Ransom Canyon season 2 wasted an opportunity with its biggest guest star

Following its release in July, Ransom Canyon season 2 quickly became one of the most popular Netflix shows this summer, hitting the peak of the daily Top 10 and debuting at No. 3 worlwide. There's no doubt that even after binge-watching all eight episodes of the new season, fans are running it back to rewatch every episode and reliving every dramatic, romantic moment.

In the new season, Ransom Canyon reunited us with all of our favorite—and least favorite—characters, though a couple major characters from the first season didn't return. However, season 2 introduced us to a number of new characters, like Quinn's mother Claire, who was played by Academy Award-nominated actress Patricia Clarkson, and Yancy's wife Sidney (Heidi Grace Engerman).

Perhaps one of the more shocking, and confusing considering the lore, introductions was that of Staten's younger half-brother. Not only did we not know that Staten had a younger half-brother, unless that slipped through the season 1 cracks, but his sudden appearance might have left viewers wondering who he even is and why he didn't play a bigger role in the story.

Who is Levi in Ransom Canyon season 2?

For those who might have been puzzled by Levi in Ransom Canyon season 2, he's Staten's younger half-brother, who is played by Reba and Shameless star Steve Howey. Levi makes his first and only appearance in season 5 in the fifth episode as Staten escapes into the woods. Apparently, Levi has been living off the grid for an unspecified amount of time or really any concrete reason.

Staten and Levi share the same father, Sam, but different mothers. Levi's mother recently passed away, but it's been a while since the brothers have had an opportunity to catch up. During their reunion at Staten's campfire, the two share memories from when they were kids, but at a certain point, their lives went into very different paths, with Staten continuing to work with their father.

As it turns out, Staten seeking out Levi in the woods wasn't simply to spend time with his brother. He had a selfish reason to reunite, which had to do with Levi returning to the world of Double K in order to vote out their father. Mind you, Levi hadn't spent much time at the ranch and isn't involved in the operations despite Staten's insistence that it's his "home," too. Levi rebuffs that statement.

When Staten and Levi's reunion suddenly ends, with Staten waking up to find his brother has left without saying a word, the viewers are also left to sit with the potential that their storyline could have had. For all intents and purposes, the "storyline" was over before it began since Levi had maybe two scenes in his single episode, and neither seemed like a good enough reason to cast Steve Howey.

Ransom Canyon underutilized Steve Howey as Levi

Irrefutably, Howey was Ransom Canyon season 2's biggest guest star, and that's not including Clarkson since she had a recurring role in the season. To play Levi, Howey wore a beard, making it possible that some fans maybe didn't even recognize the actor that has been a staple on the small screen for over two decades. Simply put, he should have had more to do.

Howey has had a busy year in television with his series regular role in ABC's hit procedural High Potential and recurring role in Prime Video's pop culture sensation hockey romance Off Campus. Arguably, Ransom Canyon should have been the icing on the cake, but once the season dropped, it was clear that his role wasn't nearly as big as fans first assumed when it was announced.

If Netflix renews Ransom Canyon for season 3, there's a good chance that Howey could reprise his role as Levi in a more meaningful way. His cameo in season 2 could have just been a teaser for what's possible to explore in the brotherly relationship between Staten and Levi. Now that Staten's in control of Double K, he has the option of pulling his brother back into the family business.

But we know that Ransom Canyon has a tendency to drop characters, even series regular characters, in order to move in another direction. There's no telling whether Levi could either become a main character or never be heard from again. That depends not only on what the writers' have planned and Howey's availability. We want him to come back, but not if he will be underutilized once again.

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