Landman Season 2, Episode 7 Review: Paramount+’s #1 Trending Hit Starts Going Downhill Fast

Following a budding conflict between Cami and Tommy at the end of Landman season 2, episode 6, which ended last week’s episode on an intense note, this latest episode deflated most of the tension that had been built up so far throughout season 2. While romantic developments with Cooper and Ariana, as well as Rebecca and Charlie, are nice to see, they arguably take up too much screen time to the point where it feels like Landman is losing its plot.

Landman Season 2, Episode 7 Loses The Main Story’s Focus

Landman season 2 has been a lot of the same compared to season 1 in many ways, even with the new storylines and characters. While it can be great to play the classics over and over again, Landman’s signature plot devices (Angela’s outburst, for example) are getting a bit too familiar, bordering on being repetitive and unimaginative. We never really learn anything new about Angela, and her lack of development is emerging as the show’s biggest Achilles heel at this point.

Earlier in Landman season 2, it was exciting to see Rebecca let loose with Charlie, but it really hasn’t done much for her character, either. Season 2, episode 7, made her sexual relationship with Charlie way too much a focal point, completely losing focus on the crisis that M-Tex is facing with the $400 million gas rig, as well as Cami’s partnership with Gallino. This really only felt like half of an episode, neglecting the most pressing parts of the main narrative.

I’ve always admired and enjoyed how Landman exists as with its own identity and tone, which frankly allows the series to get away with scenes that arguably go on much longer than they have to and narrative detours that do more to demonstrate a cultural sensibility and lifestyle than provide riveting entertainment. Landman still has its charm, but this latest episode suggests, if not proves, that it’s lost focus on its own plot and feels increasingly more like a sprawling, self-interested passion project from Taylor Sheridan.

Landman Season 2 May Be Officially Heading Off The Rails

Landman season 1 was right on the cusp of being prestige TV, thanks to its gripping performances and story that hardly ever let up. Sure, there were some side quests and supporting narratives that found their way into the plot, but the main story and conflict, namely with the cartel, were always crystal clear. The same cannot be said of season 2, especially after 7 episodes, with only three episodes remaining.

The fact that Landman season 2, episode 7 didn’t feature Cami or Gallino at all doesn’t really stack up, especially considering how the last episode ended with Tommy’s position as M-Tex President potentially on the line. Leaning into the professional repercussions of Rebecca and Charlie’s fling seems to be missing the plot entirely, especially when the screen time could have been used with much greater effect by checking in on Cami and Gallino.

Additionally, the banter between Tommy and T.L. was funny and mostly great, but even T.L.’s paternal point to Tommy about appreciating this time with his family while he still has it is recycled and overdone. These emotional scenes lose their impact because characters like T.L. and Angela aren’t really saying anything new, which is far from compelling. Landman is having a bit of an identity crisis right now, not because Sheridan doesn’t know what it is, but rather because it’s becoming too many things – a soap opera, a corporate drama, a lifestyle comedy, a romantic drama, a cartel thriller. It’s not exactly clear what Tommy is up against, other than the crucial $400 million gas rig, to create and sustain a compelling sense of tension from start to finish. The next episode of Landman will have to dive back into the actual high-stakes story, and fast, or else the integrity of the series as a whole will be at risk.