While Justin Hartley’s new show Tracker has proven itself to be a success on the 2024 TV schedule, he can’t seem to stay away from his previous series, This Is Us. The latest episode of the CBS drama included a This Is Us reunion when Hartley’s former on-screen step-dad Jon Huertas directed. Even though teaming up sounds like a dream for the close-knit cast, actually filming the episode sounds like a bit of a nightmare.
Huertas is no stranger to directing, but when it came to Tracker, things were not what he has been used to with gigs like This is Us, in which he directed two episodes outside of the myriad he starred in. The actor spoke to People about what it was like being on set of the freshman series in Vancouver, and unfortunately, Mother Nature absolutely came into play: Yes, there was snow. Huertas noted:
You didn't plan for this. What am I going to do? And I also didn't plan for it with what I was wearing. So I was freezing. Hand warmers in my hands. I put hand warmers in my boots. I was just trying to stay warm.
Of course, filming on location means that anything can happen, but it sounds like a total nightmare. Between the cast and crew freezing their butts off on top of having to rework the surroundings to make sure the filming works both for on-screen and behind-the-scenes purposes, it sounds like it was a bit of a tough ..sledding, pun intended. Luckily, Huertas said he figured out how "he had to adjust" and add in the extra element for the story:
That’s what I did with the snow. I made it a part of the story. And I froze my butt off doing it.
Even though Jon Huertas was able to adjust, it still doesn’t sound like it was that easy. After all, there had already been plans for the entire episode, locations and all. Unpredictable weather put a wrench in his plans, but I guess that's what happens when you commit to filming in Canada.
Meanwhile, with Huertas directing Tracker, could fans expect another This Is Us reunion to happen, whether it be on screen or off? This Is Us came to an end in 2022, but it’s clear that the cast is still as close as ever. Justin Hartley previously (and jokingly) shared that his character Colter Shaw could find Milo Ventimiglia’s Jack Pearson from This Is Us, teasing that maybe he never died! Despite the two shows being on different networks, having the two actors reunite would still be great for all the crossover fans, of which there seem to be many.
Or if anyone else from the NBC drama guest starred, perhaps there could at least be some kind of reference? Either way, after Huertas, I desperately need more.
Since Season 2 of Tracker is happening, hopefully, this won’t be the last time Jon Huertas directs. If and when the next time he does, I'm hoping Mother Nature will be a lot nicer. However, if he does have to deal with another problem while directing, at least we know he's a man who can "adjust" on the fly.
