The locations of A Splendid Mistake 3 continue to play, as in previous seasons, a role far from secondary: the boundless open spaces, the green of the prairies, the unique panorama of the ranches accompany the transformation of Jackie, one of the main characters, as she gradually gets used to life away from Manhattan.
Here is where the new season of the Netflix series based on Ali Novak’s novels was filmed, available on the platform from August 6, 2026.
What it’s about
At the end of the previous season Jackie and Cole had confessed their love for each other. Alex, Jackie’s boyfriend and Cole’s brother, had overheard the conversation, which was interrupted by the news that George, the father of the Walter brothers, had been rushed to the hospital. A Splendid Mistake 3 picks up from here, following the realization shared by the three main protagonists that life is too unpredictable not to pursue what you truly want: Alex has thus joined a new rodeo team; Cole has caught the eye of a race car driver who sees potential in him; and Jackie is launching a new space for the Silver Falls community. The arrival from New York of an old childhood friend of Jackie, however, threatens to upset this new balance.
Where the series was shot
Set in Colorado, A Splendid Mistake seems to ride one of the current TV trends: stories that unfold on ranches, between rodeos and a Western-era atmosphere, perhaps to give viewers a moment of light escapism. This trend includes, to name only a few recent releases, Dutton Ranch, Ransom Canyon and The Little House on the Prairie.
Among the places where A Splendid Mistake 3 was filmed, however, there is no Colorado; it was replaced on screen by the more accessible – at least in terms of permits and film facilities – province of Alberta in Canada: here landscapes such as the Rocky Mountains, the prairie region, and the great lakes capable of evoking an expansive sense of freedom are plentiful.
Calgary
Among the locations for the new season is Calgary in particular: here scenes were filmed at the school, in the town center, and the key rodeo sequence. More generally the Canadian town was used to recreate on-screen urban settings: the blend of modern architecture with a culture still deeply imbued with Western traditions is, after all, the most typical feature of the “Cowtown” (literally, “City of Cattle”), as the city is nicknamed.
Cochrane
Not far from Calgary, Cochrane hosted the Walter residence: in this town where daily life indeed still largely revolves around ranches, farms, and vast prairies, the Silver Falls were recreated.
Other locations in Alberta
New entries among the locations for A Splendid Mistake 3 are small Alberta towns such as Bragg Creek and Kanakansis Country where, not only the landscape but also the slow pace and old-time rhythms of everyday life evoke the atmosphere of Ali Novak’s novels. TV enthusiasts might recognize High River: a place with a splendid view of the Rocky Mountains where the 2000s teen drama Just a Child was set.
