who has filled in for him over the last couple of weeks. In a short amount of time, Randy has established himself as a great and often hilarious presence on the show. Chris Lee has brought a level of charisma and comedy that the show has often been lacking, and he seems like a natural fit for the material.

Randy shouldn’t replace Bobby on Tracker, but it would be a huge disappointment if we never see the character again once Bobby returns to the fold.