by Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Since Taylor Sheridan introduced the world to the Dutton family YellowstoneHe has been in a hot relationship with Jeremy Renner Mayor of KingstownZoe Saldana LionessAnd Sylvester Stallone Tulsa KingBut his latest offering may be his best yet. LandmanFrom criminals to gangsters, he relishes the dirt and filth of the Texas oil trade, and is a very unique negotiator. The first minutes of the first episode show how Tommy Norris is built differently since he negotiated with the cartel after they kidnapped him with his hands tied and covered with a burlap sack, yet he is the most dangerous man in the room.
Tommy Norris swagger
In the first four minutes of LandmanTommy, played by Billy Bob Thornton with his instantly recognizable charisma even under a burlap sack, explains to the cartel how the oil company he works for isn't the type to piss people off. Tied up and surrounded, he tells them that if anything happens to the company's property, it won't just be a fleet of ships Drones They will remove their homes from the map, but set up a DEA office across the street. The intricacies of the service lease are explained, a “don't mess with us, we don't mess with you” deal is signed, and then, finally, Tommy is released and let go.
It's a bold scene to start the series with, and it becomes one of the best kidnapping/kidnapping (or, as it turns out, negotiation) scenes thanks to Billy Bob Thornton's confident delivery of the line, and making it clear that Tommy has this situation under control, all without letting us in. By seeing his face. The threats are bombastic and grandiose, but as it turns out, this lays the foundation for the rest Landman. In true Taylor Sheridan Fashion, while Tommy is completely confident in his abilities and not the type of man anyone would want as an enemy, when he is finally freed, he takes out a cigarette, and we see his exhausted, battered face and haunted eyes, which makes you wonder how much of his courage is a constructed charade. carefully.
The cast is rough around the edges
The rest of the cast Landman It's filled with equally strong characters, including the rest of the Norris family, including ex Angela Tomei (Ali Larter), his son starting out in the oil field, Cooper (Jacob Lovelund), and his headstrong daughter, Ainsley (Ali Larter). Played by Michelle Randolph, she teams up with Sheridan again after appearing in… 1923). Besides Thornton, other big names appear, including Michael Pena as an oil crew member, Jon Hamm and… Demi Moore As a power couple at Texas Oil, Andy Garcia appears in the kind of role he was born to play.
Only five episodes Landman It has been broadcast so far on Paramount+So we're still learning the dark secrets of the oil industry and the poor souls it crushes in the name of profit, but if you want the Duttons to be a little rough around the edges, Sheridan's new West Texas characters are perfect for you.
Landman was nominated for a Golden Globe
Aside from the darkly humorous opening scene, the series has a few other fun scenes early on, including one involving a drug smuggling plane, which has twists you won't expect. Since this is West Texas, Billy Bob Thornton will be involved with the Dillon Panthers once again, which is a fun nod to his starring role in the film. Friday night lights. Although it's not a real comedy, Landman It embraces the soap opera roots of shows like Dallas and strainBut at least here, all the wild action is stopped by an angry Tommy in the middle of the tornado.
Billy Bob Thornton was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Tommy Norris Landman The first season is only halfway finished. If you want to fill Very bad and You'd better call Saul There's nothing better on the air right now. Once you're done, you can also listen to the podcast Boomtownon which the series is based.
You can stream the first season of Landman on Paramount+.
