During the summer, Tracker fans got news that didn’t surprise them, but it was disappointing. Abby McEnany wouldn’t return for the third season as Velma.
To be honest, Velma’s character had been vastly underused from the beginning, but even more so during the second season. It quickly led to questions about whether she was needed in the grand scheme of things, so when she was announced as one of the departing OG characters, we weren’t all that surprised.
In true TV fashion, the exit came with a one-sentence explanation. However, in the case of Velma’s exit, it made a lot of sense.
Velma is off with Teddi in Tracker season 3
Remember between seasons 1 and 2, the first OG character left the series. Robin Weigert left the show as Teddi, and the only way for the series to write her out but keep Velma in was to have them separate.
Of course, Velma wasn’t happy with that, and it showed throughout the second season. This wasn’t a decision she wanted, and the third season has been able to change that. When Randy asked about when Velma was going to return, Reenie said she didn’t know.
It turns out that Velma decided to head to Teddi, who was looking after her mom, in an attempt to save their marriage. We can assume that the longer Velma is there, the more the marriage is being worked on and there’s a happily ever after for the two of them.
This leaves Velma’s return open
If everyone wanted to, the way Velma has been written out makes it possible for her to come back. After all, it sounds like the character didn’t initially leave with forever in mind. She wants to still be Colter’s handler, but he doesn’t arguably need her for that any more. It’s how she became a bit of a loose thread in the series.
However, should McEnany want to return and the writers need her back, Velma could be written back in. She could even return as a guest star to give us an update on how she and Teddi are doing.
It’s not going to be necessary, though. It’s clear that Reenie and Velma are regularly in touch. This allows for Reenie to be the one to share the good news about Velma and Teddi a few episodes in. Right now, Velma is only away temporarily, but that is going to have to change considering the show’s change, so we’ll get an update soon, I’m sure.
Tracker airs on Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.
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