Taylor Sheridan has redeemed a Landman actor’s 1883 and Yellowstone characters and could continue the positive development to bolster season 2. Landman season 1 debuted in 2024 alongside Yellowstone season 5, part 2, and the neo-Western series is a pretty good replacement for Sheridan’s landmark. However, rather than in the atmospheric mountains of Montana, Landman takes place in the West Texas oil fields, with Billy Bob Thornton helming the cast as Tommy Norris, the fixer for Monty Miller’s (John Hamm) M-Tex oil company.
Still, Landman season 1 features similar elements to Yellowstone. Many actors reappear in Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows, and the screenwriter continued the trend with his Texas series. Thornton himself once showed up in a different Sheridan series, playing the minor yet memorable Marshal Jim Courtright in 1883. While season 1 did fairly well as Yellowstone’s successor, building on existing actors’ performances can keep Landman heading in the right direction. Utilizing one Landman character in particular will make season 2 the best it can be.
Landman Gave James Jordan A Much More Likable Character Than Yellowstone & 1883
Jordan Plays Steve Hendon In Yellowstone & Cookie In 1883
In Landman, James Jordan plays Dale Bradley, a petroleum engineer and Tommy’s roommate. Jordan’s performance is a standout of the Landman cast, with Dale bringing the comedic relief necessary to balance Tommy’s turbulent family life with Angela (Ali Larter) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph). That said, Landman isn’t Jordan’s first performance in the Yellowstone franchise. He first appeared in Yellowstone as Montana Livestock Association agent Steve Hendon. Unlike Dale, Hendon is a problematic character who causes issues for those around him, using his livestock badge to the detriment of the cause.
Funny enough, Jordan also plays an antagonistic character in 1883’s cast, Sheridan’s Oregon Trail crew. Jordan plays Cookie, the chuck wagon cook whom Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) hires to cook the wagon train’s beef. While Jordan has a funny and likable character at the onset, his impulsive antics ultimately put the entire wagon train in jeopardy when he deviates from James Dutton’s (Tim McGraw) plan to neutralize a conflict with a group of Lakota warriors. Therefore, Jordan’s Landman character redeems his other Yellowstone performances, being a character who is easy to root for throughout.
Landman Can Still Do More With James Jordan’s Dale
Jordan’s Dale Can Be Even Better
Yet Jordan’s likability as Dale in Landman can be further harnessed to make season 2 even better. Landman, building on its ratings in season 2, would continue a Taylor Sheridan show trend, with the second season outperforming its first. Utilizing Dale more is not only a savvy move due to his appeal, but it also continues an established legacy of Sheridan driving his shows with strong character ensembles. Like with Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) supporting Kevin Costner’s performance as John Dutton in Yellowstone, Thornton doesn’t hold the new show on his own.
Landman season 2 can lean into Tommy and Dale’s team-up, ideally putting Jordan on-screen more and allowing Sheridan to expand his character.
In Landman season 2, the story is likely going to continue to ramp up M-Tex’s involvement with the cartel. While he isn’t always at Tommy’s side, Dale is with Tommy when he apprehends his son’s assailants and threatens the cartel with other crew members at an oil patch. Landman season 2 can lean into Tommy and Dale’s team-up, ideally putting Jordan on-screen more and allowing Sheridan to expand his character. It would be great to have a bit more depth to Dale, explaining his backstory and relationship with Tommy. Including him in exciting, propulsive Landman moments can achieve that.
Landman Season 2 Has A Lot Of Characters It Can Improve On
Demi Moore & Ali Larter Can Shine
However, the need to further develop Dale can be said of the entire Landman cast. All the characters and actors were great in season 1. Still, many of Landman’s characters exist at the surface level, with the audience only beginning to understand their motivations and intentions in season 1. Landman characters like Ainsley and Cami (Demi Moore) fall into this category. Season 2 can elevate and enrich their stories by highlighting the outstanding actors cast for the roles. In particular, there has been buzz about Landman season 1 underutilizing Moore, and season 2 will change that.
After Monty Miller’s ill-fated Landman season 1 conclusion, his wife Cami can step up and run M-Tex, as we witnessed in the finale, allowing Moore to better show her prowess in season 2’s story. The screenwriter must also continue to build on Larter’s Angela, who we witness evolve in season 1, satisfyingly. One of Sheridan’s assets as a writer and producer is his deft use and reuse of acclaimed actors, and those he cast in Landman should be utilized to their fullest. If Landman has a similar run to Yellowstone, there will be ample time to explore life in Midland.