New 'Landman' Season 2 episode officially reveals the successor to Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris
It is a known fact that Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris had his hands almost full on the second season of 'Landman' on Paramount+. Following the death of M-Tex President Monty Miller, played by Jon Hamm on the Taylor Sheridan show's debut season, Tommy was involved in the daily affairs of the oil business. This led him to take on the dual role of both the company’s president and landman, overseeing its oil wells. The eighth episode of 'Landman' Season 2 finally gave Tommy some respite as he found his replacement.
CBR reports that the latest episode of 'Landman' saw Tommy vetting his son Cooper Norris (Jacob Lofland) to eventually succeed him as the new landman. This decision, which came forth at the right time, enabled Tommy to devote his energy to running the oil company while his son Cooper assumed the reins as the new potential landman. This is in keeping with Cooper's established character arc, which previously saw him dropping out of his geology course in college to get invaluable on-the-job training at his father's company.
Cooper's rise to the occasion wasn't, however, bereft of a few major roadblocks. It was previously revealed that he was involved in a financial fiasco that involved him transferring his debt to M-Tex, a tricky situation from which his father was ultimately able to bail him out. It is in this context that Tommy advanced the idea of his succession to Cooper during their conversation at the Patch Cafe. Cooper was then promoted to be in charge of the WolfCamp drilling project. Cooper's credibility was instantly recognized by those working under him, as by then he had drilled six wells and struck oil in all of them.
Once Tommy made his intentions clear to the other employees—Boss, King, Ben, and Dale—they readily accepted Cooper as their new project manager. Cooper's future character arc could potentially see him building upon this promotion, thereby ensuring that greater narrative attention is dedicated to his character in the subsequent seasons of the Paramount+ show. The second season has been airing new episodes so far with positive audience reception, and according to a report by Variety, it has garnered a total of 9.2 million views in its opening weeks.
The official synopsis of 'Landman' Season 2 states, "As oil rises from the earth, so do secrets – and Tommy Norris's (Thornton) breaking point may be closer than he realizes. Facing mounting pressure from M-Tex Oil, Cami Miller (Moore), and the shadow of his kin, survival in West Texas isn't noble – it's brutal. And sooner or later something's got to break." 'Landman' Season 2 stars Demi Moore, Ali Carter, Andy Garcia, Sam Elliot, and Michelle Randolph in leading roles alongside Thornton and Lofland. New episodes air every Sunday on Paramount+.