Taylor Sheridan’s highly anticipated Landman returns for its second season on September 15, 2025, on Paramount+, promising an even wilder and more intense journey into the cutthroat world of West Texas oil. Building on the foundation laid by its explosive debut, Season 2 immediately thrusts Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton’s protagonist, Tommy Norris, into a brutal, high-stakes confrontation with cartel kingpin Andy Garcia. The series, inspired by Christian Kiernan’s podcast Boomtown, delves deep into the often-unseen lives of “landmen”—the high-pressure deal-makers and fixers navigating the volatile Permian Basin oil boom, a setting as unforgiving and expansive as the Montana ranches of Sheridan’s flagship Yellowstone universe. As Season 1 left Tommy, a weathered energy firm operative, entangled in a complex web of corporate espionage and grappling with personal demons, Season 2 amplifies the tension significantly. Tommy finds himself in a direct clash with Garcia’s ruthless cartel boss, Ramirez, who is aggressively muscling in on lucrative oil leases with deadly precision. Garcia’s dramatic return to television, his first significant role since The Godfather Part III, imbues his character with a chilling menace, as his character’s cross-border operations threaten to ignite a full-blown war that could engulf the entire region.

Thornton’s portrayal of Tommy Norris remains the series’ beating heart, presenting a character who is at once a chain-smoking, foul-mouthed survivor and a man whose moral compass spins wildly amid the escalating chaos. This season, as Thornton himself teased in a recent interview, “Tommy’s fighting for his soul in a world that wants to bury him,” a struggle that resonates deeply with the core themes of survival and integrity common across Sheridan’s expansive storytelling tapestry. Alongside Thornton, returning star Demi Moore, as the sharp-tongued and strategically astute executive Cami Miller, deepens her arc, engaging in an intricate dance of corporate intrigue where alliances are fragile and betrayals are imminent. Her character is poised to either support or undermine Tommy, adding layers of psychological complexity to the unfolding drama. The season’s most anticipated addition is Sam Elliott, making his formidable debut as Carter Knox, a legendary wildcatter whose gravelly wisdom and explosive temper light up every scene he inhabits. Elliott’s larger-than-life presence, complete with his iconic mustache and distinctive drawl, adds significant gravitas to an already stellar ensemble cast, which also includes Ali Larter as Tommy’s ex-wife and Jacob Lofland as the young landman caught perilously in the crossfire of these high-stakes battles.

Sheridan’s signature narrative style, celebrated for blending Shakespearean dialogue with pulse-pounding action, shines brighter than ever in Landman Season 2. The series, much like Yellowstone and its prequels 1883 and 1923, grounds its epic scope in a palpable sense of place, filming extensively across Texas’s arid badlands. This authentic backdrop provides the perfect stage for jaw-dropping set pieces promised in the trailers: from a brutal cartel ambush during a fracking operation to clandestine backroom deals conducted in dusty trailers, and a betrayal-fueled helicopter chase that critics and fans alike are already comparing to the most thrilling sequences from Yellowstone. The trailer itself teases a “full spill” of unforeseen twists, including a shocking alliance between Cami Miller and Ramirez that leaves Tommy Norris reeling, hinting at the profound personal and professional challenges he must confront. Early critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with Variety lauding the show as “a powder keg of greed and grit,” while The Hollywood Reporter praises its “masterful escalation of stakes,” underscoring the series’ ability to weave intricate character drama with high-octane suspense.

With ten episodes planned for its second run, Landman delves beyond mere action to explore the profound human cost of America’s insatiable energy hunger. This theme, a recurring motif in Sheridan’s work, is examined through various lenses, from the escalating cartel incursions that threaten the rule of law to the pervasive environmental fallout impacting the Permian Basin and its communities. The show, therefore, is not merely an entertaining drama but a trenchant commentary on power, resources, and the moral compromises inherent in their pursuit. The series has already generated significant buzz across social media platforms, with LandmanS2 trending and memes featuring Thornton’s deadpan stare going viral, reflecting a passionate fanbase eager for more of Sheridan’s uncompromising storytelling. As Tommy Norris navigates a treacherous landscape, battling not only formidable external threats—cartels, ruthless ex-partners, and corporate rivals—but also his own deeply entrenched personal demons, the stark reality of West Texas becomes abundantly clear. In this brutal frontier, the land itself is not just a resource to be exploited; it is a primal force that doesn’t just claim lives but ultimately devours them whole, leaving a lasting impact on all who seek to tame or profit from its vast, unforgiving expanse. Landman Season 2 promises to be a powerful and visceral exploration of these themes, cementing its place as a compelling and essential component of Taylor Sheridan’s ever-expanding and critically acclaimed cinematic universe.