‘Landman’ star teases Ariana’s next chapter in Season 3: 'Very different from...'

Ariana is getting more than a seat at the Norris family table in ‘Landman’ Season 3. With her engagement to Cooper connecting her to the family, Paulina Chávez has another chapter of Ariana’s life to explore. The actress is back in Fort Worth filming the Paramount+ series. And this time, she says, viewers will get to know her character beyond the grief that has shaped her story.

“Now she’s not in the depths of the grieving process, and so we’re moving off of that,” Chávez told Us Magazine. “Now we are seeing who she really is after grief. Grief never goes away, but who is she now? Very different from the person that she was before grief, but we didn’t know who she was before grief. So, we’re getting to see those sparks.”

That next chapter includes a job in Tommy Norris’ new oil company. Season 2 ended with Tommy, played by Billy Bob Thornton, setting up the business after Cami, played by Demi Moore, fired him. An investment from Gallino, played by Andy Garcia, helped him bring on board former coworkers and relatives. “Ariana is going to be office manager, so she’s going to be part of that family business,” Chávez said. “She’s going to be very much involved, and I think that’s something so exciting for Ariana to also have her own thing but also building it with her partner.”

“But right now, I can say that Cooper and Ariana are in a great place,” Chávez said. “I’m excited to see what other bumps in the road there’s going to be this season because there always are.” Cooper’s work remains a source of anxiety for Ariana. “Obviously, the oil industry is something that still has fear for Ariana, and so obviously Cooper is going to be on call, and those moments are going to be a little frightening for her. How are they going to navigate through that?”

There is also one family pairing Chávez would like to explore. In a separate Us Magazine interview, she discussed the possibility of Ariana sharing kitchen scenes with Ali Larter’s Angela. “I feel like Ariana and Angela are very similar yet very different, and I feel like they would work well together,” she said. That remains her wish for the characters, rather than a confirmed Season 3 scene.

Chávez also said production began in September, later than the previous season’s August wrap. Even while filming, she does not know everything coming Ariana’s way. “There’s such a fun opening to the season, and I think fans are gonna love it,” she teased. ‘Landman’ is currently streaming on Paramount+.