Fans Blindsided By ‘Landman’ Season 2’s Big Update Amid Taylor Sheridan Controversy

Viewership numbers for Landman Season 2 are finally here, and they paint a picture of massive success for Taylor Sheridan’s hit neo-Western series. Paramount has officially announced that the Landman Season 2 premiere scored 9.2 million viewers around the globe during its first 48 hours on the platform.

This outpaces the Landman Season 1 premiere by 262%, making it the biggest debut of any show in Paramount history. Landman also dominated social media with over 250,000 interactions in the two days following its debut. The show is currently #1 on Paramount+ in America and dozens of other countries around the world.

Landman Season 1 developed a reputation as Taylor Sheridan’s next big series, and one that could potentially take the crown from Yellowstone as his biggest show ever. However, things aren’t all smooth sailing at Paramount right now under the Taylor Sheridan umbrella.

Last month, it was reported that Sheridan is leaving Paramount to pursue other opportunities at NBCUniversal. His TV obligations to Paramount won’t be complete until the end of 2028, though, but he can begin working on non-Paramount movies at the end of next year. But Sheridan has plenty of projects with Paramount to release before he leaves.

The Yellowstone universe has already expanded with prequel shows like 1883 and 1923, and more offshoots are on the way. The first up on the slate is Y: Marshals, which follows Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton after the events of the original series. Y: Marshals will be released next March. Other Yellowstone-adjacent projects, such as The Madison and 1944, are also in the works, though it’s unclear when they will be released. Taylor Sheridan is also hard at work on another season of his dark ops CIA thriller, Lioness.

How Is ‘Landman’ Season 2 Faring on Rotten Tomatoes?

Critics are enjoying Landman Season 2, but not as much as they enjoyed the first season. Landman Season 2 currently sits at a 74% score, trailing the Certified Fresh 78% score from Season 1. The audience-driven Popcornmeter tells a much different story, though.

Where Landman Season 1 earned a solid 68%, Landman Season 2 currently sits at a Rotten 38%, and it’s dropping by the day. Viewership may be on the rise, but fans are criticizing the second season of Sheridan’s show, with some saying it’s completely lost its identity.

Check out the first episode of Landman Season 2 on Paramount+ and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the show.