5 Reasons You Should Watch ‘Ride’ On The Hallmark Channel

We know what you’re going to say to us when we tell you that you need to be watching Ride. You’re going to look at us and sigh and say, but it’s Hallmark. We’ll tell you that you’re observant and that we appreciate you being able to read television listings, clapping as we tell you that you shouldn’t judge a network by what your parents used to watch.

Since the change in leadership, Hallmark has taken on a new way of being. They’ve looked at the things that they’ve done, the world that is out there, and what they need to do to be more inclusive and reflective of the life that we all live. They’ve looked at their lineup and the shows that are available for us all to watch and found a way to bring stories that aren’t readily available.

Ride is one of those stories. It tells the story of a rodeo family – the McMurrays. It’s been a year since they lost Austin – the prodigal son, rodeo champion – when he was stomped on by a bull. Cash has returned from the military and is trying to pick up the pieces where his brother left off in the rodeo circuit. Isabel is their fierce Mom, who is doing everything that she can to save the ranch they live on and preserve their legacy. Tuff is my favorite – the ranch foreman and is their fierce protector.

There’s Missy – Austin’s widow who is trying to figure out how to put her life together and where she belongs. Val, who you can’t trust and is hiding something and well, there’s Gus who you can’t trust either.

The story is complicated, but that’s part of the great thing… Ride is a story that keeps you on your toes.

THE STRONG FEMALE ROLE MODELS

One thing that we love about Ride is the fact that even though it’s about the Rodeo, the real stars aren’t the men of the rodeo, but the women of the McMurray ranch. So many times in shows like this, we see it being the men of the family that are leading the way. Not in Ride.

They’re showing you how women take the reins and kick ass.

Isabel McMurray is the matriarch. She’s been through so much and has lost so much to the Rodeo life. Her husband and son are both gone. She’s got every reason to crumble, but instead she’s saying, nope, we’re going to keep going. Isabel has so many reasons to give up and just be like whatever, but that’s not her.

She’s a survivor and whatever it takes to make sure that she survives and her children survive is what she will do.

She’s backed up by Missy McMurray and Valeria.

Missy is the widow of her son Austin. He died in the first episode and where as a lot of people may leave the family ranch, Missy didn’t. Austin may have passed, but to the McMurray family, that didn’t mean that Missy wasn’t a part of their family.

They embraced her more.

The great thing about Isabel and Missy is that they are loyal AF. They don’t care what you’ve done, they care who you are. Which, in my opinion, is why they are so open to Val and all of the things that she’s done and the lies that she has told. They want to look past whatever past actions were and embrace who she currently is.

Val is a good person, but like Isabel and Missy, she’s grieving. We’re not sure what exactly she is grieving, but you can tell that she’s hurting by something. She’s hiding something and though we don’t know what it is, I have a feeling that we will.

We know that Val is keeping secrets and though we don’t know what they are yet, in episode 8, we see her breakdown. Why is this important? Because I think that her breakdown is leading to her being strong enough to divulge what it is she is hiding.

Strength doesn’t always come with muscles and the physical attributes. Strength comes in the way you treat people, the way that you survive, the way you grow, and the way you treat people. These three women are the epitome of strength and you can’t stop rooting for them.

And yet, you know they are survivors.

THE MYSTERY

We know from the first episode that there is a lot of crazy things that are going to happen, but we also know that we’re not going to get the entire story. There is a mystery of what is happening and why Austin needed Val’s help in the first episode.

TBH, every family has secrets. We can all try and lie about it, but it’s the truth. The McMurray’s have a lot of secrets. They don’t think that their secrets are necessarily a bad thing, because they do believe that they are protecting others.

But the thing about secrets is that they always come out. So as the show evolves, you will find yourself guessing what is happening and wondering what will be next. There are so many questions, so many things you want to know.

But as they unfold, there is always a clue that you didn’t see, but you should have. The pacing is just so good.

TUFF MCMURRAY

With every show there are characters that stick with you and characters that you just find yourself loving. We do know that all of these characters have made an impression on us, but none more than Tuff McMurray.

Jake Foy does such a standout job of bringing Tuff to life that you can’t help but fall in love with the character.

Tuff is the youngest of the McMurray family. He’s super talented and devoted to the ranch. He’s very loyal, which hey, is our favorite quality for anyone. But the truth is that Tuff is misguided and he’s distracted by everyone else. This has made him live his life for everyone else and forget about himself.

Seeing the relationship between him and Julian evolve is one of our favorite things about the show, because it shows Tuff’s evolution. He just is on this road to finding all of the joy that he wants in life and that is a beautiful thing to see.

THE RANCH

One of the things that are important to me when watching a show is the setting and the design. The ranch and the houses and the costumes and the town and well everything is just perfection. It feels like we’re getting an inside look into this family.

The ranch is just absolutely beautiful. When we interviewed them, they really were on a ranch. Though, I have so many questions, like does Hallmark own the ranch? What happened to the people that do own the ranch?

The characters definitely draw you in, but it’s also the beauty of this ranch. It will make you want to take a vacation to where everything is green and peaceful.

THE STRONG WRITING

One thing that we’re definitely impressed with is the strong writing. Putting together a show like this takes a lot for the world building, the pieces, and all of the things to come together. Ride has no issues doing that. Yes, it’s in part due to a really strong cast, but it’s also because it’s got amazing writing. The writers room knows how to weave a story together gracefully and beautifully. They make sure that they give you a little to keep you interested, pull back a bit, and then pulls you back in. It keeps you interested and it keeps you guessing.

The writing weave an intricate tale and we’re loving that. The casting is great and keeps you interested, but it’s the writing and the casting that leaves you wanting more.

Have you been watching Ride? What are your thoughts? Tell us all the things.