‘The Ranch’ delivers heartwarming comedy and beautiful emotion.
December 10, 2018
Netflix’s “The Ranch” released the second half of its third season containing ten episodes on Friday. The sitcom’s latest endeavor was a remarkable addition with hilarious comedy and plenty of emotional moments.
The show follows the Bennett family in the small town of Garrison, Colorado. The head of the family Beau, played by Sam Elliot, is a no-nonsense hard worker who runs the Iron River Ranch. He often has to deal with the struggles of everyday life in agriculture along with the antics of his grown up sons Colt, played by Ashton Kutcher, and Rooster, played by Danny Masterson. After a hard day’s work, the men often find themselves making fun of the world around them or having a drink at the local bar owned by Beau’s ex-wife Maggie, played by Debra Winger.
In this half, the Bennetts first deal with a heartbreaking loss. The pain that these characters go through is done in a realistic manner. The most focus is on Colt going through all the stages of grief especially denial. When Colt finally does accept reality, the emotion he expresses is 100 percent genuine with him breaking down in tears after giving a speech at a memorial service.
The rest of the series shows Colt and his wife Abby, played by Elisha Cuthbert, having a daughter named Peyton and the trials that come from supporting a family. Besides the usual circumstances such as sleep deprivation, it also shows the little moments that get swept under the rug in most films and shows such as Colt, Abby and Peyton all sleeping on the couch.
After Danny Masterson’s firing as a result of rape allegations, his character Rooster was written out of the show. While some fans of the show may feel cautious going in without one of the main characters, the show’s quality doesn’t decrease. The comedy of the show is unlike other sitcoms because it’s produced by Netflix. Because of this the show is able to use explicit language and tackles more harsh subjects than most network sitcoms allow.
One of the best types of comedy is how the Bennetts make fun of trends that are favored among younger generations such as electric cars, man buns and Ugs. One of the most funny jokes made is Beau questioning what exactly almond milk is. This leads to the line, “show me the teets on an almond!”
The Bennetts are also Republicans which the show uses to both satire and embrace conservatism including jokes making fun of politicians like Al Gore and the Clintons as well as Beau showing his love for Ronald Reagan. However, the show never comes off as hateful of any side of the political spectrum which means that people of any viewpoint can easily enjoy the content.
The series latest season was an emotional rollercoaster that saw the Bennetts experience tragedy and real world issues that affected their lives and their ranch. From the opening credits featuring the iconic country song, “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” covered by Lukas Nelson and Shooter Jennings (sons of country legends Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings), “The Ranch” immerses the viewer in the life of Garrison. The portrayal of small town life gives those that live in more urban areas an idea of what those in agriculture experience and reminds those that live in the rural country why they love living there.