Ransom season 3 episode 3 preview + premiere ratings discussion

This week’s new Ransom update has arrived — for those who are present reading for the first time, we structure these in a particular way. First, we do our part to set up some of what directly lies ahead. Following that, we also share additional thoughts on the show’s numbers. Studying the ratings for the CBS series is almost like looking at an unknown element in a research lab; there’s so much outside the norm with it as a Saturday series and a Canadian broadcast airing on a major American broadcast network. What are the expectations? When is the show teetering off into danger? These are questions worth pondering … but let’s start by focusing on the story.

Ransom season 3 episode 3 is the next new episode, and it is coming your way on Saturday, March 3. “Indiscretion” is an installment designed with a similar sole purpose to many others — a challenging hostage negotiation and the end result of it. There is a build-a-better-mousetrap quality to a series like Ransom, one that forces the writers into a position where they have to come up with a new crisis every time that is different, more exciting, or touches on different notes. To use a different analogy, it’s like a singer composing a concert — you want the songs to be all structured with the same theme, but there need to be different notes, different wrinkles. They need to work separately, be feel different from one another, and then come together by the end credits.

For some specifics as to how “Indiscretion” will precisely work, view the full episode synopsis below:

“Indiscretion” – The team’s search for a missing high-end escort leads to evidence that she was caught between a cop with a vendetta and a dangerous drug dealer, on RANSOM, Saturday, March 2 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Beyond the mousetrap aspect of this, is there a larger message here? Superficially, we would argue that this may be designed to expose some of the horrible conditions that escort or forced into or the perception that they are somehow second-class citizens. Eric Beaumont and the rest of the team could help to amplify her sense of humanity.

Your Ransom season 3 ratings update

Last week’s premiere drew, in total, a 0.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic and then also close to 2.2 million live viewers. These numbers are a drop from the season 2 premiere and, beyond that, a drop from the season 2 average as a whole. As a matter of fact, save for an episode on Memorial Day Weekend in 2018, this is the least-watched episode of Ransom so far.

Note, of course, that these are live viewers and not a full reflection of the show’s total audience — there are DVR viewers to count and, of course, viewers in other countries. American viewers do matter to the future of Ransom given that it helps the show’s total profitability. While this series does tend to operate with its own rules separate from most traditional series, there are still rules that do matter. That cannot be brushed aside. It is a perpetual challenge with Ransom mostly because we’re hardly speaking of one of television’s most-promoted shows.

For most of the remainder of the season, we’ll use the Ransom premiere numbers as a jumping-off point and a measure to compare to.

Are you enjoying Ransom season 3 so far? Be sure to share your thoughts within the attached comments. (Photo: CBS.)