Landman Season 2: Oilfields Boil Over as Billy Bob Thornton Returns to the Top Seat

The oilfields of Texas are about to run red again. Paramount+’s gritty drama Landman is roaring back for its second season, and if the first installment cracked open the world of roughnecks, cartels, and corporate power plays, Season 2 promises to blow the lid clean off.

Thornton at the Helm

At the heart of the storm is Billy Bob Thornton, reprising his role as Tommy Norris. Once a weary oilman caught in the chaos, Norris now ascends to the ruthless top seat at M-TEX Oil following Monty Miller’s shocking demise. But with power comes peril.

Season 2 opens with Norris navigating a corporate empire stained with corruption and haunted by ghosts—both literal and metaphorical. “He’s not the same man we met in Season 1,” says one insider. “He’s more dangerous, more conflicted, and more in the crosshairs than ever before.”

A Funeral That Changes Everything

Filming began in March, and the first major sequence shot was a funeral scene so chilling that crew members reportedly left the set shaken. While producers remain tight-lipped, sources suggest the funeral sets the tone for a season where betrayal and bloodshed lurk around every oil rig.

“This isn’t just a goodbye scene,” one set insider teased. “It’s the ignition point. Everything that follows—the corruption, the family strife, the cartel wars—sparks from here.”

Cartels and Chaos

Enter Andy Garcia as Galino, the cartel kingpin who sees opportunity in the chaos of M-TEX. With Miller gone and Norris thrust reluctantly into leadership, Galino circles like a vulture. “He’s charming, deadly, and unstoppable,” a producer says. “He’s not just after money—he’s after domination.”

This cartel element underscores the dangerous blend of global stakes and local loyalties that Taylor Sheridan, Landman’s co-creator, is known for. As with Yellowstone and Mayor of Kingstown, Sheridan injects the drama with equal parts political corruption and back-alley brutality.

Family Tensions Ignite

But the battlefield isn’t only corporate boardrooms and cartel safehouses—it’s also the home front. Thornton’s Tommy finds himself pulled back into conflict with ex-wife Angela, played by Ali Larter. Their fractured history collides with the present as Angela refuses to let Norris’s choices endanger what remains of their family.

Meanwhile, Demi Moore returns as Cami Miller, widow of Monty and now a wild card in the power struggle. Industry chatter hints Moore’s character will evolve from grieving spouse to corporate shark. “Cami doesn’t back down,” Sheridan teased in a promotional interview. “She’s as much a player as anyone in the oil game—and maybe smarter than all of them.”

A New Force: Sam Elliott

If the cast wasn’t already brimming with star power, Season 2 welcomes Sam Elliott as a hardened new regular. His role remains under wraps, but insiders describe him as “the storm on the horizon.” Elliott’s gravel-voiced gravitas is expected to bring an added layer of menace to an already combustible mix.

“Sam is the kind of presence that changes the chemistry of a set,” one crew member noted. “When he walks on, you know the stakes have gone up.”

Sheridan’s Signature

Behind it all, Taylor Sheridan’s fingerprints are unmistakable. The creator who gave television Yellowstone’s frontier power struggles and Tulsa King’s criminal underworld now digs deep into the bones of Texas oil country. His style—dust, blood, betrayal, and flashes of cowboy poetry—turns drilling rigs into battlegrounds and corporate offices into war rooms.

“Taylor doesn’t write safe television,” explains a Paramount executive. “He writes with grit. In Landman, the stakes aren’t just money—they’re life, death, and legacy. Every deal comes with a body count.”

Industry Buzz

The series has become one of Paramount+’s critical pillars, drawing audiences hungry for hard-edged drama in a streaming market crowded with glossy, forgettable fare. Season 1 was praised for its raw authenticity, much of it filmed in the dust-choked fields of West Texas. Season 2 is expected to expand both in scope and brutality.

Entertainment trades have already speculated about Emmy potential, especially with Thornton at the helm. His performance in Season 1 was lauded as “mesmerizing” and “career-defining.” With Moore and Elliott adding their weight, Season 2 could position Landman as Sheridan’s next awards juggernaut.

What to Expect

So what does Season 2 promise? High-stakes corruption. Cartel wars that bleed from Mexico to Midland. Family betrayals sharper than any knife. And a funeral that ripples through every character’s arc.

“This season doesn’t just dig deeper—it explodes,” Sheridan vowed during a recent press junket. “Every choice carries blood on it. Every alliance comes with a betrayal. And no one walks away clean.”

The Reckoning in the Oilfields

As filming continues, buzz builds around whether Norris can survive his new role—or whether M-TEX will swallow him whole. With cartel pressure mounting, ex-wives demanding accountability, and rivals circling like buzzards, Thornton’s character may discover that the cost of power is nothing less than his soul.

For viewers, one thing is certain: Landman Season 2 isn’t drilling for drama. It’s blowing it sky-high.