Review: ‘Ransom Canyon’ is the Soapy Drama You Didn’t Know You Needed

*** Caution: Mild Spoilers ahead***

I saw my friend Jack Schumacher a couple of months ago and asked him how his acting career was going, expecting a grim answer given the production slowdown since the strikes of 2023. But I was delighted to hear that he had a “modern western” coming to Netflix in April. Well, that time arrived a couple of weeks back in the form of “Ransom Canyon,” and it’s been in Netflix’s Top 10 ever since.

As I began watching this ranching-based Texas story, for which I have watched all 10 season one episodes, a few things became immediately clear:

• This is a somewhat “steamy” soap opera – with ample amounts of cheese – and was no life-or-death/ violent drama like “Yellowstone”
• But it has enough raw edge not to be confused with Hallmark schlock or “Virgin River”
• It is completely cast with beautiful people

This is not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I enjoyed it immensely, which is what surprised me. As a guy who juggles at least 8-9 shows at any given time, I simply didn’t realize my springtime routine would require an escape like this. But I couldn’t stay away!

The show is based on Jodi Thomas’s book series. While based in Texas cattle country outside of Austin, the production was shot around Santa Fe and Albuquerque, N.M., and used storefronts from historic Las Vegas, N.M. It very much evokes a small-town life one would want to visit for a week to get away from busier urban enclaves.

The cast is led by Josh Duhamel, who plays rancher Staten Kirkland, and “Friday Night Lights” star Minka Kelly, who plays dance hall (bar) owner Quinn O’Grady. Staten’s wife, who was Quinn’s best friend, died a few years back from an illness. Quinn, who is a pitch-perfect concert pianist, gave up dreams of international acclaim to return to Ransom Canyon to be there for her dying friend. She has since established “Gracie’s Dance Hall,” a line-dancing venue and bar.

Adding to Staten and Quinn’s grief, an early scene in the pilot sees Staten’s rebellious son killed in a hit-and-run auto accident that becomes a mystery throughout the series. The show then cuts to a “One Year Later” frame to begin our story in earnest.

Austin Water & Power (AWP) is angling to build a huge pipeline through the valley that will threaten the local way of life. It will serve as an environmental threat to the ranchers’ large water aquifers and, therefore, possibly their ability to ranch. Staten’s father, powerful U.S. Senator Samuel Kirkland, is in favor of the project, and the tension between him and his grieving, broken son is immediately made clear.

Staten’s brother-in-law, Davis Collins, whose sister was Staten’s wife, is the big player in town pushing for ranch owners to sell their land to AWP. His ex-wife Paula Jo (played by “Rabbit Hole’s” Meta Golding) is an ambitious, flirty beauty and an AWP Board Member working angles to get around reluctant ranchers.

There’s also aging rancher Cap Fuller (played by James Brolin), who is very close to Gracie’s Dance Hall manager Ellie Estevez. Cap needs help running his ranch, and hires a guy as foreman named Yancy Grey (my buddy Jack Schumacher). But who, exactly, is Yancy Grey? I’ll try not to spoil this too much, but let’s just say he ended up specifically at Cap’s ranch with intention.

Because of her closeness to Cap, Ellie spends time at his ranch, and given that proximity to Yancy, a flirtation begins. Yancy regularly comes to Gracie’s Dance Hall for a drink and to see her. It’s at Gracie’s that Yancy meets our other players (as they’re all regulars there), and we learn he already has a particular tie to Davis, something nefarious regarding AWP.

We also meet Sheriff Dan Brigman and his daughter Lauren (played by “A Million Little Things’” aspiring musician Lizzy Greene). Lauren is a cheerleader for Ransom Canyon High School, and you get the sense that cheerleading is as competitive as football in Texas. She’s gunning for a scholarship to cheer at UT-Austin next year. Dan’s wife/Lauren’s Mom, Margaret, is fighting an often losing battle with alcoholism, and after an argument with Lauren one morning, disappears and leaves a note. She later catches up with Lauren at her cheerleading tryout at UT-Austin and assures her she’s going to AA meetings.

Staten is always pushing Sheriff Dan to get back on the case of solving his son’s hit-and-run murder. There’s a clue that he was struck by an old 1970s light blue Ford pick-up when a part belonging to that model of Ford is found. It helps only a little when the truck is later found sunk in the river. Needless to say, there’s a twist as to how this turns out.

Davis and Paula Jo’s son, Reid, is captain of the RC High football team. He and Lauren were an item, but she is now falling for the one seemingly poor kid in town, the noble Lucas Russell. Lucas’s older brother Kit is also an important player in the series for reasons that become clear. Their father has taken off, and Kit feels responsible for Lucas even though he has frequent scrapes with Sheriff Dan and his Deputy, Kai Flores.

There’s plenty of drama in the love triangle of the somewhat spoiled Reid, Lauren, and Lucas. But Lucas and Reid end up coming to mutual respect, working together on Staten’s ranch. They help save a wayward calf, bond over beers, etc. The tension returns, but if I recall, they’re on good terms at the end of the season. Reid humbles himself a bit as the season goes on, and even goes against his parents’ wishes in publicly opposing the pipeline.

And speaking of love triangles, how could I forget the one that emerges between Davis, Quinn, and Staten!  It’s at the heart of the show. Who wins over Quinn? Tune in to see. But the real question is whether Quinn will stay in Ransom Canyon. A former mentor, Katherine (played by “Scandal’s” Kate Burton), has come to town and tries to recruit Quinn for the New York Symphony. She returns in an episode later in the season and tries again, and the viewer can see Quinn starting to seriously consider it. It serves as one of several cliffhangers in the finale.

Other good classic themes appear, like two really bad guys coming to town who have a past with Yancy and threatening to make his life difficult. There’s an episode dominated by a tornado and people coming together in various parts of town to stay safe and take cover. Things escalate between Yancy and Ellie, there’s a big pep rally, and even a cameo by Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds.

Yep, 10 solid episodes of a very well-done soap. Saddle up, because I think you’ll enjoy it.

And that’s what Todd’s watching.