If your TV taste lives somewhere between the dusty, land-feud drama of Yellowstone and the no-nonsense, knuckles-first justice of Reacher, congratulations — Blue Ridge: The Series might be your next perfect binge-watch. The show doesn’t get as much mainstream buzz as either of those juggernauts, but make no mistake: Blue Ridge is absolutely finding its audience. It’s a Western/crime thriller mash-up that leans into small-town tension, rugged landscapes, and a lead character who feels like he could punch his way out of just about any problem… but usually tries talking first.

For all the violence and chaos that swirl around Yellowstone and Taylor Sheridan’s TV empire, those shows are still fundamentally dramas. Reacher, on the other hand, is simplistic but brutal. Blue Ridge sits right in the middle, pulling from both lanes in a way that feels surprisingly natural. Blue Ridge: The Series is a 2024 action drama that originally aired on the Cowboy Way Channel and is now available to stream via Amazon Freevee. The six-episode season stars Johnathon Schaech as Justin Wise, a former Green Beret who’s now the sheriff of a small mountain town tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia.

Justin’s trying to rebuild a quieter life, reconnecting with his ex-wife Elli (Sarah Lancaster) and his daughter Maddie (Taegen Burns). Naturally, that peace doesn’t last long. The show is a procedural, so there’s a crime of the week and new cases popping up all the time, but in the background there’s always a simmering tension bubbling away for the whole season. Each episode peels back another layer of the town’s secrets until everything comes to a head in a dramatic, cliffhanger ending. The good news is that Season 2 is already on the way, so viewers won’t be left hanging for long.

There’s a bit more, too. The series is actually a direct sequel to the 2020 film Blue Ridge, which featured many of the same cast members, including Schaech and Lancaster. In the movie, Justin moves to the mountain town specifically to be closer to his family. When a murder shakes the community, he discovers that the town’s calm exterior hides generations-old grudges and dangerous family feuds.

Why ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Reacher’ Fans Should Check Out ‘Blue Ridge’

This is where Blue Ridge really clicks. Like Yellowstone, the show leans heavily into sweeping landscapes, rugged masculinity, and the idea of one man standing between order and total chaos. There’s a sense of place that matters; the land is part of the story, but at the same time, Blue Ridge borrows from Reacher’s playbook when it comes to pacing and attitude. Justin Wise isn’t invincible, but he’s absolutely a problem when things turn violent. Schaech balances brooding intensity with a wink of self-awareness that feels very much in the spirit of Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher.