How Josh Duhamel Really Feels About Netflix Canceling Ransom Canyon

In September 2026, fans of Minka Kelly's steamy Western series "Ransom Canyon" were suddenly left bereft when the show was abruptly canceled. Over two seasons, Josh Duhamel's Staten Kirkland and Kelly's Quinn O'Grady had captivated fans with their will-they-won't-they romance. But it seems the show simply wasn't bringing in enough viewers to justify a third season. Now, Duhamel has spoken out about the show's cancellation, saying he was not only as surprised as fans but even "upset" at Netflix's decision.

Netflix canceled "Ransom Canyon" after Season 2 in a move that surprised many fans of the series. Not only had the show's second season entered the Netflix charts upon its July debut, it also pulled the original season back into the charts, suggesting all was well in small town Texas. Netflix, however, saw things differently, pulling the plug and ensuring Staten and Quinn's love affair went no further.

Duhamel was not impressed. The actor told Us Magazine he was "pretty surprised" by the cancellation, adding, "I thought [it was safe] because the show was number one for almost two weeks and the numbers looked really, really good and people really loved the show." 

"Ransom Canyon" did indeed hit number one on the Netflix Top 10, remaining in the charts for three weeks, but Netflix still decided to end it. Duhamel, however, thinks the decision-makers there should have given the show another chance.

"Ransom Canyon" seemed like the perfect Western series for "Yellowstone" fans who fancied a little more soapy romance than they might have been getting from Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western. Alas, the show ultimately couldn't maintain its popularity and on September 10, 2026, Deadline reported that Netflix had canceled "Ransom Canyon." The outlet pointed to a slightly underwhelming reaction to Season 1 which had already prompted the streamer to cut its Season 2 order by two episodes. According to the report, when that second season debuted, it earned 4.1 million views in its first week on Netflix, which represented a reduction of 43% compared to Season 1. It seems the writing was on the wall for "Ransom Canyon," but Josh Duhamel evidently sees things differently.

"I was a little upset with Netflix for not giving the audience another season," he told Us Magazine. "Because people really did love the show ... but that's the business." Despite being upset at the decision, Duhamel also seemed to understand the financial considerations. "At the same time, I get it," he continued. "They have their reasons for why things stay and why things go. I don't always understand those reasons, but it's not my job to question."

Interestingly enough, Deadline previously speculated that the show's "considerable budget," which was in part down to its "marquee-name leads," might have been part of the reason why "Ransom Canyon" was cancelled. Regardless, the show clearly wasn't living up to the streamer's expectations, though Duhamel surely isn't alone in being surprised by Netflix's decision.

Thankfully, "Ransom Canyon" did not become one of the many Netflix shows that ended on a cliffhanger. But not only did showrunner April Blair have plans for a third season, fans were surely expecting another installment in a series that has reliably charted with the release of both its seasons on Netflix. As such, you can understand Josh Duhamel's reaction, which was much more direct than his co-star Minka Kelly's. The Quinn O'Grady performer previously posted a message to Instagram, thanking everybody involved for "giving us two beautiful seasons" and remaining surprisingly sanguine about the whole thing by writing, "All good things must come to an end."

While many fans might agree with the sentiment, others seem to be struggling with the idea that this particular good thing came to an end prematurely. Reddit is full of "Ransom Canyon" viewers expressing their frustration at Netflix's decision, with one writing, "I love Ransom Canyon!!!! Netflix has a problem with canceling the best shows." Not that it will be any consolation to the fans, but streaming services are known for cancelling shows early due to a complex combination of factors that includes entirely different metrics to those used by traditional networks and the fact streaming services don't have to worry about plugging sudden gaps in their schedules.

As it stands, Duhamel's reaction seems to encapsulate a shared sentiment among many fans of the show who feel there was still much more to explore with the series. For now, however, Staten Kirkland and Quinn O'Grady's love story has come to a close.