Robin Weigert gets lost in Tracker season 2, and that's not good

A real surprise: One of the show's most important cast members is leaving for the second season of Tracker. TVLine has exclusively revealed that Robin Weigert will be leaving the series, meaning Teddi Bruin will no longer be a regular on the show. However, Velma (Abby McEnany), Teddi's wife, will be staying, which will only make the show's second season even more awkward – and leave Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) without one of his caregivers.

To be fair, the drama set up Teddi's exit in the season 1 finale by pairing Velma with Reenie (Fiona Rene), who leaves her job as a lawyer for a new, mysterious project. But Teddi has become such an important part of Colter's world that it's absolutely impossible to imagine Velma going on without her. Sure, this might give Colter the opportunity to get a different kind of caregiver, but is that what the show needs?

In reality, it's very likely that it will throw off the show's chemistry, the very thing that catapulted it to the top of the Nielsen charts as the best new show of the season. That's a bad move for a show that doesn't need any changes as it enters its second season. And it spells big trouble for fans who have grown to appreciate the dynamic between the characters.

The worst part about this surprise exit is that it will inevitably have an impact on Velma and Teddi's marriage. They have been a stable and calming influence on Colter's nomadic life as he helps others and makes money tracking down missing people. But Velma and Teddi have also been a vital lifeline to Colter's missions: They give him the information he needs to figure out where to go, who his clients are, and what happens next. Velma can operate very well on her own, but there's something unique about them operating as a tandem that gives the show extra personality.

Sure, the couple was explored in more detail in the final episodes of the first season; the longer Colter is on the job, the less information he needs because he already knows how to find the next piece of the puzzle he's put together over the course of the series. But even the best shows often have trouble breaking up a married couple when one actor leaves and the other stays. While it's possible that Teddi is always on a mission, if Velma loses her or gets a divorce, that would be a difficult twist for the series to deal with so early in its run.

We all know Colter Shaw can handle himself, but he definitely needs his friends on the ground to make sure every case runs smoothly. Bobby Exley (Eric Graise) assists him with technical matters and Reenie helps him with any legal issues he might run into. But it's questionable whether he just needs a handler – and whether Velma can get him out of jail or get him a new client as easily as she and Teddi did. The chemistry between Colter and his entire team makes the card shuffling a tricky proposition, and one wonders if audiences will buy into that.

Much of the show revolves around Colter's field work, and the time she spends without him is hard to justify. But Teddi is the one who keeps Colter in check most of the time, so losing her is like losing the brakes on a train. If Velma is the cheerleader, Bobby is the skill, and Reenie is the law, who is the wise but well-prepared center of cool who knows everyone, who knows everyone?

The worst part of the situation is that audiences have grown to love Teddi. If you count just the disappointed fans in TVLine's comments section, you'll find people who are extremely upset that the show didn't give Robin Weigert enough to do at the end of the season. Teddi is cool and fiery, and Weigert specializes in both, so losing her so quickly during the series is a failure of CBS and the imagination of the show's producers. Breaking up another queer on-screen couple so soon after the cancellation of NCIS: Hawaii is also a bad move.

You never know what might end up happening; maybe Teddi will come back for a guest spot or two while Weigert has time and is stuck between other roles. In any case, it looks like Tracker will change shape over time – and that could be good or bad in the long run. Fans will have to wait and see if the end result is worth it. But even the lingering prospect of Supernatural star Jensen Ackles returning as Colter's brother isn't worth losing a key cornerstone of the series.