Landman Season 2 has an unexpected detail that will mimic an essential aspect of John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) story in Yellowstone. Taylor Sheridan’s Texas-set oil drama premiered alongside Yellowstone Season 5, promising a gritty replacement for the neo-Western series as it aired its final installment. Landman Season 1 introduced Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris to the Sheridanverse, and his family drama and high-stakes career promised some of the same action and themes as the Dutton saga. Like John Dutton, Tommy Norris navigates life-threatening circumstances to protect and manage the land that he works on. Also, like John Dutton, Norris does this all while trying to mend a family situation that his business surely takes a toll on. Landman’s cast includes Tommy’s wife, Angela (Ali Larter), his daughter, Ainsley (Michelle Randolph), his son, Cooper (Jacob Lofland), and his son’s now-girlfriend, Ariana (Paulina Chavez). In fact, Ariana and Tommy will embody one of the most critical aspects of Yellowstone in Landman Season 2.
The Landman Season 2 Trailer Teases Exciting Developments
After much anticipation, Landman Season 2 is quickly taking shape ahead of its release. The second season of the oil drama is set to release on November 16, and an official trailer for what to expect this time around dropped on October 1. The official trailer for Landman Season 2 puts the conflict between Tommy and Cami Miller (Demi Moore) front and center in the narrative as Monty Miller’s (Jon Hamm) wife navigates the high-stakes environment he reigned over in Landman Season 1.
After Monty’s death at the end of Landman Season 1, Cami was set to run M-Tex Oil, and the official look at the season sees her doing exactly that. In the teaser trailer for Landman Season 2, released weeks earlier, Cami stands in front of a room of high-profile bankers and executives, telling them the only quality that separates her from Monty is that she is meaner. Audiences can rest assured that business isn’t cooling down in Midland, as Moore’s role in Landman is just beginning to heat up.
Landman is also adding Western legend Sam Elliott to the cast, and the trailers give a sense of what to expect from his addition. According to the previews of this season, Elliott will play Tommy’s father, T.L., who also seems to have experience working the oil fields. The relationship between Tommy and his father will further highlight the best aspects of Landman, adding more sardonic humor to the mix. That said, it appears that Tommy’s family drama in Landman Season 2 will also extend to his relationship with his son’s girlfriend, Ariana.
Landman Season 2 Will Build on Tommy & Ariana’s Contentious Relationship
Image via Paramount+
There’s also a moment in the official trailer that teases that Tommy and Ariana’s contentious relationship will continue. Ariana is working at The Patch Café, where she has apparently gotten a job, and Tommy says, from the other side of the counter, “What is it about me that makes you just scowl?” The line definitely doesn’t suggest that Tommy and Ariana are on good terms. To the contrary, it seems like Norris senior has gotten used to the fact that his son’s girlfriend won’t be happy to see him. Tommy and his potential future daughter-in-law got off on the wrong foot in Landman Season 1. There’s a tense moment when Tommy comes to Ariana’s house, where Cooper is living, to get a sense of their situation, whether it’s romantic, serious, or just a fallback for Ariana after she lost her husband in an oil explosion. Ariana doesn’t appreciate Tommy’s judgment and throws him out of her house. While Tommy is kind in response to Ariana’s scorn, it hasn’t gone a long way in calming the storm, and the tension between them is still unresolved.
The Relationship Is a Reminder of John Dutton’s Connection to Monica Long
Tommy and Ariana’s relationship is a reminder of John Dutton’s connection to his daughter-in-law, Monica Long (Kelsey Asbille). John and Monica had a contentious relationship in Yellowstone, stemming from the father’s disapproval of his son, Kayce’s (Luke Grimes) romance with Monica. The two got together and had a child, Tate (Brecken Merrill), when they were young, leading John Dutton to give his son the Yellowstone Ranch brand on his chest as a punishment.
While Tommy doesn’t seem to have as much disdain for Cooper and Ariana’s relationship as John Dutton did for Kayce’s choices, there is some judgment hanging over the situation due to the unconventional nature of Norris junior’s connection. Hopefully, Cooper and Ariana can grow out of their awkward phase in Landman Season 2 and become a couple that everyone, including Tommy, can root for. However, there may be some tense conversations between Tommy and Monica as they clear the air. If they’re anything like the discussions between John and Monica in Yellowstone, it will lead to some of Landman’s best conversations. While John and his daughter-in-law didn’t always get along, when they did, it led to some of John Dutton’s best moments in Yellowstone. In particular, John comforting Monica after losing her son, John Dutton IV, is one of the show’s best moments. Sheridan may be establishing a similar emotional core in Landman by highlighting Tommy and Ariana’s differing perspectives.
