Vague Visages’ Ransom Canyon season 1 review contains minor spoilers. April Blair’s Netflix series features Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly and Eoin Macken. Check out the VV home page for more TV criticism, reviews and essays.

Ransom Canyon season 1, an adaption of Jodi Thomas’ eponymous novel series (2015-17), shares more with old school Western tales, such as those written by Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour, than the modern and rather violent ranch-themed productions created by writer Taylor Sheridan, like Yellowstone (2018-24), 1883 (2021) and 1923 (2022-25). Set in Texas Hill Country, April Blair’s Netflix series stars Josh Duhamel as Staten Kirkland, a traumatized rancher who struggles to find his way after losing both his wife and son. The protagonist finds solace in local dance hall owner Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly), though he fails to effectively communicate his true feelings and romantic desires, resulting in a series of misunderstandings and mostly passionless subplots over multiple episodes. If the aforementioned Grey prioritized character development and romance over outlaw logistics (L’Amour took the opposite approach; Sheridan maintains a healthy balance), Ransom Canyon season 1 essentially does the same thing, but only just enough to keep audiences vibing with the Netflix algorithm.

Meaning, Ransom Canyon season 1 loses momentum during the first five episodes by teasing the sexual chemistry between the main protagonists and failing to properly sell Quinn’s romantic relationship with Staten’s slimy uncle, Davis (Eoin Macken), who colludes with an ex-convict (Jack Schumacher as Yancy Grey) in a scheme to acquire more land than can be sold to real estate developers. And the underlying issue isn’t performance-related (no pun intended), as Kelly — best known for starring as Lyla Garrity in NBC’s Friday Night Lights (2006-11) — gives one of her best performances in years, while Duhamel intriguingly plays with the Stoic Rancher archetype, à la Yellowstone’s John Dutton (Kevin Costner). The charm and good looks of both leads translates to a smooth watch, yet the series’ narrative cracks become more visible as the writers constantly separate Staten and Quinn, though this storytelling approach allows Blair and company to explore subplots involving the supporting characters. By the eighth episode of Ransom Canyon season 1, “The Bad Seed,” the banter between the primary leads feels almost comical, as it’s never quite clear why Quinn — a classically trained pianist who abandoned a career in New York City — pursues a romantic relationship with Staten’s uncle and then seemingly spends little time with him. Ransom Canyon season 1’s leads share plenty of chemistry, so the Davis romance wrinkle doesn’t feel necessary whatsoever — it just screams, “ALGORITHM!

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Ransom Canyon season 1 loses its old school flavor through its younger characters. Garrett Wareing, who plays local bad boy Lucas Russell, would feel right at home in the world of Netflix’s Outer Banks (2020-), along with the aforementioned Schumacher, who could potentially be the series’ breakout star. Similarly, Lucas’ love interest, Lauren (Lizzy Greene) — the son of the local sheriff, Dan Brigman (Philip Winchester) — will easily appeal to Gen Z viewers, much like the character’s conflicted boyfriend, Reid (Andrew Liner). These Netflix performers just have that look, but what their characters lack, unfortunately, is some of that authenticity that Duhamel, Kelly and James Brolin (as stubborn ranch owner Cap Fuller) provide. And so there’s an imbalance with the overall character dynamics.

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Ideally, there should be heavy passion and heavy tension between Duhamel and Kelly’s leads in Ransom Canyon season 1. Instead, Yancy carries on the series’ most fiery romance with Quinn’s business partner, Ellie (Marianly Tejada). And so the genre dynamics heavily shift, along with the character dynamics, due to the writers’ inability to balance traditional Western themes with new school concepts. It’s unfortunate that Quinn loses agency as a character because Kelly is so damn good with her side-eye reactions and flirtatious behavior with Staten. After a rather dull lead performance in Blackwater Lane (2024), it’s nice to see Kelly locked in once again.

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Another issue with Ransom Canyon season 1 is the lack of action sequences. As expected, there’s plenty of beautiful cinematography, courtesy of Eric Koretz and Tom Clancey, most notably during sequences featuring Brolin as the dying Cap. There’s also some bull riding and tornado drama, which complicates the overall character dynamics, especially when Davis’ ex-wife, Paula Jo (the wonderful Meta Golding), shows up in episode 5, “I Love a Good Secret.” Importantly, though, these action-light sequences don’t prominently feature the two primary protagonists. Sure, the writers build to an emotional (and sexual) climax, but it doesn’t quite resonate given Quinn’s bizarre connection to Davis and all that he represents to Staten. The love triangle works on paper, yes, but let’s hope that Netflix writers can resist algorithm pressures moving forward. Ransom Canyon season 1 would’ve been much more entertaining with a stronger focus on Staten and Quinn’s perspectives/wants/needs, and how their values influence the people around them and the overall community culture.

Netflix released Ransom Canyon season 1 on April 17, 2025.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor. Thank you for reading film criticism, movie reviews and film essays at Vague Visages.

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