‘Ransom Canyon’ Showrunner Talks About the Major Character Death that Shocked Fans

On April 17, 2025, Netflix released the first season of its western romance Ransom Canyon, starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly, to solid reviews. The series has 10 episodes so far, and while the future is still uncertain, the fans want more.

The series has had its interesting moments, but also one major controversial moment that, while not unusual for Westerns, was somewhat unexpected for a show focusing on romance and drama as well.

In light of that, showrunner April Blair talked to the press about that Episode 10 twist and she explained how and why it had to happen. Be careful, as there will be spoilers for Episode 10 in the paragraphs that follow.

One of the most popular characters in the series was Cap Fuller, who was played by veteran actor James Brolin, a true acting legend. The loss was a tragedy and something that was unexpected so early in the series, especially when such an icon is concerned.

But, as it turns out, it seems that it was Brolin’s status as a major acting icon that resulted in his character dying so early in the series. “We wanted someone who was kind of iconic like Jim to [play Cap], but we weren’t sure if he’d really sign up to do multiple seasons,” April Blair explained.

“So I always had in my head that his passing would be the thing that sort of [changed everything]. Once Jim came, he was like, ‘I would stay!’ But we were sort of already in the process of killing him off, which was sad,” she added, elaborating on the decision.

So, as you can see, there is a major reason why it happened. It might not be a reasonable explanation, but Blair has teased that this could have major implications going forward in the interview, implying that fans should trust the creative process.

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