From Dallas to Yellowstone, soapy Western shows make for some of the best binge-watches. They are messy and entertaining, with intense plotlines that range from land disputes to tangled love triangles. They are the perfect escape to watch when looking for a show to get totally drawn into, because they are typically pretty easy to follow along with, and there is never a dull moment amongst all the drama.
The newest contribution to this subgenre is Netflix’s Ransom Canyon, based on the book series by Jodi Thomas, a show that’s perfect for TV fans who like small-town dramas, swoonworthy romances, and shocking plot twists. For those looking for their next binge-watch, Ransom Canyon is the perfect choice, and now is the best time to catch up on the show’s ten episodes before it returns next year for its already-confirmed second season.
What Is Netflix’s Soapy Western ‘Ransom Canyon’ About?
Ransom Canyon follows the residents of the small town of Ransom Canyon, Texas, most of whom have lived there for their whole lives. At the center of it all is Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel), a wealthy ranch owner who’s been struggling after two major personal tragedies. Two years after the death of his wife, Staten had to deal with the sudden death of his teenage son, Randall (Hubert Smielecki), in a car accident. Now, a year after Randall’s death, Staten tries to move forward with his life despite pressure from his wife’s brother, Davis Collins (Eoin Macken), to sell some of his land so that a new pipeline can be built in its place. Staten also finds himself entangled in a messy love triangle. Just as his feelings for his old friend, Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly), start to resurface, Davis starts pursuing a romance with her as well.
The messy web of Ransom Canyon goes way beyond just Staten’s intense feud with Davis, though. Newcomer Yancy Grey (Jack Schumacher) comes to Ransom Canyon to work for Cap Fuller (James Brolin), another ranch owner whose land Davis is eyeing for the pipeline. At first glance, Yancy looks like a hard worker who cares about his job, and who’s quickly falling for Quinn’s employee and friend, Ellie Estevez (Marianly Tejada). Yancy has quite a few secrets, though, and his motivations are much more complex than they seem to be at first — as are his connections to some of Ransom’s longtime residents. Yancy is not just there to work on Cap’s ranch by chance, which Ellie figures out quickly, and she has to reconcile her growing feelings for him with the clear mountain of secrets that he is keeping from her.
In the wake of Randall’s death, his cousin and Davis’ son, Reid (Andrew Liner) is spiraling. Little does he know, his ex-girlfriend, Lauren (Lizzy Greene), is secretly dating his best friend, Lucas (Garrett Wareing). That’s nothing compared to the pressure that Davis puts on him to succeed, especially now. Davis’ interest in the pipeline isn’t coming out of nowhere; if he can’t make this deal work, he could lose the ranch that has been in his family for generations, all because of his own father’s carelessness with his finances. Everyone in Ransom Canyon has a lot to either gain or lose from the pipeline deal, which makes this storyline feel particularly high-stakes, especially on top of everything else.
‘Ransom Canyon’ Blends Romance and Mystery
Josh Duhamel as Staten Kirkland and Minka Kelly as Quinn O’Grady in Ransom CanyonImage via Netflix
Ransom Canyon is an addictive show to watch, and once you start the first episode, it’s easy to quickly binge-watch all ten at once. In addition to the romantic drama and tension related to the pipeline, Ransom Canyon is also a murder mystery. Staten’s wife died of illness, but Randall’s death is more complicated. It was initially believed that Randall’s car was the only one on the road that night, and that the accident was a terrible but random tragedy. At the start of the series, though, Staten starts finding clues that lead him to believe that somebody else caused the accident, whether intentionally or not. He pushes the sheriff, Lauren’s father Dan Brigman (Philip Winchester), to investigate, but the sheriff believes that Staten is just grieving, so he initially has to look into it on his own.
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With a cozy small town setting and soapy romantic and business drama, Ransom Canyon is a fun and messy watch that’s perfect for those looking for a mental vacation. It is packed with compelling conflict, primarily related to the pipeline, as well as some twists and turns about the characters and their histories with each other. Most of all, though, the series is about Staten and Quinn’s journeys. After losing both his wife and his son, Staten is isolated and angry in his grief, and the show’s first season shows him slowly learning how to open up and let himself care about other people again.
Meanwhile, Quinn has always felt overlooked and like maybe her dreams aren’t possible, especially after having to return home from her time away focusing on her music. Now, she gets the chance to make the dance hall she owns into something really special, but the cost of getting the money she needs could mean supporting the pipeline and everything it entails. Staten and Quinn have also always had unresolved feelings for each other, even after he married her best friend, so they now find those feelings coming up again even as they try to bury them. Ransom Canyon is very entertaining, emotional, and intense, and it makes for the perfect binge-watch.
Ransom Canyon is available to stream on Netflix.
Release Date
April 17, 2025
Network
Netflix
Showrunner
April Blair
Directors
Amanda Marsalis
Writers
April Blair
