Taylor Sheridan must repair Landman season 2's biggest thematic issue as early as its season 3 premiere if the series hopes to retain its season 1 acclaim. While Landman became a breakout success in 2024, led by one of the best duos on streaming at the time, Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Hamm, Landman season 2 carried on in a slightly different direction, giving some supporting characters more of a spotlight, while ultimately falling into repetitive tropes in other regards. Nevertheless, Landman is still one of Sheridan's most-watched hits.
As far as Sheridan's slate of Paramount+ original series go on Rotten Tomatoes, critic and audience scores are hardly ever the same, and oftentimes viewers will strongly disagree with the general critic consensus. For example, critics attest that Landman season 2 marked an improvement from season 1, while viewers would disagree, based on season 2's RT audience score of just 48%. While I'm a critic myself, I'm leaning more towards the audience's perspective of Landman season 2, as I found it to lose some of its spark and edge, mainly because it lost its core crime thriller element from season 1, which was overtaken by indulgent and drawn-out melodrama in season 2.
Taylor Sheridan Needs To Bring Back Landman's OG Crime Thriller Elements
Although Landman season 2 rallied back to stick the landing in the finale episode, I found most of the season to be sluggish, repetitive, and missing the intensity of its debut season. Hamm's absence was certainly noted as the rage-fueled Monty Miller, and despite Sam Elliot's majestic presence, he didn't exactly fill the shoes that Hamm left, as he was deeply lost in his own melancholy for the entirety of the season. At the same time, an increased role for Demi Moore's Cami, who took over as M-Tex's president in the season 2 premiere, got off to a formidable start, only for her to prove she was in over her head by the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Andy Garcia's duplicitous cartel figure, Gallino, might have dropped the hammer on Thornton's Tommy Norris with the full force of his drug empire. Instead, he mostly plays softball with Tommy, more determined to establish himself as a legitimate businessman than to get his hands dirty by calling on his dangerous connections. These significant character decisions combine to suggest an intentional deviation from the core crime thriller themes that made up the first season and got Tommy kidnapped in the season 1 finale. Without these elements, however, Landman became more unfocused, sprawling, and drenched in its own sappy melodrama that arguably amounted to a giant step back for the series.
Landman Season 3 Must Avoid Reverting To Season 2's Aimless Melodrama
While Tommy's leaving M-Tex in the season 2 finale was a great development that tied things up quite nicely, Landman season 3 has really got to reintroduce a sense of danger and risk that doesn't entirely take place over heated discussions in shiny office buildings. Landman has been called Sheridan's modern version of Dallas, and season 2 proves why with its over-investment in what can feel like soap opera-level conflicts at times between characters.
The first half of Landman season 2 got into Tommy's complicated history with his father, T.L., and thoughtfully revealed elements of his backstory. The second half, however, started to drag these subplots through the mud, getting away from the M-Tex drama far too often, which admittedly became frustrating to some viewers. Landman season 3 will likely dive even deeper into the family dynamics of the Norris' now that they are all officially in business together, but hopefully, the story will stick more to the central plot than veer into the emotionally charged asides, unless, of course, they serve a key narrative purpose.
All things considered, Landman season 2 was an overall success, and season 3 should retain its proven and dedicated viewership. Sheridan, however, would arguably enhance the series beyond its season 2 effort by adding some exciting crime or action-driven aspects to the series. Remember when Tommy sent a message to the cartel by staging a military training exercise during a drug run in Landman season 1, episode 8? Or when Tommy got revenge against Manuel and Antonio for hospitalizing Cooper in season 1, episode 6? Intense scenes like these seem to have been forgotten in season 2, and Landman season 3 will be better if it calls back to its season 1 highlights.
Taylor Sheridan Exit Addressed By Landman Star
Landman season 2 has officially come to a close, and with season 3 on the horizon, Jacob Lofland reflects on the show and its future, including Taylor Sheridan's upcoming departure.
Although Sheridan will soon be leaving Paramount, he will still be around for Landman season 3. However, if the show gets renewed after its third installment, there will be a noticeable shift as the creator is leaving Paramount when his contract ends in 2028 and joins NBCUniversal in 2029.
His decision to leave has driven a wedge between both critics and audiences. While many support his new endeavors and are excited to see what he does next, others were worried about their favorite shows losing the person who created and nurtured them.
In an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns for the Landman season 2 finale, Lofland, who portrays Cooper in the Paramount+ series, offered his own input regarding Sheridan's departure. The actor said that he was sad to see him go, and it's something that he tries not to think about.
However, he has faith in the creative team behind the hit drama series, such as Christian Wallace (co-creator and executive producer), who will most likely be staying on board after Landman season 3. Lofland said that Sheridan's departure and reasons for leaving were none of his business, so he wasn't going to get involved:
Yeah, I try not to think about it. No, I mean, I trust everyone there. We'll just see what happens. And I don't know, that's not my business, so I try to stay out of it. That's between them.
Sheridan first confirmed that he was leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal in October 2025. The creator struck a five-year deal with the latter for film, television, and streaming. The contract will go into effect on January 1, 2029. His longtime business partner, David Glasser, will also leave for NBCUniversal, bringing 101 Studios with him under a first-look film and TV deal after the company completes its remaining projects with Paramount.
Sheridan has also delivered many successful TV shows for Paramount during his time with the studio. Beginning with Yellowstone, he continued to put out high-performing series that have ranked among Paramount+’s most-watched titles. He also played a significant role in attracting and retaining new subscribers for the streaming platform.
Landman seasons 1 and 2 can be streamed on Paramount+.
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