‘Landman’ Season 2 Viral Moment: Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy Norris Delivers Blistering Jab at ‘The View’

Taylor Sheridan’s hit Paramount+ series Landman has once again ignited social media with a pointed, unfiltered line in Season 2, Episode 5 (“The Pirate Dinner”), aired December 14, 2025. Star Billy Bob Thornton, as crisis manager Tommy Norris, casually defines ABC’s long-running daytime talk show The View in a phone conversation with his estranged father T.L. (Sam Elliott), sparking widespread debate and viral clips amassing millions of views.

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Landman’ star Billy Bob Thornton on filming possible season 2

Photo: Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris in a signature intense moment from ‘Landman.’ (Credit: Paramount+)

The exchange occurs when Tommy, locked out and passing time, suggests watching TV to his father. When T.L. asks “What’s The View?”, Tommy deadpans: “A bunch of pissed off millionaires bitching about how much they hate millionaires and Trump and men like you and me and everybody else they got a bee up their ass about.” He adds it’s “pretty funny”—not ha-ha funny, but “fart in church” funny.

Delivered with Thornton’s trademark dry cynicism, the line aligns with Tommy’s no-nonsense persona—a grizzled oil industry fixer navigating West Texas booms, family strife, and corporate chaos. Sheridan, who writes every episode, often uses Tommy as a vehicle for blunt commentary on culture, politics, and hypocrisy, echoing prior viral rants on topics like renewable energy.

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Emotional Debut: Sam Elliott Joins ‘Landman’ as Billy Bob …

Photo: Billy Bob Thornton and Sam Elliott as son and father in an emotional Season 2 scene. (Credit: People/Paramount+)

The moment quickly went viral, with clips shared across platforms like X, TikTok, and YouTube. Conservative outlets praised it as a “savage” critique of perceived elite hypocrisy on The View, while others debated its fairness. Fans of the show celebrated Sheridan’s fearless writing, with one viral post calling it “the truth slap we’ve all been waiting for.”

Thornton has noted in interviews that Sheridan channels personal views through Tommy, describing the monologues as “how Taylor talks.” Ironically, Thornton appeared on The View in 2024 promoting Season 1, charming hosts in a friendly segment.

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C&I Video Q&A: Billy Bob Thornton of Landman – Cowboys and Indians …

Photo: Promotional poster for ‘Landman’ featuring Billy Bob Thornton. (Credit: Paramount+)

Landman, inspired by the podcast Boomtown, continues its strong run in Season 2, exploring fractured family dynamics (including Tommy’s reconciliation efforts with T.L.) amid high-stakes oil deals. Co-starring Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, and Jacob Lofland, the series has been renewed for Season 3.

This latest controversy underscores Sheridan’s polarizing style—blending neo-Western grit with provocative social commentary—that keeps Landman atop streaming charts and conversation.

Episodes stream Sundays on Paramount+.