It’s curious, in hindsight, that Billy Bob Thornton first gained fame for Sling Blade (1996), a film where his character mostly communicates in grunts.
Thornton is one of the finest talkers in film and television, capable of delivering dialogue that is both interesting and darkly funny. This talent is on full display in Taylor Sheridan’s new Paramount+ series, Landman.
Thornton plays Tommy Norris, an oil-company troubleshooter who’s skilled at going through the murky waters of the industry.
As the go-to fixer for M-Tex, Tommy greases palms, extinguishes crises, and spouts his truths in a voice that’s equal parts gruff growl and laid-back twang. He’s not shy about making his point, whether or not anyone wants to hear it.
Tommy is cut from the same cloth as other Sheridan protagonists—men like Dwight Manfredi in Tulsa King, Joe in Special Ops: Lioness, Mike McClusky in Mayor of Kingstown, and John Dutton III in Yellowstone.
These are characters who recognize the world’s inevitable decline but are still determined to protect their corner of it. What sets Tommy apart? He’s far more entertaining to be around, injecting humor and levity into even the most serious situations.
That’s not to say Landman is a comedy. Co-created by Sheridan and Christian Wallace, and inspired by Wallace’s podcast Boomtown, which explores the chaotic world of Texas’s Permian Basin oil industry, Landman is a blend of soap opera, crime drama, and grounded social commentary.
Thornton is joined by Jon Hamm, who plays Monty Miller, the head of M-Tex and Tommy’s longtime colleague.
The two have a shared history of weathering economic highs and lows, including the devastating 2020 pandemic recession that nearly bankrupted them and turned Midland, Texas, into a ghost town.
While Tommy offers biting monologues about the oil industry’s harsh realities, Monty tends to echo similar sentiments.
Interestingly, Hamm and Thornton don’t share the screen in the first five episodes provided to critics. Their interactions occur solely via phone, with their first in-person meeting teased in episode five.
Until then, their storylines remain separate, and Monty’s scenes lack depth. Demi Moore, as Monty’s wife, Cami, appears sparingly, primarily to remind her husband to take his heart medication. So far, Monty’s primary conflict is his health.
Even so, Monty is indirectly involved in the same challenges that plague Tommy. In the series’ opening episode, a drug cartel hijacks an M-Tex plane, landing it on a private road to facilitate a smuggling operation.
A subsequent collision involving a truck results in fatalities and the destruction of millions of dollars’ worth of drugs. This incident triggers federal investigations, lawsuits, and cartel threats.
On top of this, an M-Tex well explosion adds to the turmoil, witnessed by Tommy’s son, Cooper (Jacob Lofland), who is following his father into the roughneck life.
The Women of Landman
The show’s female characters fall into archetypes familiar to Sheridan’s work. Ali Larter takes on the showiest role as Angela, Tommy’s ex-wife.
She’s a flamboyant figure who left him during a financial downturn for a wealthier man but now seeks to reenter his life.
Michelle Randolph plays their daughter, Ainsley, a teenager whose penchant for revealing outfits and self-absorbed decisions often stirs tension.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Rebecca Savage, portrayed by Kayla Wallace. Rebecca is a sharp, uncompromising attorney critical of the oil industry’s environmental and systemic flaws.
She serves as a vocal counterpoint to Tommy, though her approach is more severe and humorless. Paulina Chávez plays Ariana, a widowed Mexican-American roughneck who connects with Cooper and finds support in him during moments of isolation.
Fans of *Yellowstone* will recognize echoes of characters like Beth, Monica, Summer, Mia, and Laramie—women defined by their toughness, unpredictability, or vulnerability.
Similarly, *Landman* employs Sheridan’s hallmark pacing, with slow-burn storytelling punctuated by sudden, dramatic developments.
A Unique Blend of Grit and Charm
At times, Landman feels less like a traditional television series and more like a dramatized op-ed, interspersed with action and tension.
Yet Sheridan’s talent for interesting storytelling remains evident, pulling viewers in with compelling hooks and layered narratives.
The show’s strong sense of place adds another dimension. It’s the most Texas-centric series since Friday Night Lights, an association reinforced by Andrew Lockington’s evocative score, which recalls Explosions in the Sky and W.G. Snuffy Walden.
Sheridan’s knack for highlighting unique American landscapes is on full display, from a quirky coffee kiosk run by bikini-clad baristas to a dual-purpose diner and bar serving only breakfast and dinner, as “lunch” isn’t a thing in the oil patch.
Sheridan also provides vivid details about the oil industry, portraying it as a world of relentless work, inherent danger, and transient lives. Even Tommy, despite his decades in the Permian Basin, views it as “not home,” opting to share rented housing with fellow employees.
Thornton Steals the Show
The heart of Landman is Thornton’s performance. He turns even mundane dialogue into riveting speeches, delivering sardonic critiques of clean-energy advocates, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corporate greed.
Tommy’s relentless wit, fierce loyalty to M-Tex employees, and disdain for hypocrisy make him a magnetic character.
The opening scene sets the tone: Tommy, tied up in a cartel hideout, lays out land-lease terms with confident authority, threatening DEA agents and Halliburton mercenaries if necessary.
Even with a bag over his head, Thornton’s weathered yet melodic voice commands attention, proving that sometimes, a strong presence is enough.
Landman premieres November 17 on Paramount+, offering a gritty, immersive look at the oil industry, infused with Sheridan’s signature storytelling style and anchored by Thornton’s interesting performance. It promises to be a compelling addition to Sheridan’s ever-expanding television universe.
