SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Landman Season 2, Episode 6.

Landman Season 2, Episode 6 brings back fond memories of Season 1. “Dark Night of the Soul” is mostly a character study, and it’s very clear what themes co-creator Taylor Sheridan is trying to communicate. It’s an episode that has an emotional point more than a plot one, and that is what Season 2 has been missing—that big picture sense. There are still issues, yet this is a nice step forward.

The episode is largely a detour, because it focuses on T.L. Norris deciding to accompany his son Tommy on another trip to Fort Worth. This is an obvious setup for Sheridan to explore the relationship between Tommy and T.L. further by locking them in a truck together. Actors Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton rise to the occasion, most notably during a scene in which Tommy confronts his father about assaulting an old acquaintance. Audiences learn more about T.L., but also about how he looks at Tommy and how Tommy looks at him. When T.L. encourages Tommy to remarry Angela while he still can, it’s the most prominent example of the episode’s idea of chasing happiness before it’s too late.

That same idea comes out in the brief scenes with Ariana and Cooper, as both break the news to their respective families about their planned engagement. Paulina Chavez has one of her best moments of the season as Ariana tearfully speaks to Elvio’s mother about not trying to replace her son, feeling guilty about moving on. That’s the kind of tenderness and vulnerability that Ariana and Cooper’s relationship first brought to Landman, before their awkward breakup. Angela also has a very nice moment in which she gifts Cooper her engagement ring, telling her son that she doesn’t want him going into debt to buy one.

However, that scene is also an example of several moments where Sheridan undercuts himself. That’s a wonderful moment between mother and son, and a reminder of the depth that’s possible from Angela’s character. Yet it’s immediately spoiled because Sheridan reveals Angela has a second, self-serving motivation: she wants Tommy to buy her a new engagement ring. And the subplot, albeit brief, of her and Ainsley going shopping in Dallas is just another way to keep both of them busy. It doesn’t have any meaning. Likewise, the fact that Rebecca’s impulsive hookup is now the scientist she has to work with is funny, but how much does that matter to Landman fans beyond the comic relief that Kayla Wallace and Guy Burnet have already perfected?

There are multiple instances in “Dark Night of the Soul” where there’s time spent with filler, and not enough time spent where character moments could have been further explored. The opening includes an extended bit of DJ patter that could easily have been cut, and there are a few more too-long establishing shots, like a montage of happenings at the Permian Basin International Oil Show. If the script had dropped some of that, even an extra minute or two would have come in handy to extend some of Sheridan’s bigger and more important ideas.

For example, what gets T.L. in trouble is assaulting a man he used to work with, but audiences don’t see what prompted the punch. They see Tommy seeing it, and then it’s elucidated in the conversation between Tommy and T.L. that the other man insulted Tommy’s mother. It would have been more impactful to actually put the argument on-screen and put the audience in T.L.’s position. Keeping it off-screen makes it a surprise, but the emotional weight of what would have been even more great work from Sam Elliot would be even more valuable. It would have allowed the audience to not just understand T.L. better but to be him for a moment, and it wouldn’t diminish the Tommy and T.L. scene at all, because Tommy would still have to confront his dad.

There is some plot movement in the episode, as it’s clear that the core of Landman Season 2 is going to be the offshore drilling. Tommy and Cami officially get into business with Gallino, as Sheridan keeps taking apart the relationship between Tommy and Cami—which was one of the best parts of the season. It feels like the episode is doing some revision, because now Tommy admits that Cami doesn’t trust him. He tells Gallino that “she thinks I’m a loser” because he went bust in 2008 when Monty didn’t. That’s completely different from the united front that Tommy and Cami were in the Season 2 premiere, or even the quiet friendship they had at the end of Season 1, and it’s sad to see. Yes, it’s more dramatic, but Sheridan had a winning combination with them.

“Dark Night of the Soul” doesn’t avoid all of the issues that Landman Season 2 has had, but it’s an improvement as Sheridan really focuses in on what his characters are feeling, and why the audience should care about their feelings. The biggest question in Season 2 has been what the point is, and at least for this episode, Sheridan is telling a story of chasing happiness at any cost. That’s a thread viewers can relate to, and it gives this episode a heart that shines through.

Landman streams Sundays on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.