If you’ve been craving your next cozy-yet-complicated small-town drama fix — something with a little romance, a little ranch life, and a whole lot of secrets — Netflix’s Ransom Canyon just rode into town at the perfect time.
For creator April Blair, a writer who’s previously worked on massive Netflix releases like Wednesday and You, Ransom Canyon is as much an idea as it is the name of this new 10-episode Netflix series, based on the bestselling book series by Jodi Thomas and starring Josh Duhamel as a stoic rancher named Staten Kirkland. “At its core, Ransom Canyon isn’t just a town, it’s an idea,” Blair told Netflix’s Tudum site. “It’s the painful longing for your first love. It’s the burning desire to protect your family.
“It’s cowboys and lovers, grifters and thieves. Lust, deceit, heartache, home … Ransom has it all. I think people are going to fall in love with this little slice of Texas and the dramas and romances that we created there.”
With the wide, windswept Texas countryside as its backdrop, Ransom Canyon is sort of like what you’d get if you crossed Yellowstone with Sweet Magnolias (and threw in a little Virgin River and Friday Night Lights for good measure). By the way, I should point out: The series, ironically, is set in Texas Hill Country, not in the real town of Ransom Canyon located east of Lubbock.
At the center of it all is Duhamel’s ruggedly dependable rancher Staten, a stereotypical strong and silent type still grieving the loss of his wife while trying to hold his ranch and emotions together. Ransom Canyon also features a simmering romance between Staten and musician and dance hall owner Quinn O’Grady, played by Minka Kelly.
A la John Dutton, the ranch that Staten’s grandfather left to him is what he treasures most, and as a consequence, he resists any and all outside forces threatening both it and the Ransom Canyon way of life. “Staten is the wounded, grizzled cowboy who isn’t necessarily always in touch with his emotions,” Blair continues. “Josh brings a warmth and a sense of humor to him. He just has this twinkle in his eye, a little bit mischievous. There’s always a little Tad Hamilton in there somewhere.”
Netflix is clearly tapping into a love of sweeping romance and layered storytelling among many of its subscribers, and Ransom Canyon certainly hits all of those notes. It’s not for everyone, of course, but for those of you into stories about second chances, star-crossed love, and the kind of emotional storytelling that sneaks up on you like a summer storm over the prairie, I dare say that Ransom Canyon just might be the new weekend binge you’ve been waiting for.
