Taylor Sheridan’s 2-Part Neo-Western Series Is So Good, It Could Last Forever

Landman is easily one of the best shows streaming today, and not just because it’s co-created by Taylor Sheridan with Christian Wallace. The oil industry saga doesn’t just feature a gritty, realistic portrayal of the West Texas oil industry, but it’s also firmly rooted in commercial behind-the-scenes stressors and anchored by Billy Bob Thornton’s charismatic portrayal of landman Tommy Norris.

In addition to the neo-Western’s intriguing list of deeply complex, flawed characters, who each appeal to us in different ways, Landman hits us with a witty, fast-paced, high-stakes drama fueled by a volatile mix of big money and relentless impending danger. There are so many entertaining storylines to follow, it’s impossible to get bored with this show. While the first season gave just enough to grab viewer attention, it was Season 2 that really blew the show out of the water, proving its narrative is so good and full of unlimited potential, it could last forever.

What Is Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ About?

What you should know about Landman is that it’s a dusty neo-Western drama series based on the podcast Boomtown. The hit Paramount+ show highlights the chaos, dangers, and immense fortunes involved in the oil business. It doesn’t just focus on oil rig labor, either. Sheridan also gives us an elongated peek at the corporate battles playing out behind the scenes, as well as the effects on employees and their families, then he goes a step further and educates us on why the industry has been, is, and will continue to be crucial to our way of life.

Set within the oilfields of West Texas, the gritty modern-day neo-Western series follows Tommy Norris, an abrasive, no-nonsense M-Tex oil executive living the most stressful life on the planet, navigating a volatile industry that is busy reshaping the climate, along with economics and geopolitics. He negotiates risky land leases, acts as a corporate fixer, and manages the crises of the oil field — in addition to his broken and dysfunctional family.

In addition to Thornton, Ali Larter stars as Tommy’s wife Angela, 1923‘s Michelle Randolph as his daughter Ainsley, The Son’s Jacob Lofland as his son Cooper, and the inimitable Sam Elliott as his father, Thomas. Other important characters to know are Monty and Cami Miller (Jon Hamm and Demi Moore), M-Tex owners; Danny “Gallino” Morrell (Andy Garcia), head of a Cuban-American drug cartel who presents himself publicly as a legitimate financial investor; Rebecca Falcone (Kayla Wallace), vicious in-house counsel for M-Tex Oil; Ariana Medina (Paulina Chavez), Cooper’s love interest and the late wife of his former colleague; Dale Bradley (James Jordan), head petroleum engineer; and Nathan (Colm Feore), M-Tex Oil attorney and administrator. Crews on the rigs, interpersonal dynamics, sharp-tongued humor, cowboys, money, forbidden romances, and exceptional performances are just a few reasons why the hit neo-Western is so good.

‘Landman’ Season 2 Proves That the Neo-Western Could Last Forever

Where Season 1 saw more oil-field chaos, cartel tension, and that major Jon Hamm twist, Season 2 dished out a hefty dose of family dysfunction, nursing home antics, commercial collisions, and increased unpredictability in Tommy’s life. Season 2 also made an effortless pivot to Demi Moore, taking us much deeper into who she is not just as a wife, but also as a woman and business owner.

Now in a more active role as a high-stakes CEO, she’s driven by grief and the desire for control. She makes super-risky financial deals, ignores easy solutions, and firmly rejects bankruptcy to pursue high-risk strategies — all behind the back of her company’s right-hand man. In pushing aside the company’s traditional leadership, she’s only fueling her conflict with Tommy, and a callous moment at the end of the season awakens the true landman and unleashes the kraken. It’s a shocking twist proving the story’s endless potential, on top of everything else that went down in Season 2.

In seeing Tommy start his own company with his son, father, and other M-Tex employees, Landman’s Season 2 finale reset the series for a tense, no-holds-barred Season 3. Expect a high-stakes competition between Tommy and Cami, a likely deepening judgment from the community towards the Norris reputation as fixers, more of those dynamic family portrayals we love to bash on, and because Tommy brought Gallino in on his company to be an equal partner, expect the dangerous potential for conflict if anything at all goes wrong. Challenges, rivalries, drama, chaos, and more in-depth personal storylines await, making the Landman world feel like it could last forever.