{"id":87279,"date":"2024-11-17T21:25:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-17T21:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/17\/landman-series-premiere-review-the-rough-world-of-oil-family-drama-and-survival\/"},"modified":"2024-11-17T21:25:41","modified_gmt":"2024-11-17T21:25:41","slug":"landman-series-premiere-review-the-rough-world-of-oil-family-drama-and-survival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/17\/landman-series-premiere-review-the-rough-world-of-oil-family-drama-and-survival\/","title":{"rendered":"Landman Series Premiere Review: The Rough World of Oil, Family Drama, and Survival"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Critic’s Rating:<\/strong> 4.5 \/ 5.0<\/p>\n

4.5<\/p>\n

Taylor Sheridan has done it again. His new series Landman on Paramount+ drops viewers right into the rough, risky world of Texas oil, as only Sheridan can.<\/p>\n

To be clear, critics will not love this show. Just as they have overlooked other Sheridan works like Yellowstone and Tulsa King, they will downplay Landman\u2019s entertainment value and the messaging within it. Don\u2019t let that stop you from taking this ride.<\/p>\n

In the first two episodes, we meet Tommy, played to the hilt by Billy Bob Thornton<\/a>. Tommy knows the oil business inside out and isn\u2019t afraid to use that knowledge to get what he wants.<\/p>\n

Landman Season 1 Episode 1 wastes no time getting into the action. Tommy deals with everything from drug traffickers to family drama. It\u2019s a world where money and power rule; Landman reveals the cost of getting to the top.<\/p>\n

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Right from the start, Tommy is in a sticky situation. He\u2019s kidnapped and held by a group of men, but instead of panicking, he stays cool, rattling off facts about the oil industry and dropping names like Halliburton to intimidate his captors.<\/p>\n

That scene may not have rattled him, but it did me. That\u2019s what made his handling of it so interesting. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s got guts and knows how to use his words to keep himself safe. Later, he negotiates with a rancher by offering a solar lease to solve a problem, which shows he\u2019s a man of few words who cuts right to the chase.<\/p>\n

Apparently, this is just another day on the job for Tommy Norris, and it helps us immediately understand his world and how he operates within it. It also reinforces that this isn\u2019t a job for just anybody. It commands respect from the rig on up.<\/p>\n

Tommy\u2019s quick thinking and no-nonsense attitude show just how tough and clever he is in this business, and they give us a good starting point for getting to know the man.<\/p>\n

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A rather reserved Jon Hamm<\/a> plays Monty Miller,\u00a0who\u00a0seems to represent the old guard of the oil industry. However, <\/span>his cool demeanor should not fool you.<\/p>\n

His commanding presence doesn\u2019t necessarily mark indifference from the hands-on struggle of guys like Tommy. Trust fund or not, boss or employee, Monty and Tommy are old friends. <\/p>\n

In one scene, Monty orders Tommy around with an air of entitlement, which is interesting given their lengthy history. What has happened between them in the years they\u2019ve been in business together?<\/p>\n

This power dynamic creates tension that sharpens their interactions, highlighting the gap between those who were born into power and those who fight for it.<\/p>\n

Monty\u2019s family life also reflects his cold, calculating side. While he\u2019s focused on business, his family seems out of the loop, unaware of the risks and challenges he faces in keeping his empire intact. <\/p>\n

By the end of Landman Season 1 Episode 2, he makes it clear that he\u2019ll do whatever it takes to protect his legacy, even if that means keeping secrets from those closest to him.<\/p>\n

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This dynamic gives viewers a peek into the price of privilege \u2014 Monty has wealth and power, but he\u2019s isolated, relying on control rather than connection. <\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be interesting to see if Monty\u2019s family becomes more involved or if his focus on legacy keeps him from building real relationships with them. <\/p>\n

Through five episodes of the series, I can tell you that Demi Moore is criminally underutilized. She\u2019s window dressing for Landman as she is for Hamm, and it\u2019s devastating.<\/p>\n

My initial thoughts about Tommy and Monty, though, are that their relationship isn\u2019t what it seems on the surface. Only time will tell if that\u2019s their reality. Tommy wouldn\u2019t let just any man talk to him like Monty does.<\/p>\n

One of Tommy\u2019s best relationships is with his daughter, Ainsley (Michelle Randolph). Even with all the chaos, Tommy finds time to be Ainsley\u2019s dad. Their relationship is a mix of tough love and honesty, which feels both relatable and unique.<\/p>\n

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When Ainsley opens up to him about her boyfriend, Dakota, Tommy reacts like any protective father. Like any other dad, what she says shouldn\u2019t be for his ears, but he listens and tries to keep things real.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a father, and he knows exactly what having a daughter as beautiful as Ainsley means. But he\u2019s also susceptible to her charms, as we see when he literally throws away french fries simply because she wills it. He will do anything to keep her happy.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a touching scene where Tommy holds Ainsley while she\u2019s upset, saying, \u201cWhy am I always right? Because I spent my whole life being wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great line that shows he\u2019s learned a lot from his mistakes and will do what he can to ensure his daughter learns from hers, too.<\/p>\n

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A luminous Ali Larter plays Angela, Tommy\u2019s ex-wife, and their relationship promises to bring more layers of drama and excitement to the show.<\/p>\n

Angela and Tommy have a history that\u2019s clearly filled with both love and tension. Angela makes no bones about missing Tommy and wanting to keep her hands on him despite her new marriage. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s on full display when she gets all dolled up for a video call just to remind him of what he\u2019s missing, teasing him with an attitude that\u2019s playful but has an edge.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s still a crackling connection between them, but it\u2019s tangled up with years of conflict and unspoken feelings.<\/p>\n

Their conversations certainly show that they\u2019re both stubborn. They also remind us that although they\u2019re no longer together, they still understand each other in a way that only comes from that kind of shared history. Tommy\u2019s feelings for Angela are complicated. <\/p>\n

He loves her, but he knows that together, they\u2019re somewhat tragic. He laughs while admitting to Ainsley he\u2019d marry her mother again if she\u2019d \u201cstop talking,\u201d hinting that their deep bond has been worn down by time and differences but remains unbroken and perhaps unsettled.<\/p>\n

Their scenes together are a great balance of humor and sexual tension, reminding us that sometimes love doesn\u2019t go away, even when the relationship itself is over. When she eventually shows up in Midland, expect sparks to fly.<\/p>\n

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The oil business isn\u2019t just about money; it\u2019s dangerous work. We see this firsthand when a rig explosion nearly kills Cooper, Tommy and Angela\u2019s son, who has dropped out of college to learn the business, much to his parents\u2019 dismay.<\/p>\n

Cooper\u2019s inability to locate the right tool for a job actually saves him, but it\u2019s a scary introduction to just how risky the job is. What makes this scene particularly startling is that Sheridan invested time in the characters before obliterating them on screen.<\/p>\n

It was a shocking scene that perfectly shows the reality of working in \u201cthe patch,\u201d where workers put their lives on the line for high pay. <\/p>\n

Heartbreaking scenes like this invest you in the realities of this unknown world that is fully immersed in our everyday lives. Considering its influences on our society, it\u2019s very hard work, and Landman makes that clear in a very real way.<\/p>\n

It also shows, in a roundabout way, the deep affection Tommy and Angela have for their kids. They try to steer them right, but they also allow them to make their own decisions. It can\u2019t be easy knowing Cooper will be putting his life on the line daily.<\/p>\n

Tommy\u2019s warning that Cooper\u2019s rough start, which resulted in the deaths of three beloved crew members, won\u2019t make him popular among the others seems like an understatement.<\/p>\n

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On Landman, wealth<\/a> and success aren\u2019t just handed out \u2014 people fight for them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s apparent in the differences between characters like Tommy and Monty, as well as in Cooper, who has ambitions to climb to the top by learning the business from the ground up. His aspirations may come with a price.<\/p>\n

Tommy quickly reminds Cooper (Jacob Lofland) that it takes more than dreams to make it big; it takes grit and sacrifice. Different backgrounds shape each man\u2019s path in the oil world, and one misstep makes a significant impact.<\/p>\n

If Cooper wants to become Monty, he\u2019s got a lot of work ahead of him \u2014 if another crew will even accept his presence on the job.<\/p>\n

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Tommy\u2019s job forces him to make tough choices. The answers aren\u2019t always right or wrong, black or white; instead, there are shades of gray and murky waters to navigate.<\/p>\n

After the rig explosion, Tommy immediately thought of how to support the families of those who had been killed. It shows his keen sense of responsibility to the people under his management, but it was also a move to prevent the tragedy from causing legal problems for his M-Tex. <\/p>\n

Tommy is like corporate HR, which is a balancing act between supporting the people who work for an organization and the people who run it. It\u2019s not an easy job.<\/p>\n

Tommy\u2019s moral compass is more practical than principled. He knows that survival in his line of work depends on compromises.<\/p>\n

Tommy is more than just a tough guy in the oil business, but sometimes, being tough is all he\u2019s got to hold onto.<\/p>\n

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I expect Landman to be another hit for Taylor Sheridan. <\/p>\n

It fits seamlessly into Taylor Sheridan\u2019s world, where family loyalty and the pursuit of power are as essential \u2014 and often as dangerous \u2014 as the land itself. <\/p>\n

Like Yellowstone<\/a> and 1883, Landman plays with the gritty, high-stakes lives of people deeply connected to their work and the landscape around them.<\/p>\n

Tommy\u2019s complex relationship with Ainsley echoes Sheridan\u2019s recurring theme of family bonds being tested by ambition, pride, and personal mistakes. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not hard to imagine John Dutton having the same conversations with Beth in her teen years, even if life forced Beth to grow up much faster than Ainsley has had to do.<\/p>\n

The clash between self-made strivers like Tommy and wealthy figures like Monty plays into Sheridan\u2019s fascination with the power dynamics that shape not only families but entire communities.<\/p>\n

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Through these characters, Landman offers a raw exploration of survival and legacy in an unforgiving world and the lengths people will go to protect what\u2019s theirs \u2014 or take what isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

That rawness is tempered by a comedic vein we\u2019ve seen in Sheridan\u2019s other shows, but never to this degree. The harsher the climate, the more you rely on humor to get you through the day.<\/p>\n

Rather than pulling us away from the characters, that human reaction to make light of dark times adds to the realness of these characters. They work hard, make mistakes, and sometimes pay a high price for success, but they don\u2019t let it stop them in their tracks. <\/p>\n

This look at power, family, and survival doesn\u2019t sugarcoat the costs of living in a world fueled by oil, but it doesn\u2019t drown us in it, either.<\/p>\n

And finally, the casting is spot on. I can\u2019t think of a single Sheridan show that has made even one casting mistake, which is a huge compliment to the people in his orbit. Choosing the right actors fuels our enjoyment and, like the oil business the show portrays, fully immerses us in the lives of the characters. <\/p>\n

What did you think about the Landman series premiere? Did you recognize the familiar Sheridan themes? Share your thoughts about the introduction to this world in the comments below!<\/p>\n

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