Warning: Includes SPOILERS for ‘Landman’ Season 2, Episode 9!
What in the world is happening to Landman? The show that wowed everyone in Season 1, even described by some fans as superior to Yellowstone, has been extremely polarizing in Season 2. And the most recent episode might just be the worst one yet. The current chapter’s penultimate episode, titled “Plans, Tears, and Sirens,” currently has a 6.8 rating on IMDb, the lowest in the series so far.
Watching it, one slowly understands why Taylor Sheridan never gets Emmys and Golden Globes. The writer/producer has a way of reaching the skies only to come crashing down and burrow to the lowest lows of storytelling… almost hitting oil in the process. At this rate, he might just take over from Tyler Perry as the “King of Bad Stories that We Follow Anyway.” The latest episode has plenty of greasy stains, and it makes one of the show’s biggest flaws worse.
A lot happens in the penultimate episode, including Tommy getting fired by Cami. But let’s get to one of the interesting plots, which involves Tommy’s daughter, Ainsley, heading to a TCU cheerleading summer camp. The entire thing isn’t supposed to take too long, but her mother, Angela, won’t stop crying while dropping her off. Who is the adult here?
The meal starts to stink when Ainsley is paired with a non-binary roommate named Paigyn. We quickly learn that Paigyn, a sports medicine student, is a walking bag of preferences. They don’t like music… they don’t like air fresheners… they probably don’t like you, too. Paigyn is also vegan and enjoys correcting others. For example, they are quick to say that their name is pronounced “Pagan” like the godless religion.
At this point, it’s easy to see where the show is going. A non-binary, vegan, mental health advocate who has a Godless name? One of these would be okay, but by making Paigyn a symbol of everything that the conservative media hates, the show picks a side and does it rather strongly. Ainsley is quick to attack Paigyn, arguing that it doesn’t make sense for anyone to use “they/them” as pronouns. However, it’s hard not to laugh at her sarcastic lines: “I’m gonna let they meditate, and I’ll see they later.”
Ainsley makes no serious attempts to troubleshoot the situation. She reports Paigyn to the management and is given a solution she doesn’t like: engaging in dialogue with her roommate to find a middle ground. She thus calls Mama, demanding to be rescued. It turns out this is the call Angela has been waiting for all along. Like Supergirl, she quickly shows up to rescue her daughter, scooping her out of the TCU dorms and renting her an apartment with a pool. Paigyn is shown a middle finger by the two, informed that there is a party soon, and they won’t be welcome.
In “Plans, Tears, and Sirens,” Sheridan Misses an Opportunity To Make Ainsley a Better Character
Ainsley is undoubtedly one of Landman’s most imperfect characters, and the penultimate episode misses a golden opportunity to make her better. This was a chance for her to break from the conjoined-twin-like bond she shares with her mother. The Paigyn angle also provided her with an opportunity to demonstrate a few admirable traits, only for her to step all over it.
Indeed, Paigyn isn’t likable. They are no Taylor Mason from Billions. I mean, how can you declare a dorm room a personal safe space for meditation and lay down a thousand rules like you own the place? Still, it would have been better for Ainsley to challenge them and learn a thing or two from the experience rather than run away. The plot is somehow allegorical, and the conclusion appears to suggest that it’s wiser to attack left-leaning people or run away from them like they are Godzilla in the city rather than learn to co-exist with them.
So far, Ainsley is experiencing no personal growth. Two seasons in, it’s unclear where her character is heading. Will she ever do anything notable, or will she just be Mummy’s Girl until the show ends? In the episode, Angela makes a remark about Paigyn that is actually more suited to Ainsley. “She just doesn’t like herself,” Angela says about the vegan scent-hater. “Instead of fixing the things she doesn’t like, she blames it on everyone else.” Ummm… Isn’t that Ainsley?
Cooper’s “Knight in Shining Armor” Moment Is Also Poorly Executed
As if the Ainsley incident isn’t frustrating enough, another ridiculous plot is thrown in at the end of “Plans, Tears, and Sirens.” When she briefly steps outside, Ariana is attacked outside of work by a wealthy, obsessed customer whose advances she previously rejected. Coincidentally, Cooper just happens to be visiting the bar at the same time. When he fails to find Ariana inside, he walks outside and finds the man attempting to sexually assault her. Understandably, he punches the would-be rapist again and again. Noticing Cooper might kill the man, Ariana begs him to stop him.
What Cooper did is admirable in the Court of Society. Unfortunately, the latest developments are not good for him. During the incident, a security camera can be seen capturing everything that’s happening. This means there’ll be legal implications. After taking professional steps earlier in the episode by drilling a wildcat pump in the same vicinity as his six wells, the character is now about to be ruined by another personal problem.
Sheridan seemingly woke up and decided to dump every weighty topic into one episode, but he didn’t need to. A solid corporate-themed episode about Tommy’s dismissal from M-Tex would have worked. The use of SA, which appears to be nothing more than an “actions have consequences” moment for Cooper, is a light, inappropriate use of what should be heavy, sensitive material.
It appears a creative choice was made to paint Cooper as a tougher character than he has been all along, but it would have been better to have him beat up some robbers or something. Better yet, leave him as he is. Cooper is a nice guy, and there’s no problem with that.
Will the tenth episode redeem Ainsley and spare Cooper from unnecessary punishment? Let’s wait and see. Taylor Sheridan went for the low-hanging fruit with this episode, and the worst part of it is that we know he can be better than this. Landman doesn’t need to be the series that throws sand in the eyes of its viewers just for the sake of it; there’s clearly a compelling, meaningful story at the core, it just needs to stop fooling around with juvenile provocation.
Catch the Landman Season 2 finale on Sunday, January 18.
- Release Date
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November 17, 2024
- Network
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Paramount
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
