Ransom Canyon

"4⭐️ A small town contemporary cowboy grumpy/sunshine romance. If Virgin River and Yellowstone had a baby it would be this appealing show. The story though is pretty typical sort of greedy land grabbing, sneaky bad guys kind of stuff, with loss, grief, and past regrets driving character motivations and misunderstandings. But still, if not innovative it’s compelling enough. I really was hoping for something even a tad closer to the intensity and wildness of YS though. In that respect it takes more closely after VR .. tamer, less violent, no true brutality, yet suspenseful and binge-able (easily finished all 10 eps in a couple of days which is rare for me). It gets disjointed, overly convenient, doesn’t always make sense, and relies on some stereotyped characters and events. So not perfect but certainly absorbing and even slightly irresistible with an elevated, edgier hallmark type of hominess. Several romantic subplots offer plenty of soapy drama and good chemistry between the cast. Though not a huge fan of Josh Duhamel he’s definitely serviceable. It was good to see Minka Kelly but particularly James Brolin. I’d say his character, though not a large role, provides a moral center and heart of the show. Personally I would’ve preferred more focus on cowboying and ranching and less hometown politicking and high school dynamics. I also hoped for the same kind of visual scope and scale that both VR and YS stunningly provide. The cinematography just doesn’t reach those grand heights. But I’ll watch a S2 should it occur. Especially since the ending is fairly loose, but more because it filled a cozy-ish western void I didn’t know needed filling. "

"Good show, but it often gives me the feeling of watching a daytime soap."