Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone helped to bring the western genre into the 21st century. Starring Kevin Costner as John Dutton, the series followed the Dutton clan as they ran a gigantic ranch and committed many, many crimes to protect it. The five-season show has become a sprawling franchise, thanks to sequels like Dutton Ranch and Marshals, which remained unrivaled… until now. Netflix’s perfect Yellowstone replacement is back for its second season, and in just a few days, it’s already one of the biggest shows in the world. It might not have Taylor Sheridan’s name behind it, but Netflix’s Ransom Canyon is perfect for every Yellowstone fan, and it just dropped its second season. Season 2 dropped on Netflix on Jul 23, and the series has skyrocketed up the global streaming charts. The French action series, Elite Force, is still the number one show worldwide. But Ransom Canyon has overtaken big players like Will Ferrell’s The Hawk and Netflix’s dark Little House on the Prairie reboot to become the eighth most popular series on Netflix worldwide this week. Based on the series of novels by Jodi Thomas, Ransom Canyon blends a neo-western aesthetic with a romantic subplot; it’s like a blend of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone and Netflix’s own Virgin River. April Blair created the TV series and acts as showrunner, with an incredible cast that includes Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, Lizzy Greene, Garrett Wareing, Marianly Tejada, and Jack Schumacher. Duhamel and Kelly star as Staten Kirkland and Quinn O’Grady, respectively, who are caught between three ranching families all fighting for control in Texas Hill Country, all while outside forces try to steal the land from all three of them. It’s the cowboying of Yellowstone, mixed with a healthy dose of melodrama.
‘Ransom Canyon’ Is a Very Divisive Hit

Ransom Canyon might be one of the biggest shows on Netflix right now, but that’s not to say that everybody is in love with the show. Season 1 was very divisive among critics, holding a 45% Rotten Tomatoes score. Although it’s safe to say that audiences enjoyed it far more, giving the series a 72% user rating on RT. Given that Season 2 has only just been released, not enough user reviews have been submitted to generate a Popcornmeter score yet. But the critics have already had their say, and history could be repeating itself. Season 2 holds a slightly worse 40% Rotten Tomatoes score. We’ll have to wait until more audience RT ratings are turned in before getting the metric that actually matters.
‘Ransom Canyon’s Future on Netflix Is Uncertain

Anna Kooris/©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Season 2 might already be a global hit, but Netflix is nothing if not cautious when it comes to renewing its popular shows for new seasons. The streamer usually operates on a 91-day viewership window to determine whether new series and seasons were successful. Given that the streaming giant hasn’t pre-emptively renewed Ransom Canyon for a third season, we’ll likely have to wait three months before hearing whether the show gets picked up again.

Release Date

April 17, 2025

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

April Blair

Directors

Amanda Marsalis

Writers

April Blair