Taylor Sheridan’s new Western series is perfect for Yellowstone fans

Taylor Sheridan arguably destroyed “Yellowstone” in Season 5but the prolific showrunner is still hosting hit TV shows and securing future projects that will hopefully make fans forget his worst creative moments. Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser are set to return in a “Yellowstone” spinoff.while the second season of “The Madison,” “6666” and “1923” will expand the universe of the successful new Western series. However, Sheridan has another hit show on Paramount+ that will appeal to fans of his brand of dramatic stories — even though it’s more interested in oil workers than cowboys.

“Landman” stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, an oil company broker who must juggle his busy job, raising a teenage daughter, and engaging in an on-again, off-again romance with his ex-wife. A typical day in Norris’ life will see him interacting with some unlikeable people, most of whom he likes more than his daughter’s sports friends. He’s also a huge fan of Dr. Pepper, and drops soda frequently enough to make naysayers assume it’s him. Another example of Sheridan loading his shows with product placement.

Although he is a successful CEO of a billion-dollar company, he also prides himself on the courage of his workers and spends his days tutoring wealthy businessmen, politicians, and criminals with his dry wit and no-nonsense attitude. He could easily pass for a member of the Dutton family in “Yellowstone,” and that’s not the only thing “Landman” has in common with Sheridan’s other series.

Tommy Norris is similar to John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in Yellowstone, in that they are both brave and courageous. Landman makes this clear in the opening scene of the first episode, which sees Norris tied up in a cartel base with a hood over his head. A man is shot, but Norris is only interested in relieving his bladder. Eventually, the cartel boss arrives and bluntly tells Norris the criminal that his crew is on his company’s territory, and they part with mutual understanding. Immediately, Landman establishes a world of organized crime, as well as Earth. Sound familiar?

While the crime element is exciting, “Landman” also highlights the challenges of the industry that tells the story. Yellowstone kills Colby Mayfield (Denim Richards) to illustrate the dangers of ranching. The first episode of “Landman” ends with an oil rig explosion killing three men to similar effect. Norris’ son, Cooper (John Loveland), is the sole survivor, and the episode portrays him as an incompetent worker who only got a job because of his father. However, it gets better as the series progresses – an arc reminiscent of Jimmy Herdstrom’s (Jefferson White) journey from lovable loser to respected farmer in “Yellowstone.”

Overall, “Landman” is another Sheridan series that explores unionism, politics, crime, and family values ​​in a world that shares some similarities with the Old West. The drama is similar to “Yellowstone” in many respects, but it contains enough original elements to distinguish it from the rest of its author’s works. Plus, “Landman” is better than Season 5 of “Yellowstone,” so that’s a plus.