In a world full of far too many real-life horrors, the idea of the comfortable consolation present has develop into extra essential than ever. These kinds of applications—assume Netflix’s “Candy Magnolias” or “Virgin River”—are typically relationship dramas centered on household and romance, and are actually simply right here to have an excellent time. Stuffed with picturesque small-town surroundings, slow-burn love tales, and twisty, if largely predictable plots, they’re inoffensively acquainted and don’t ask for a lot from you as a viewer past sitting again and having fun with the (entertainingly twisty) experience.
“Ransom Canyon” is Netflix’s Western-flavored tackle this specific subgenre, full with cowboys, horses, and the type of household and communal rivalries that span generations. Set within the eponymous small Texas city, the sequence primarily revolves across the relationship between Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel), a widowed rancher attempting to protect his household’s legacy, and Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly), proprietor of the native dance corridor. However regardless of its all the way down to earth setting, the present’s first season took itself only a smidge too severely, awkwardly trying to steadiness the pair’s gradual burn will they / gained’t they romance with a bigger plot a few company pipeline mission that threatens to swallow up a number of native homesteads.
Fortunately, “Ransom Canyon’s” second season course-corrects lots of the errors of its first. The tempo feels extra propulsive because of its tighter episode depend, and the present has neatly jettisoned a few of its extra irritating subplots, together with the sophisticated (learn: boring) struggle between Staten and his former brother-in-law about whether or not to promote their ranches to an Austin water and energy firm.
It’s an abrupt shift, to make sure, nevertheless it does get the present out from underneath the shadow of the relentless “Yellowstone” comparisons that dogged its first season. And “Ransom Canyon” is lastly free to lean into its soapiest and most over-the-top narrative tendencies with out having to try to faux there’s something resembling status TV occurring right here. As an alternative, badly hidden secrets and techniques, equally poorly disguised craving, and slightly little bit of overt scheming are the order of the day. And boy does Season 2 perceive the task on that rating.
All through its briskly paced eight episodes, new relationships, ill-advised flirtations, messy errors, and straight-up betrayals abound, all set in opposition to the backdrop of gorgeous Texas surroundings and a parade of shirtless males doing varied types of building and/or farm work. Whereas nothing fairly reaches the melodramatic heights of final season’s twister incident, Quinn’s willpower to spice up Ransom’s native economic system by launching an enormous nation music pageant provides the episodes a cohesive central arc.
The present’s second season picks up six months after its first. Quinn, freshly returned from her stint with the New York Philharmonic, has introduced slightly little bit of big-city shine again to small-town Texas together with her. To not point out a horny NYC-based boyfriend (Ben Robson) whose open, uber-supportive vibe could be very a lot the other of Staten’s troublesome, closed-off method to relationships. Staten, for his half, is engaged in an ongoing energy battle along with his father (Brett Cullen), who, having misplaced his reelection bid, is inserting himself within the day-to-day working of the Double Ok Ranch.
Elsewhere, Yancy (Jack Schumacher) and Ellie’s romance (Marianly Tejada) faces new challenges within the type of Sidney (Heidi Grace Engerman), a girl who technically occurs to be Yancy’s spouse. Whereas Sidney’s character is woefully underdeveloped—like so many different issues, her presence is but yet another roadblock in the best way of their happiness—Engerman supplies a much-needed spark at any time when she’s onscreen.
And, if that’s not sufficient, teen cheerleader Lauren (Lizzy Greene), nonetheless reeling from the revelation that her alcoholic mom was liable for the demise of Staten’s son Randall (Hubert Smielecki), struggles to speak her sophisticated emotions to her loyal, try-hard boyfriend, Lucas (Garrett Wareing), the identical man she spent all of final season looking for a approach to be with romantically. That she in the end finds a sympathetic ear in his older dangerous boy brother Equipment (Casey W. Johnson) is simply the type of emotional complication that “Ransom Canyon” likes to deploy, even when it doesn’t make a ton of sense from a story perspective. (He slept together with her mom! And so they someway by no means actually discuss this!)
Duhamel continues to brood handsomely, whether or not he’s poorly smothering his apparent eager for Quinn or questioning his position on the Double Ok. And though Staten’s prickly relationship along with his ex-politician father is woefully skinny, Duhamel and Cullen go at one another with palpable gusto as their inter-family drama spirals out via a lot of the remainder of the city. However it’s Kelly who stays “Ransom Canyon’s” secret weapon, oozing heat and real enthusiasm for the magic of small-town life with out turning into cloying.
As a duo, the pair nonetheless have chemistry to spare, however the present’s willpower to pull out the slow-burn relationship between Staten and Quinn stays extremely irritating. Season 2 is at the very least much less random in terms of the varied obstacles which can be thrown into their path, and even manages to provide the pair a few very obligatory heart-to-hearts about their shared historical past and anxieties in regards to the future. However, at this level, “Ransom Canyon’s” reticence to permit their relationship to both genuinely transfer ahead or really finish is essentially the most irritating side of the present. No less than a scrumptious visitor flip from Patricia Clarkson as Quinn’s self-involved mom provides a touch of entertaining snark to proceedings.
Nonetheless, “Ransom Canyon” Season 2 is a lighter and extra shamelessly entertaining outing than its predecessor, and if it’s not precisely reinventing the wheel in terms of storytelling, the present has found out what it’s good at, and unabashedly leans into it. Sure, it’s usually predictable, relentlessly soapy, and doesn’t give any twist quite a lot of minutes to breathe. However its practiced model of simply bingeable escapism positive does go down simple.
All eight episodes screened for assessment. Premieres July 23 on Netflix.
