Tracker executive producer Elwood Reid slammed the insinuation that Chris Lee was brought onto the show as a way to replace Eric Graise.

Ahead of the season 2 premiere, Reid addressed Abby McEnany and Graise’s shocking departures, saying to TVLine on Monday, September 29, “We didn’t ‘replace’ Velma or Bobby. It’s about where I get the most creative juice.”

Reid noted that the hit CBS series is following the stories with the most success.

“What happened with Randy last year was that he popped in these little pieces with Fiona, and I thought, ‘He makes Fiona better. What if they were in the same space every week?’” he explained. “And now, with more characters in the office, we can tell other stories and build out what her world looks like when she’s not helping Colter.”

After previously having Randy (Lee) and Reenie (Fiona Rene) in separate states, season 3 will do things a little differently.

“Having Chris Lee in the same space that Fiona Rene is in just gets you [more]. The stuff we’ve seen so far is so much fun. It has made a huge difference,” he continued. “Now, when Colter calls, it feels like he’s calling into something already in motion. This is all part of my ‘evil plan’ to use Fiona more — the more you can build out her world, the more the show benefits.”

Tracker was an instant hit for CBS after it premiered in February 2024 to record-breaking ratings. Viewers have since tuned in week after week to watch survivalist Colter (Justin Hartley) travel the country to help solve various missing persons cases.

The ensemble cast later grew with characters such as handlers Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma (McEnany), hacker Bobby (Graise) and attorney Reenie (Rene). Weigert exited the show ahead of season 2 before Graise was noticeably absent from six episodes. His cousin Randy (Lee) was brought in to help Colter before Bobby returned, which caused backlash from viewers who grew used to seeing Graise on their screen.

“Randy came in and also gave something to the show that was different. There was a real warmth and fun when he came in. It was something that I think we were missing a little bit too in some episodes. He just was immediately fun when he came in,” Reid exclusively told Us Weekly in May. “With those dynamics — and in playing with this team dynamics — that’s all stuff we’re going to continue to play with in season 3 as the show evolves.”

He continued: “We’re going to bring back some characters from seasons 1 and 2 — we’re going to see them more and more. There’s been some fun characters that I think are fun to see in Colter’s world [season to season].”

At the time, Reid weighed in on Bobby being gone for a handful of episodes.

“It’s one of those things where actor availability is always an issue. There have been shows where people don’t even notice [if a character is missing],” he told Us, explaining how Tracker doesn’t operate like most shows with an ensemble cast. “You don’t [always] see Reenie. He talks to Velma for two seconds. He may talk to Bobby for one phone call. The show works because you are over Justin [Hartley]’s shoulder. One of the challenges in season 3 is going to be reconfiguring the team and figuring out what that team looks like.”

Tracker returns to CBS on Sunday, October 19, at 8 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Paramount+.