Netflix's Yellowstone Rival Officially Returns Next Month With New Episodes

While Yellowstone may have revived the modern western in the streaming era, Netflix’s rival series offers a softer entry point into the genre, and it’s returning next month. In the years since Yellowstone’s 2018 release, the Taylor Sheridan series has dominated the public consciousness when it comes to all things western, which meant several other westerns were bound to go into development after its initial wave of success. Netflix’s answer to the western question pulled from several different areas, and blossomed into its original series Ransom Canyon. Starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly, the series is a mix of genres.

Though Ransom Canyon, which is based on a series of books by Jodi Thomas, is definitely lighter fare than Yellowstone, the series gives the successful western a run for its money. Succeeding in pulling audiences who are interested in westerns and those who are interested in shows like Virgin River or Sullivan’s Crossing, Ransom Canyon has a wider reach than the traditional western while incorporating all of the same elements. Embracing the small-town relationships and interpersonal drama of the books, Ransom Canyon’s bigger western themes are further from the center of the story, which makes it more accessible for viewers.

With Ransom Canyon season 1 having reeled in viewers all over the world, the show’s second season is going to reshape the story a bit with cast member changes, but will be an exciting continuation. Returning this July, Ransom Canyon is perfect for anyone looking to fill a Yellowstone gap.

How Netflix’s Ransom Canyon Compares To Yellowstone

Although Yellowstone is a very different show than Ransom Canyon, the two share a lot of similar characteristics at their core. On the surface, the shows look like a far cry from one another outside being based in a western sensibility, but fans of Yellowstone would enjoy the way Ransom Canyon approaches its stories. With land ownership and legacy being at the heart of the plots stemming throughout Ransom Canyon, there’s a lot to tackle for the families at the center of the show, and a lot of tumultuous backstory that informs what’s happening in the present day on screen.

Ransom Canyon takes a different path to tell its story than Yellowstone, bringing things like ranch disputes and local politics into play, but keeping its focus on the relationships between characters and broader emotional storytelling. The Netflix series focuses consistently on the story between Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel) and Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly), who are lifelong friends and circling around a romance at the show’s start after a Kirkland family tragedy. The show chooses to let its drama stem from personal choices than larger scale power struggles, which is a far cry from what Yellowstone does with its plots.

Ransom Canyon Offers A More Approachable Alternative To Yellowstone

Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly smiling in Ransom Canyon

As a whole, Ransom Canyon offers a far more approachable, addictive version of a western for viewers who enjoyed Yellowstone, and for those who found it difficult to get into. The entry point of the series affords viewers time and space to get to know the characters, and the story moves at a slightly slower pace than the rolling drama of a traditional western, which allows viewers to thoroughly invest. Ransom Canyon is, overall, a more contained series, focusing on a single community and a group of interconnected characters, rather than Yellowstone’s sprawling cast of characters to keep track of.

Netflix’s decision to keep investing in Ransom Canyon, which did well throughout its first season, makes it clear that the streaming platform is looking for its own version of Yellowstone to push forward. The series, thankfully, understands that modern westerns don’t need to follow the same formula that classic westerns did, but need to feel approachable for new viewers who may not be used to the genre. With Ransom Canyon season 2 returning on July 23, the show is coming back at the best possible moment, bringing a whole new season of stories to the growing franchise.