Taylor Sheridan is heading back to the top of the Paramount+ streaming chart with Season 2 of Landman, but the series has drawn one big complaint from fans that is threatening to derail the Sheridan bandwagon.
Landman Season 2 debuted on Sunday, November 16, and with the show already nearing the top of the Paramount+ charts with rewatches of its first season, the number 1 spot being held by Sheridan’s oilfield drama was a foregone conclusion even before a single second was shown to the public. However, popular viewership does not always equate to good reviews, and it looks like one aspect of Season 2 is dividing fans even more than in Season 1.
The first season of Landman was a record-breaking success on Paramount+, shattering viewership records set just a few weeks before its arrival by another Sheridan baby, 1923. While this new season will likely be pushing for another record, its Rotten Tomatoes reviews have not been unanimous in their praise for the long-awaited return of the show. Critics have given both seasons the same score, a reasonable and “fresh” 78% at the time of writing, but while an audience score is still being generated, the reviews so far have slammed one particular thing that viewers don’t want to see.
What Is the Problem with ‘Landman’ Season 2?
Since its debut last night, Landman Season 2 has received a total of seven reviews from audiences, and only 3 of those are positive. The others mostly seem to have the same complaint, centering on the show’s female characters, which, according to one ½-star review, “completely ruin the show.”
Taylor Sheridan’s shows have often been labeled as “anti-woke” and full of “masculinity” that used to be common in the Western genre, and mostly the neo-Western offshoot. While several of Sheridan’s shows feature prominent female characters, it seems that the roles of Anglea and Ainsley Norris, played by Ali Larter and Michelle Randolph, respectively, are not resonating with the show’s core audience.
“Please drop the mother and daughter. They drag the show down immensely. Nice eye candy, but their contribution is net zero,” said one review, perhaps pointing out what one portion of the audience watching Sheridan’s shows feel about these particular female characters. Another added:
“The mother/daughter parts are so annoying. I skipped all of it, leaving 10 mins of decent actual content. The first episode is more Jerry Springer than quality drama.”
These complaints are offset by some who were pleased with the continued presence of Larter and Randolph, but whose comments continued along the same line, One said, “I love Landman. It’s extremely accurate and I love the mother/daughter. They’re gorgeous.”
There are several who have agreed with critics that Season 2 is an improvement on last year’s run, but even some critics who reviewed the show in a positive light admitted that despite improvements in some ways it “goes frustratingly backward in others.” In the end, as long as viewers keep tuning in, then there Landman’s future is safe, and if you can expect one thing from a Taylor Sheridan show, it is that it will attract some big crowds, for better or worse.