I Think ‘Landman’ Might Be Even Better Than ‘Yellowstone’ — Here’s Why

Landman is the latest hit show from the one-man television juggernaut of Taylor Sheridan, and so far, I actually think it's better than the show that changed his life and career, Yellowstone.

What Is Landman About?

Landman is set in the rough-and-tumble world of the West Texas oil fields, and the show centers around the character of Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), who works to secure land rights and manage the people for a huge oil company — a job that often requires him to do things that are slightly outside the boundaries of both ethics and the law.

Who Stars in Landman?

In addition to Thornton, Landman includes the following actors:

• Demi Moore stars as Cami Miller, a friend of Tommy's who is married to one of the most powerful oil men in Texas.
• Jon Hamm from Mad Men stars as Cami's husband, Monty Miller, a power player in the Texas oil industry with a long personal and professional connection to Tommy.
• Ali Larter plays Tommy's ex-wife, Angela Norris.
• Michelle Randolph from 1923 appears as Tommy and Angela's strong-willed 17-year-old daughter, Ainsley Norris.
• Jacob Lofland plays Tommy and Angela's son, Cooper Norris, who's a rookie at working in the oil and gas fields.
• Kayla Wallace plays Rebecca Savage, an intimidating attorney.
• James Jordan from Yellowstone plays Tommy's roommate, Dale Bradley, a petroleum engineer who manages oil field workers.
• Country singer Mark Collie plays a West Texas lawman, Sheriff Joeberg.
• Paulina Chavez plays Ariana, a young mother whose family has been struck by tragedy.
• Octavio Rodriguez plays Antonio, an angry man who has been hardened by that tragedy.
• Colm Feore plays an oil company attorney and administrator named Nathan.
• Mustafa Speaks appears as Boss, a roughneck with a lot of field experience.
• J.R. Villarreal plays Manuel, an oil worker who is out for revenge after a disaster.
• Andy Garcia will guest star as Galino, described as a "capable, powerful and practical man."
• Michael Pena will guest star as a character named Armando.

Is Landman Better Than Yellowstone?

Overall, probably not. But if you compare the debut season of Landman to the fifth season of Yellowstone that is currently airing its second half, then the answer is yes.

Landman is currently better than Yellowstone, albeit with some qualifications.

Part of what has plagued Yellowstone's troubled fifth season is simply the delays in filming it, which led to uncertainty about whether former series lead Kevin Costner was going to continue. That forced Taylor Sheridan to "hover the plane," as he likes to say, instead of landing it, and much of the first half of Season 5 was pretty sub-par for Yellowstone as a result, with a bunch of plot lines that got introduced and then never got properly resolved.

Remember the wolves that the Bunkhouse Boys shot illegally and how much potential fallout there was going to be from that? In the wake of Costner's departure and the fact that the show has a limited number of episodes to close out its storylines, that one simply went away without explanation or resolution, along with several other sub-plots that it appears the show will not resolve.

Remember Carter's girlfriend? We haven't seen her in the second half of Season 5, either, though there are still two more episodes to resolve that. But we're going to guess that the last two episodes don't focus on Carter and her holding hands in a meadow as she comforts him about the death of Colby.

Where Does Landman Air?

Landman airs exclusive via the Paramount+ streaming app.

 How Many Episodes of Landman Will There Be?

Season 1 of Landman will consist of 10 episodes. It's not clear if the show is intended to run for multiple seasons or not.

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He's interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.