Ransom Canyon Season 1 Episode 1: Don't Let Me Fall

On Randall Kirkland's 16th birthday, Staten Kirkland returns from a sunrise ride expecting his son to join him, but Randall is already out of the house. At Randall's birthday party at Davis Collins's house, Davis - the brother of Staten's late wife Amalah and the owner of a rival ranch - gives Randall a new car. Staten tells Randall the car must be returned the next morning; the two argue, and Randall drives off in it. That night the sheriff's department calls Staten: Randall has died in a car crash.

A year after the crash, Staten returns to the site and finds a piece of metal in the dust. He tells the sheriff's office that another car was on the road with Randall that night, but the office rejects the account. The episode does not establish whether another vehicle was involved.

Davis holds a deal with Austin Water & Power to run a pipeline underneath the ranchlands to the aquifer, and he needs Staten and Cap Fuller to lease their land for it to proceed. Davis has taken out a second mortgage on his house and comes to Staten's house to propose the deal, presenting it as a chance to make millions. Staten refuses because the aquifer feeds his crops and cattle, and Davis says he will proceed with or without Staten's approval. Staten then visits Cap Fuller to urge him not to agree.

Sheriff Brigman escorts a drifter, Yancy Grey, to the Fuller Ranch, where Cap Fuller points him to a room in the horse stables. Ellie, who checks that Cap takes his blood-pressure medication, finds newspaper clippings about the Fuller Ranch inside Yancy's books. Yancy says the clippings are research to help him at the ranch, and Ellie had already warned him not to interfere with Cap.

At a high-school football game, a University of Texas cheerleading scout attends and Lauren Brigman is offered a place at a clinic in Austin; Davis asks Quinn O'Grady out and she declines, and Staten leaves abruptly when a banner memorializing Randall is displayed. Lauren and Lucas Russell kiss in secret after the game. At a teen bonfire, Reid Collins - Lauren's ex-boyfriend and Davis's son - confronts Lucas about his relationship with Lauren; police break up the party for underage drinking, leaving Lauren, Lucas, Reid and Tim without a ride.

The four take shelter in an abandoned house, where Reid bounces on the floorboards and Tim falls through and breaks his leg; Staten drives back, pulls them out and gets Tim medical assistance. Reid tells the first responders he had warned the others to stop 'horsing around', and Sheriff Brigman takes Lauren home and warns her to stay away from Lucas.

At the hospital, where Quinn comes to check on her nephew Tim, she tells Staten she has feelings for him and cannot keep waiting for him to choose her; Staten walks away. Late that night Yancy meets Davis, who is driving the car that collects him. Yancy reports that matters at the Fuller Ranch are going according to plan, and Davis tells him there is no going back once the plan is carried out.

As of S1E1, the episode does not establish whether another vehicle was involved; Staten's account is rejected by the sheriff's office within the episode.

As of S1E1, no motive or prior connection is established; the only in-episode signals are the clippings in his books and his warning from Ellie.

As of S1E1, sources give "two years" and "a few years" for the same interval, so no elapsed figure is stated.

As of S1E1, the episode does not state a cause of death.

As of S1E1, the surname is unresolved; available sources disagree between "Estevez" and "Catawnee".