Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ Gives the West Texas Oil Fields the ‘Yellowstone’ Treatment: TV Review

As a seasoned film enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the rugged landscapes and gritty realism of western dramas, I must say Taylor Sheridan’s latest offering, “Landman,” is a compelling addition to his impressive repertoire. Having lived and worked in Texas for a significant portion of my life, I can attest to the authenticity that permeates this series, from the sun-baked Permian Basin to the intricacies of the oil industry.

Taylor Sheridan became one of TV’s most powerful creators with an epic saga set on a ranch, but his latest protagonist has little patience for agrarian fantasy. The landowner giving Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) a lecture isn’t really a rancher, the professional fixer argues: “You’re an oilman who spends the money we give you on cattle.” For his latest drama on Paramount+, Sheridan has turned his attention to the black, oozing lifeblood of his native Texas. “Landman” has the masculine bravado and conservative milieu of “Yellowstone,” Sheridan’s flagship red state soap opera, but also builds an immersive, detailed world in the sun-baked Permian Basin that anchors the show in observed reality.

It’s not by chance; as per Sheridan’s usual method, the scriptwriter wrote every episode, but he also shares a writer credit with Christian Wallace, the host of the Texas Monthly podcast “Boomtown,” which served as the basis for the series. Wallace, having worked on the oil fields himself, brings his firsthand knowledge to the characters, particularly Norris and his son Cooper (played by Jacob Lofland), who leaves college to take up grueling, hazardous work in the rigs – a reality that is reflected in the show.

A “Landman” shines brightest when leveraging Thornton’s captivating screen presence to navigate the complexities of the oil and gas sector for the viewer. This exploration covers various options and the impending challenge of global warming. The opening scene depicts Norris negotiating a lease with a cartel soldier, both concealed by sacks, emphasizing that they are in the trade of highly addictive commodities; “Ours is simply on a larger scale.” This intense, action-packed sequence serves as an engaging introduction to less glamorous topics like the distinction between surface and mineral rights.

Despite previously leading his own venture, Norris currently wears multiple hats within M-Tex Oil, a fictional company under the leadership of billionaire entrepreneur Monty Miller (portrayed by Jon Hamm). Unlike Monty who spends his time in luxurious wooden-paneled rooms and private jets, Tommy is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations and can often be found navigating the city streets. The job exposes “Landman” to unique landscapes within the oil industry: the rundown McMansion that serves as Tommy’s temporary bachelor pad, shared with a few M-Tex colleagues; the secretively financed highways where trucks or even aircraft are occasionally ‘borrowed’ by cartels while their owners turn a blind eye; and the coffee shop where a line of M-Tex pickups regularly queue at the drive-through each morning before sunrise.

Despite being worn out and weary, Tommy maintains the swagger of a classic cowboy in the Sheridan style. He says “oil” as “uhl.” Instead of going through surgeries for his injured hand, he prefers to amputate the tip of his pinky finger. He struggles with alcoholism, but considers Michelob Ultra an exception. As is typical of the screenwriter, Sheridan often takes this trait to extremes: when someone tells him he has a lot to say, Tommy doesn’t just retort, “That’s what my girlfriend appreciates about me” — he also adds “and my penis,” and gives the offender the finger for emphasis. However, Thornton excels at delivering complex monologues about the illusion of “clean” energy, and presents a neutral perspective on petroleum as a necessary substance that the world is reliant upon yet lacks the resources to abandon in an environmentally friendly manner. Consistent with Sheridan’s plausibly deniable, politically ambiguous approach, Tommy is a practical problem-solver rather than an ideologue: if someone needs drilling done, he sees it as better if it’s him who does it.

The show “Landman” struggles in portraying family drama effectively because its female characters are underdeveloped. This issue is reminiscent of the flaw in the series “Special Ops: Lioness,” though less detrimental to the overall production. In the role of Tommy’s flirtatious ex-wife, Angelica (played by Ali Larter), we see her delivering witty remarks and sporting fashionable outfits, but beyond the first five episodes, she remains as the emotionally unstable, money-hungry seductress that she was initially portrayed. Their daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) is essentially a replica of Angelica, with an added obsession over her adolescent sexuality. The character played by Demi Moore, Monty’s wife Cami, offers very few lines in comparison to her impressive body of work in “The Substance.” It remains unclear why the producers cast an actress of Moore’s caliber for this role, as her performance seems underutilized at present.

In my perspective, this deficiency also applies to Tommy’s professional life. Similar to Beth Dutton in the series “Yellowstone,” the lawyer assigned to investigate an onsite accident exhibits a similar level of aggression and lacks depth. For the show, this lack of complexity in Tommy’s character poses a significant challenge when trying to establish the Norris family as the central focus, providing balance for his role. The fields, often referred to as “The patch” by locals, are where I, as ‘Landman,’ truly feel at home. It’s unfortunate that the show doesn’t capitalize on the presence of Spanish-speaking laborers in these fields by making one of them a significant co-lead or even by providing subtitles for their dialogue. The only character who somewhat represents the Hispanic community is Michael Peña’s Armando, who portrays a sexist bully towards his colleague Cooper.

The character “Landman” exhibits noticeable voids and fragments, much like a television dynasty with numerous spin-offs and a sole creator. However, these flaws are consistently overshadowed by an immersive portrayal of location that hasn’t been equaled on TV in this region since “Friday Night Lights.” (The town of Odessa, which served as the inspiration for that series, is frequently mentioned in “Landman.”) Although the storyline doesn’t entirely coalesce during the first half of the season, a meticulously designed setting can buy plenty of time.

Currently, the initial two episodes of “Landman” can be streamed on Paramount+. The subsequent episodes will become available each Sunday.

2024-11-17 18:17

Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ Gives the West Texas Oil Fields the ‘Yellowstone’ Treatment: TV Review

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