The Ranch

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 1, 2016
Season #: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 142 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 107 out of 142
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 142
  3. Negative: 25 out of 142
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User Reviews

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  1. fable
    Apr 4, 2016
    5
    I have seen 2 episodes and quitted afterwards. The series so much insists on father-son struggle and it gets repetitive soon. Unlike other Netflix shows, there is no mature scene. It is so classic and not suitable for 2016.
  2. lbolen
    Apr 30, 2017
    5
    After watching about four episodes now, I'm getting into the tone of the show, which isn't too bad. Solid characters, actors and actresses.

    Good comedy bits, but could do without the laugh-track.
  3. Minustephen
    Apr 4, 2016
    5
    "The Ranch" is surprising in the sense that it really is a solid "5/10." I laugh fifty percent of the time, I'm impressed by the story half the time-- it hits its beats on and off again making for a show that's great for just throwing on when you're cutting through your day. The story of Colt, a prodigal "screw-up" son, coming home to his family's ranch in Colorado has just enough drama to"The Ranch" is surprising in the sense that it really is a solid "5/10." I laugh fifty percent of the time, I'm impressed by the story half the time-- it hits its beats on and off again making for a show that's great for just throwing on when you're cutting through your day. The story of Colt, a prodigal "screw-up" son, coming home to his family's ranch in Colorado has just enough drama to be engaging, even if the typical sitcom trappings can feel dated, poorly constructed, and/or lazy at times. There are enough great jokes to outweigh the absolute trash you'll also encounter, so you won't feel like you "lost" your time, maybe you just "didn't spend it well." But when TV can be coupled with laundry, social media round-ups, cooking, or playing with your dog, "The Ranch" might just be one of the next-best "throw-away" shows. I'm enjoying currently. With constraints.… Expand
  4. danielnites
    Apr 7, 2016
    5
    For April Fool’s Day, web studio front-runner Netflix decides to add funny to its regular lineup by recycling a sitcom from nondescript sources, sprinkling it with some colloquial references and release into the wild web queue. A fool's errand or good ol' fashion strategy?

    The Ranch rests firmly on a canned laughter foundation running way hard on TV tropes whose sole purpose is to give    For April Fool’s Day, web studio front-runner Netflix decides to add funny to its regular lineup by recycling a sitcom from nondescript sources, sprinkling it with some colloquial references and release into the wild web queue. A fool's errand or good ol' fashion strategy?

    The Ranch rests firmly on a canned laughter foundation running way hard on TV tropes whose sole purpose is to give Californians a mind-splitting humorous depiction of West and Far-West cultural clashes by pitting the young against the old disguised as father and son. Lead by TV veteran Ashton Kutcher as Colt Bennett, the prodigal son and wash-up semi-pro football player who returns home under the guise of helping his family's struggling ranch, this series feels more like a cowboy's spiritual successor to Two and a Half Men than a serious attempt to revamp the dying sitcom formula.

    Given its mature rating, which essentially translates to a creative free pass in this increasingly regulated industry, it quickly squanders its opportunity for a more mature direction in favor of a safe and archaic approach. Sure, there are a couple of forced F-bombs and raunchy-er situations especially in episode six but it's still not branded (Get it?) with the Netflix seal of approval a.k.a depth and good-willed recklessness.

    Aside from Kutcher's adequate performance, his on-screen brother Rooster (Danny Masterson) delivers a That '70s Show level of acting as the tried–and–true familial mediator to the pissing contest between Colt and his father Beau played by Sam Elliot. Elliot, as the dour no-nonsense rancher, along with his ex-wife and local barkeep Maggie (Debra Winger) are about the ones who really keep the show afloat as their interactions and factoids steadily attempt to push it further into trendy web series territory.

    Still, the hopeful casting doesn't save the constant issue with character confidence enforced by classic TV cutting: half-hearted line delivery and unintentional smirks only rivaled by the best dinner theater. Furthermore, the under-utilization of its female characters such as Aston's ex-girlfriend Abby (Elisha Cuthbert) and Heather (Kelli Goss), the now-legal busty farmer's daughter engulfs the series in a off-brand '90s blanket perpetuating an endless line of ranchin'-flavored jokes and situations, all 100% biodegradable.

    The Ranch clearly lingers on the expect until you take a close look at the rhythm of the series. Its flow is probably its most defining feature. It alternates between cheap jokes and priceless life lessons which, as expected, come from the parents of the series (Millennials clearly never bestow valuable lessons). This dynamic contrast makes it difficult to completely hate it yet lacks the necessary consistency to be ranked as a "foreground" show rather than background entertainment to your Facebook or Twitter feed.

    Whether binged or digested sporadically, it still feels pretty hard to condemn the $8/month entertainment provider for stocking your digital shelf with a feel-good disposable comedy usually found jammed with ads elsewhere.    … Expand
  5. Dancedivaonline
    May 25, 2016
    4
    This show is funny on its own. Doesn't need a laugh track. I like the show but hate to watch because of the laugh track. I don't need to be told when to laugh. The tv show Mom is a funny show. No laugh track and everyone knows when it's funny. Get rid of the laugh track!!!!

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Most Discussed TV Season of 2016
94
#94 Most Shared TV Season of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 20
  3. Negative: 2 out of 20
  1. Uncle Barky
    Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Apr 4, 2016
    75
    Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson from That ‘70s Show are reunited as siblings in The Ranch, which turned up on April Fool’s Day with the 10 episodes that make up “Part One” of Season 1. It’s a decent vehicle for both of them.
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  2. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Apr 4, 2016
    70
    What it wants to be is a surprisingly effective collection of one-act plays that are sprinkled with laughs but mostly dramatic in nature. What it is is an occasionally effective (but always daring) sitcom, filmed before a live studio audience and packed with smutty jokes.
    Read full review
  3. Reason.com
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Apr 2, 2016
    65
    But basically, shorn of a few four-letter words and an occasional arm thrust up the cervix of a cow, there's nothing about The Ranch that wouldn't fit in just fine on network television, and that goes for both sides of the camera: The veteran, bankable cast. The workmanlike producers (Don Reo and Jim Patterson, lately of Two and a Half Men, as is Kutcher). The cookie-cutter sets. The three-camera photography and editing. The laugh track.
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