Landman premieres November 17 on Paramount+.
By Elazar Abrahams
Landman might be the latest offering from acclaimed showrunner Taylor Sheridan, but don’t go into the series expecting the same gripping intensity of Yellowstone or Mayor of Kingstown. Despite a premise that dives into the morally gray world of Texas oil fields, Landman struggles to find its spark, with the five episodes provided to critics for review lacking both urgency and depth.
The series splits its focus between two levels of the oil business. On the ground, Billy Bob Thornton plays a rough-around-the-edges oil rig manager who oversees the gritty day-to-day work of his team. Meanwhile, Jon Hamm embodies the polished but ruthless executive operating at the industry’s highest levels. This “upstairs-downstairs” dynamic is an interesting setup, and the juxtaposition of blue-collar and white-collar worlds holds promise. But while the class contrasts are there, the critiques on privilege and power fall short, feeling less pointed than they could have been.
Where Landman does succeed, surprisingly, is in Thornton’s portrayal of a gruff, brutally honest boss with a wild sense of humor. Thornton brings much-needed life to the show with some outrageous one-liners that nearly make up for the script’s otherwise drab tone. His scenes with his kids and ex-wife add a human touch that’s sorely missing from the show’s broader boardroom plotlines. It’s enough to keep some interest, but not nearly enough to save the series as a whole.
Sheridan’s signature style — morally complex antiheroes in cowboy boots — is present here, but it lacks the grit and depth of his previous work. Landman drags on, with episodes that feel overlong and bogged down in minor details rather than moving the story forward with any real purpose. While the series aspires to be a sprawling examination of the American oil empire, it ultimately comes off as a muddled, slow-paced dud.
Perhaps I’m just a coastal elite who’s missing the appeal, but Landman fails to capture the excitement or layered characters Sheridan has become known for. If you’re looking for a compelling drama, this one is not worth the investment.
I give Landman a C-.
TV and City 