Summary

• Taylor Sheridan's new show, Landman, may offer a fresh twist on the John Dutton character from Yellowstone.
• Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris in Landman offers a change from Sheridan's usual focus on powerful protagonists, which could add an interesting new dynamic to the show.
• Like Yellowstone, Landman seems to focus on its main character juggling a huge variety of problems at the same time, which should make it entertainingly suspenseful.

Taylor Sheridan's next TV show could be his long sought-after replacement for Taylor Sheridan shows and movies in the works, his next might be the best.

Landman, Taylor Sheridan's next TV show, seems like its poised to become one of his best. Landman is already continuing one of Sheridan's best trends with its star-studded cast of Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, and Demi Moore, among others. It's also set to air just one week after Yellowstone season 5, part 2 begins, which should help it gain some of Yellowstone's dedicated viewers. One of Landman's most promising aspects, however, puts a very interesting twist on a classic Taylor Sheridan character in Yellowstone: Kevin Costner's John Dutton.

Billy Bob Thornton's Landman Character Has 1 Key Difference To Kevin Costner's John Dutton In Yellowstone

Billy Bob Thornton has been cast in the lead role of Landman, Sheridan's series. Thornton is set to play Tommy Norris, a crisis manager for an oil company who is sent to "fix" any problems that come up. Thornton described Norris in an interview with Vanity Fair, and he already sounds very similar to John Dutton. They're both men who have to deal with all the different problems that come from running a business, whether it be lawyers, policymakers, or employees.

“I’m a fixer and a foreman. Even though I work with the head guy, I also work very closely with the people out in the field. I check the wells every day, get the information to give him, I deal with the landowners, and if something happens on that land, if there’s an accident on the rig, I’ve got to solve that problem and go deal with the lawyers.”

During that interview, Thornton also revealed that there's one major difference between his character and Kevin Costner's: Norris isn't rich. Both Norris and Dutton have incredible work ethics, a desire to see their businesses succeed, and the ability to fix whatever problem comes up, but Norris doesn't see the spoils of his efforts. Thornton mentioned that Taylor Sheridan highlighted a key part of his character: when Norris reports to his boss' lavish home, he thinks "I could have had this — but it went a different direction." That key change from John Dutton's characterization already makes Landman different from Yellowstone, and most of Sheridan's other shows as well.

Most Taylor Sheridan Protagonists Have Signature Traits In Common

Taylor Sheridan has written quite a few stories, from movies like Wind River to shows like Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Sheridan's various movies and shows differ from one another quite a bit, but their protagonists often have a few things in common. Many of them subscribe to ambiguous moral codes, but they're also very hardworking, smart, determined, and loyal. Those traits often put Sheridan's protagonists in positions of power and wealth: Yellowstone and its spinoffs' Dutton family owns the largest ranch in Montana, Tulsa King focuses on crime boss Dwight Manfredi, and Special Ops: Lioness saw Joe as the leader of a CIA program.

It should be noted that not all of Sheridan's protagonists are powerful or wealthy individuals. Wind River, for example, focused on a junior FBI agent and a Fish and Wildlife officer, and Hell or High Water's Howard brothers were living under the shadow of extreme debt before their bank robberies. Though they didn't fit with Sheridan's penchant for writing powerful protagonists, they did still have the same values and attributes of many of his main characters. Landman's Tommy Norris seems similar to them: he's hardworking, effective, smart, and capable, but he doesn't have nearly as much to show for it.

How Landman's Story Mirrors The Premise Of Yellowstone

Tommy Norris and John Dutton aren't the only similarities Landman and Yellowstone have in common. Landman's premise already seems quite similar to Yellowstone's, at least in the early seasons. They both focus on their respective main characters protecting a massive business and all the problems that come with that task. John had to deal with external threats from Thomas Rainwater, the Beck Brothers, and more, along with internal threats like Jamie Dutton. Norris will likely have the same variety of issues to deal with: external threats from lawyers and environmentalists, among others, and internal problems from accidents and the executives of his company.

Landman seems like it will give Thornton's Tommy Norris the same anxiety-inducing amount of problems to deal with simultaneously, which could make for very suspenseful television.

It also seems that Landman will mirror one of the most compelling parts of Yellowstone. A big reason Yellowstone is so engaging is because the Duttons had to constantly juggle so many different problems at the same time, which raised the stakes considerably. Any one of the issues plaguing the ranch would have been enough to end the Dutton dynasty, but facing them all at once was overwhelming, and it made audiences wonder how everything could work out in their favor. Landman seems like it will give Thornton's Tommy Norris the same anxiety-inducing amount of problems to deal with simultaneously, which could make for very suspenseful television.

Another similarity Landman shares with Yellowstone is perhaps the most important reason it could replace Sheridan's flagship series. Yellowstone has a unique ability to create new projects and spinoffs. It's been key in making Yellowstone so successful for Sheridan, and Landman may be the only project that's able to do it again. Landman has so much potential to inspire new stories: Tommy Norris will have to balance so many competing interests, from the law to profit margins, and any one of them could be the basis for a spinoff. It isn't hard to imagine Landman one day having as many spinoffs as Yellowstone currently does.

Source: Vanity Fair