Landman Season 2’s Finale Exposes Taylor Sheridan’s Greatest Weakness

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Landman season 2, episode 10.The finale of Landman season 2 was a step up from the rest of the season, but it also exposed Taylor Sheridan’s greatest weakness as a writer. Taylor Sheridan has become one of the most famous writers in Hollywood in the past decade. Some of Taylor Sheridan’s best shows are also some of the best Western shows ever made, and his writing has earned a well-deserved following.

But no writer is perfect, and even Taylor Sheridan has his flaws. Many of the reviews for Landman season 2, for example, noted a decrease in quality from the first season. The ending of Yellowstone season 5 also drew criticism, though there were many factors outside of Sheridan’s control. Landman season 2, however, has exposed Sheridan’s greatest weakness as a writer, and it highlights a problem for his upcoming shows.

Landman Season 2 Was Very Underwhelming Until The Finale

The finale of Landman season 2 was a great episode. It wrapped up so many stories, saw Tommy create a new oil company that will be the focus of Landman season 3, and delivered suspense, heartfelt emotion, and a strong central message. The only problem with the end of Landman season 2 is that it was preceded by eight episodes that ranged from mediocre to outright bad.

The premiere of Landman season 2 was a strong start. It introduced new problems for Tommy to deal with, like the offshore rig and his father, TL, and set the stage for another great season. Then, the next eight episodes meandered through underwhelming romances, drawn-out discussions, and a significant decrease in both action and comedy. Reviews and comments from viewers proved that something went wrong with Landman season 2, despite a strong premiere and finale.

The sheer number of problems the middle of Landman season 2 had proves this point. There are plot points that drag on at a glacial pace, like Cooper and Ariana’s relationship, while other story elements get introduced just to eat up runtime, like TL’s relationship with Cheyenne. There are also stories that get brought up and forgotten about entirely, like the H2S gas leak. The result of these poorly paced stories was a weak second season.

Taylor Sheridan Is Great At Beginnings & Endings, But Not Middles

Image by Yeider Chacon

Landman season 2’s trajectory isn’t unique among Taylor Sheridan’s shows. Most of Sheridan’s TV shows follow the same course: a strong premiere, several meandering, directionless episodes that move at a glacial pace, and a thrilling finale. 1923 season 2 drew the same criticisms, especially in relation to Spencer Dutton’s long road home, and other shows like Yellowstone season 5 had the same issues.

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Taylor Sheridan’s most recent shows highlight a harsh truth about his writing: he’s great at writing beginnings and endings, but the middle parts of his stories are lacking. Sheridan knows how to start and end on a bang, but he flounders when it comes to finding a way to keep the momentum across a 10-episode season of television. Many of the middle episodes of his shows are bloated with filler and feel like a means by which to get to the ending instead of episodes to be enjoyed on their own.

Taylor Sheridan Should Refocus On Movies, Not TV

Taylor Sheridan’s pacing problems are also almost entirely a product of his focus on television. When Sheridan was writing films like Hell or High Water and Wind River, he only had to tell a two-hour or less story. His weakness for writing the middle of a story wasn’t on display in that movie format, but it’s glaringly obvious in a 10-hour TV show. The middle of Sicario, for example, isn’t bad, but if he had to stretch that into a 10-hour show, the middle would have lagged.

The best way for Taylor Sheridan to avoid repeating the mistakes of Landman season 2 is by shifting his focus back onto movies instead of television. His style of writing is much better suited to a shorter, more self-contained story without as many plot threads. If Landman season 2 were a movie instead of a show, Cooper and Ariana would have gotten engaged in minutes instead of hours, and boring elements like Rebecca’s relationship with Charlie wouldn’t have made it in at all.

I, for one, would much rather have Taylor Sheridan give us the next Hell or High Water instead of another show like Landman season 2. Sheridan is a great writer who is obviously capable of telling amazing stories, but he’s locked in a format that doesn’t let his writing thrive. Perhaps the impending end of Sheridan’s deal with Paramount could mean that he’ll have the freedom to do movies again instead of shows like Landman.

Release Date

November 17, 2024

Writers

Taylor Sheridan, Christian Wallace

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  Billy Bob Thornton

  Tommy Norris

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