This is exactly why new shows shouldn't be compared to giants like Yellowstone. Ransom Canyon has its own vibe-definitely leaning into the soap opera lane and I'm not mad about it. I grew up on Days of Our Lives, so a little melodrama now and then feels like comfort food. Honestly, some of the plot twists had me half-expecting Stefano DiMera to walk in.
Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly as the leads, the chemistry is there, no doubt, but I found myself wanting just a little more from them emotionally. His brother-in-law, Davis, is a walking red flag-a full-blown nightmare, really. There's a brief moment where you think, maybe there's some goodness buried in there, but nope. Especially once he teams up with Staten's dad, who's just another barrel of bad decisions.
There are quite a few subplots woven in-Yancy and Ellie, the teenagers (Reid, Lucas, and Lauren)-and while they played into the main arc, some of their drama didn't land for me. A bit too much going on at times.
That said, I did enjoy the show. I'd absolutely tune in for season two. I went into it with zero expectations, which honestly helped. Trying to compare it to a juggernaut like Yellowstone or even Virgin River is just setting yourself up for disappointment. And let's be real, even Virgin River has its fair share of soap-level chaos.
I haven't read the books the show is based on-maybe I will, maybe I won't. Sometimes diving into the source material ruins the fun of the adaptation.
Bottom line: This isn't Yellowstone, it isn't Virgin River, and that's okay. It has potential, there's room to grow, and I'm rooting hard for Staten and Quinn. His grief-fueled stubbornness nearly drove me to drink, but I also totally got it. Grief does that-it hardens and isolates. I just hope he softens before she walks away for good.
