You haven’t seen the last of Ransom Canyon, the addictive series set in a small Texas town where steamy love triangles, decades-long family drama, and contentious land disputes collide. The series is returning for Season 2, and production has begun on the new episodes — as seen in the above photo of stars Minka Kelly and Josh Duhamel back on set. This year, the duo is joined by new faces including Steve Howey (High Potential, Off Campus, Shameless), who has signed on as a recurring guest star. 

Steve Howey

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT

Howey will play Staten’s (Duhamel) half-brother Levi, a mountain man of sorts who lives off the land. The actor joins Patricia Clarkson, Ben Robson, and Heidi Engerman for Season 2. Returning cast members include Duhamel, Kelly, Lizzy Greene, Garrett Wareing, Jack Schumacher, Marianly Tejada, Casey W. Johnson, Tatanka Means, Justin Johnson Cortez, Kenny Miller, Philip Winchester, Jennifer Ens, Brett Cullen, and Niko Guardado.

Created by April Blair, Season 1 of Ransom Canyon follows three ranching families in the titular town as their lives and legacies are strained by loss, love, and loyalty against the sumptuous backdrop of Texas Hill Country. When a mysterious cowboy arrives in Ransom, he dredges up hidden secrets and raises the stakes of the families’ struggle over the land. At the heart of the first season is an epic romance between stoic rancher Staten Kirkland (Duhamel) and community leader Quinn O’Grady (Kelly), who are caught in the crossfire between the outside forces threatening their way of life and the town they call home. 

Chiseled cowboys, will they, won’t they romances, majestic scenery … it’s no wonder Ransom Canyon, which spent four weeks in the Global Top 10 list and reached the Top 10 in 77 countries, has been renewed. “I couldn’t be happier that Netflix is ready to get back in the saddle for Ransom Canyon,” says showrunner Blair, who also executive produces. “Our dreamy little corner of Texas Hill Country is full of stories still untold, and we can’t wait to bring them to our incredible fans. Get ready for another ride.”

PHOTO BY JEFF NEUMANN

Season 1 left off on some cliff-hangers. After 10 tantalizing episodes, Quinn and Staten finally get together, only for Quinn to accept a position at the New York Philharmonic so that she can keep her Ransom dance hall open after a disastrous business deal with Davis (Eoin Macken), her former love interest and Staten’s brother-in-law, falls through. “That’s one of my favorite things about this show,” says Kelly of her character’s choice to put herself and her business first. “A lot of times the women, Quinn in particular, are not making choices that you typically see in a romance on TV.”

Will longtime rancher Staten move to New York City with her now that the mystery of his son’s death has been solved? After everything they’ve been through, they’re hopeful they can make it work, but the reality is hard to picture: “Can you imagine Staten living in a studio apartment in New York? No thank you,” Duhamel says. “I just don’t think it’s someplace Staten would move … but I’d like to find out.” 

Quinn has tasked friend and co-worker Ellie (Marianly Tejada) with keeping up the dance hall in her absence. Ellie has her hands full with her fiancé, Yancy (Jack Schumacher), who has inherited Cap Fuller’s (Josh Brolin) ranch after it’s revealed he’s Fuller’s long-lost grandson. Oh, and a woman claiming to be Yancy’s wife appears in the season finale, adding uncertainty to an already mysterious situation.

Ransom Canyon is the latest addition to Netflix’s collection of comfort entertainment — movies, games, and shows. This trend reflects a growing audience preference for easy-to-watch stories, perfect for both solo enjoyment and co-viewing, and includes new seasons of beloved shows such as Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, The Lincoln Lawyer, and My Life with the Walter Boys, alongside new films like The Wrong Paris and Merry Little Ex-Mas and games like Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit and the upcoming Spirit Crossing.

Executive producers for Season 2 of Ransom Canyon include Blair, Dan Angel, Bradley Gardner, Duhamel, and Kelly. Filming is underway at Netflix Studios Albuquerque, which incorporates four new soundstages and several sustainability features, including onsite solar and battery storage systems, geothermal heating and cooling, all-electric appliances, and fast vehicle chargers. With these upgrades, the studio aims to reduce its carbon footprint, lower operating costs, enhance energy efficiency, and enable the production of more shows and movies that people love. 

Will Staten and Quinn’s relationship endure? What’s going to happen to Cap’s sought-after land with Yancy at its helm? Will Yancy and Ellie still get married? Will Davis continue to stir up trouble? Stay tuned for those answers in Season 2. In the meantime, head back to Ransom with Season 1, or read more about the cast and the making of the show on Tudum.