Warning: SPOILERS for 1883, Landman season 1, and Yellowstone.Taylor Sheridan has redeemed aLandmanactor’s1883andYellowstonecharacters and could continue the positive development to bolster season 2.Landmanseason 1 debuted in 2024 alongsideYellowstoneseason 5, part 2, and the neo-Western series is a pretty good replacement for Sheridan’s landmark. However, rather than in the atmospheric mountains of Montana,Landmantakes place in the West Texas oil fields, with Billy Bob Thornton helming the cast as Tommy Norris, the fixer for Monty Miller’s (John Hamm) M-Tex oil company.
Still,Landmanseason 1features similar elements toYellowstone.Manyactors reappear in Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows, and the screenwriter continued the trend with his Texas series. Thornton himself once showed up in a different Sheridan series, playing the minor yet memorable Marshal Jim Courtright in1883. While season 1 did fairly well asYellowstone’s successor,building on existing actors' performances can keepLandmanheadingin the right direction.Utilizing oneLandmancharacter in particular will make season 2 the best it can be.
Landman Gave James Jordan A Much More Likable Character Than Yellowstone & 1883
Jordan Plays Steve Hendon In Yellowstone & Cookie In 1883
InLandman,James Jordan plays Dale Bradley, a petroleum engineer and Tommy’s roommate. Jordan’s performance is a standout of theLandmancast, with Dale bringing the comedic relief necessary to balance Tommy’s turbulent family life with Angela (Ali Larter) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph). That said,Landmanisn’t Jordan’s first performance in theYellowstonefranchise. He first appeared inYellowstoneas Montana Livestock Association agent Steve Hendon. Unlike Dale, Hendon is a problematic character who causes issues for those around him, using his livestock badge to the detriment of the cause.
James Jordan also plays Two Cups inLioness.
Funny enough, Jordan also plays an antagonistic character in1883’s cast, Sheridan’s Oregon Trail crew. Jordan plays Cookie, the chuck wagon cook whom Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) hires to cook the wagon train’s beef. While Jordan has a funny and likable character at the onset, his impulsive antics ultimately put the entire wagon train in jeopardy when he deviates from James Dutton’s (Tim McGraw) plan to neutralize a conflict with a group of Lakota warriors. Therefore,Jordan’sLandmancharacter redeems his otherYellowstoneperformances, being a character who is easy to root for throughout.
Landman Can Still Do More With James Jordan’s Dale
Jordan’s Dale Can Be Even Better
Yet Jordan’s likability as Dale inLandmancan be further harnessed to make season 2 even better.Landman,building on its ratings in season 2, wouldcontinue a Taylor Sheridan show trend, with the second season outperforming its first. Utilizing Dale more is not only a savvy move due to his appeal, but it also continues an established legacy of Sheridan driving his shows with strong character ensembles. Like with Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) supporting Kevin Costner’s performance as John Dutton inYellowstone,Thornton doesn’t hold the new show on his own.
Landman season 2 can lean into Tommy and Dale’s team-up, ideally putting Jordan on-screen more and allowing Sheridan to expand his character.
InLandmanseason 2, the story is likely going to continue to ramp up M-Tex’s involvement with the cartel. While he isn’t always at Tommy’s side,Dale is with Tommy when he apprehends his son’s assailants and threatens the cartel with other crew membersat an oil patch.Landmanseason 2 can lean into Tommy and Dale’s team-up, ideally putting Jordan on-screen more and allowing Sheridan to expand his character. It would be great to have a bit more depth to Dale, explaining his backstory and relationship with Tommy. Including him in exciting, propulsiveLandmanmoments can achieve that.
Landman Season 2 Has A Lot Of Characters It Can Improve On
Demi Moore & Ali Larter Can Shine
However, the need to further develop Dale can be said of the entireLandmancast. All the characters and actors were great in season 1. Still,many ofLandman’s characters exist at the surface level, with the audience only beginning to understand their motivations and intentions in season 1.Landmancharacterslike Ainsley and Cami (Demi Moore) fall into this category. Season 2 can elevate and enrich their stories by highlighting the outstanding actors cast for the roles. In particular, there has been buzz aboutLandmanseason 1 underutilizing Moore, and season 2 will change that.
Landman Season 2 Update Fixes My Biggest Problem With Taylor Sheridan’s Show Wasting Demi Moore In Season 1
Demi Moore was completely wasted in Landman season 1, but a new report shows that Taylor Sheridan always had a plan for the acclaimed actress.
AfterMonty Miller’s ill-fatedLandmanseason 1 conclusion, his wife Cami can step up and run M-Tex, as we witnessed in the finale, allowing Moore to better show her prowess in season 2’s story. The screenwriter must also continue to build on Larter’s Angela, who we witness evolve in season 1, satisfyingly. One of Sheridan’s assets as a writer and producer is his deft use and reuse of acclaimed actors, and those he cast inLandmanshould be utilized to their fullest. IfLandmanhas a similar run toYellowstone,there will be ample time to explore life in Midland.
Landman
Cast
Set in West Texas, this series explores the world of oil rigs and the fortunes they create. It portrays a modern upstairs/downstairs narrative of roughnecks and billionaires, highlighting the profound impact on the climate, economy, and geopolitics in these boomtowns.
