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‘Landman’ drops a heartbreaking twist in season 2 premiere, and Tommy may never be the same again

Tommy Norris' world shatters in the 'Landman' Season 2 premiere when a late-night phone call confirms his mother, Dorothy's death.

 'Landman' Season 2 premiered on Paramount+ with a bang. With the death of Jon Hamm's Monty Miller at the end of the debut season, Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris now finds himself as the new president of the oil company M-Tex. He has a tall work order ahead of himself that includes cleaning up in the aftermath of Monty's death and seeing Demi Moore's Cami Miller through as the sole owner of the oil company, eager to earn the trust of fellow investors, as per ScreenRant. Alongside this, Tommy is locked in a desperate attempt to rebuild his failed marriage with his wife Angela, disastrous as that already is following the botched family dinner scene. 

If all of this wasn't enough, Tommy was heartbroken to learn of his mother's death on the premiere episode of 'Landman' Season 2. This surprise death has brought the narrative of the Taylor Sheridan show to a dramatic crossroad. On one hand, it offers the narrative possibility of exploring Tommy's childhood and background to the extent that it sheds decisive light on his behaviour and actions in the present day. If the show were to proceed in this direction, it could offset the previously overlooked aspects of Tommy's upbringing, which were mostly left untouched. 

Throughout the previous episodes of the show, Tommy didn't talk much about his mother. Nevertheless, the extent of his despair following his mother's death might suggest that she has come to play an influential role in his life. Although we don't know for sure whether this death would be alluded to in the later episodes of the sophomore season, it would be dramatically fertile to explore the relationship shared between Tommy's mother and the other members of his family, such as Angela, and his children, Ainsley and Cooper. 

With the inner workings of Tommy's family and his personal history coming to the surface on the Paramount+ show, one can't help but expect Tommy to speak his mind about his upbringing to his friends and housemates, Dale Bradley and Nathan. Similarly, the premiere episode also introduced a new character, i.e., Tommy's aging father, T.L. Norris, played by actor Sam Elliot. Now staying in an assisted living facility, T.L. is largely estranged from his son, and perhaps Tommy wants to keep it that way. Only time will tell whether or not a possible reconciliation between the two is on the cards, following the death of his mother. 

While speaking in an interview with The Wrap, Thornton explained how he found it interesting that his character was beset with so many troubles this season: "That’s what actors dream of — if an actor doesn’t have some kind of mess to clean up, it can get old pretty quick. But yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing what the audience feels." 'Landman' Season 2 airs new episodes every Sunday.