By Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
**Spoilers for Seasons One and Two
Taylor Sheridan is currently ruling Paramount+. Responsible for seven prominent shows on the network, along with countless others in development, Paramount continues to give Sheridan reign over much of its content. Whether it’s Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, or the many Yellowstone spin-offs, Sheridan has a devoted fan base. His shows appeal to those drawn to stories about blue-collar industries or rural communities and they especially resonate with audiences who might have trouble relating to television in 2026. Landman has concluded season two, and I think I’m ready to make a declaration of Sheridan’s shows.
But we’ll get to that later.
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t deny these shows are entertaining. Landman brings to life the world of oil drilling in Western Texas, with Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and his family front and center as they navigate the ins and outs of a dangerous industry, along with the business politics that might even make Game of Thrones blush a little. Season one ends with Cooper (Jacob Lofland), Tommy’s son, going into business for himself as a “landman” (an individual who owns fields and leases the land to companies for oil drilling). Monty (Jon Hamm) kicks the bucket and leaves his company to his wife, Cami (Demi Moore). Tommy escapes death at the hands of a drug cartel with the assistance of a mysterious Andy Garcia character that we don’t learn more about until later. Season one had great performances, a coherent story, and had something to say about the risks and rewards of oil drilling.
Season two of Landman feels different from season one, or maybe it isn’t and I just didn’t see the problems because I gave it a break in its debut season. Or maybe I just liked season one better because it had more focus on story and less commentary on “woke” topics?
Season two of Landman, to its credit, continues to excel in letting Thornton cook at any chance he can get. Tommy in season one is a loyal company man who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. He’s a devoted family man, cares about his town, and devotes himself to his team. Not much has changed with season two Tommy, but we get some overdue backstory about his upbringing and parents, which helps the audience piece together much-needed context for who Tommy is as a character. The addition of Tommy’s father, TL (Sam Elliott), helps us understand his gruff exterior, his caring nature, and his love of the land. They also take some risks with Tommy’s character in season two, stretching how much influence he has over his family (turns out quite a bit), his employer (not as much here), and his town (maybe a little too much power).
Within the Norris family, Cooper has the most to do. After he strikes oil in several fields he owns, Cooper shows how little he knows about oil by running up debt and failing to surround himself with people who can help him navigate a complex industry. Cooper and Tommy become closer this season, paralleling Tommy and TL’s relationship throughout season two. Cooper screws up, and Tommy comes in to clean things up both professionally and personally. When Ariana (Paulina Chávez) breaks up with Cooper, Tommy is there to help clean up and help him find a way back. Performance-wise, Lofland does a serviceable job at balancing Cooper’s naivety along with his ability to protect his wife. However, Cooper’s violence this season threatens everything he built in the series.
For Cooper and Ariana, season two gets real when Ariana finds a job as a bartender and is harassed by some customers. Ariana, being a strong and capable character, can readily defend herself. However, Sheridan and team decided against giving her a chance to showcase these qualities. Instead, a customer she fought back against attempts to (trigger warning) sexually assault. It’s a graphic scene and, in a very ballsy move, Cooper comes in to beat the assailant to death despite him being pretty mild-mannered throughout the season. For Ariana, though, it represents a trend with women in Sheridan’s shows which devalues female characters.
Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) and Angela (Ali Larter) aren’t immune to shallow character development either. Both characters represent a tone disparity with the rest of the show, as they are featured only as comic relief in sitcom-like situations or overly sexualized for no reason. Neither of them has much to do this season but to lament about how they’re not loved enough. Even Rebecca (Kayla Wallace), Tommy’s hotshot attorney for M-Tex, falls into this trap after being a standout in season one. Angela and Ainsley go about their business without a care in the world in season two, and don’t take a whole lot of responsibility for anything they do throughout. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that Tommy hires a stripper to take care of TL instead of a physical therapist.
This is most egregious when Ainsley goes to college and has a conflict with her non-binary roommate, Paigyn (Bobbi Salvör Menuez). Something felt off immediately about this storyline, as Ainsley and Angela both decide it’s much easier to get Ainsley an apartment off campus while misgendering Paigyn. The very next episode, Ainsley defends Paigyn against bullies and is commended for her leadership. It’s such an abrupt turnaround that the whiplash feels like it was just easier to write a solution instead of showing any genuine character growth, consequences, or development.
The characters’ feeling of invincibility is a consistent problem for most members of the Norris family. Tommy spends the entire season attempting to play chess against Gallino, an investment company owner whose money is laundered into oil. He is the phantom Andy Garcia character from season one who saved Tommy’s life. It was almost admirable the way Tommy’s integrity won out throughout season two. At the very end, Tommy makes a deal with Gallino, signaling a turn of character that he spent all season trying to resist. It felt cheap, and everything comes up Tommy and his newly formed oil company after Cami fires him for being risk averse (I can’t be the only one to see the irony there). Even with Ariana and Cooper, the cops go at them pretty hard and even go so far as to accuse Cooper of murder. With Tommy and Rebecca’s help, Cooper gets away with zero consequences for his actions. It is my sincere hope that at some point throughout the course of the show, there will be consequences instead of being able to scheme out of every situation the Norris family find themselves.
I sincerely appreciate that Sheridan makes shows for people who feel underrepresented in television. However, I can’t do these shows anymore with Sheridan, as he continues to write characters, particularly women, so shallowly, while tying a nice bow on all the terrible things that this family does. I listened to a podcast that said Landman Season Two jumped the shark and I agree with them. Sheridan’s shows are continually losing focus, and I just can’t watch them anymore until something drastic changes.
Rating: Didn’t Like It
Landman is currently streaming on Paramount+
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd