Ransom season 3 episode 5 preview: A kidnapper from the past returns

When you are in the world of Ransom, one thing should be crystal clear: You don’t want to run into past kidnappers. If you do something this terrible once, the laws of morality dictate that more than likely, you’re going to do so again. Kidnapping is an extreme crime; few criminals ever flitch the switch and suddenly decide that they don’t want to be terrible anymore.

Alas, for Eric on Ransom season 3 episode 5, the worst-case scenario is going to come true. He will be on a collision course with a kidnapper from an old case, one that cause him to rethink past decisions and also throws him into action. To make matters (somehow) even worse, the chief person in danger at the moment is a child — basically, the most innocent and defenseless of people.

Every episode of Ransom is tough in that you’re dealing with horrible perpetrators. This one is different, as there may be an element of guilt. Eric will have to wrestle with demons, and it will only get worse if the consequences of this kidnapper’s act are dire. Emotionally, this may be the strongest episode to date this season … though we don’t exactly think that Eric would appreciate this. For him, the best-case scenarios are when some of his operations are smooth sailing.

For a few more specifics, take a look at the Ransom season 3 episode 5 synopsis:

“Life and Limb” – When a kidnapper from a past case returns and threatens to harm a child, the team is forced to confront the consequences of Eric’s policy of letting perpetrators go free, on RANSOM at a special time on Saturday, March 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The latest ratings update

We like to share these every week to keep you up to speed, and it feels like a long time since we’ve been able to say this: There is good news to report!

Last week’s season 3 episode 3 ended up generating a 0.3 rating and 2.73 million viewers — the largest audiences of the season so far. While we understand that these are not exactly ticker-tape-parade worthy, you do have to remember that Ransom is a Saturday-night series with little to no promotion. It’s not going to become the second coming of This Is Us overnight.

What’s most important to note for now is that season 3 is actually performing better, both in terms of viewers and in terms of the 18-49 demographic, than season 2 did on average. Anytime you can actually improve your ratings average from one season to the next, that is the sort of thing that major networks look at and smile. It’s a rarity that only happens to a select number of shows — especially when you’re thinking about shows that are, by and large, sticking around in the same timeslot from one season to the next.

Let’s make it clear: We’re not guaranteeing a renewal for season 4 in this article. Consider this a small signal flare of hope, with a reminder that it’s a long season and there is plenty of room for fluctuation coming up.

Where do you think the story of Ransom could go entering season 3 episode 5? Share some thoughts in the comments below. (Photo: CBS.)