Anyone who has been following my reviews of the last few Yellowstone Seasons knows that I have a mixed relationship with Taylor Sheridan, to say the least. This show had its charm, especially in the beginning, but by the end it became boring, aimless and indulgent. Sheridan seemed more interested in devoting his time and energy to several other series, including Landmanthe first season of which aired at the same time as this pathetic finale.
So yes, here I am again, recapping the Taylor Sheridan Show. The important difference is that I still haven't gotten bored of watching this movie to the point of tears. It has its problems (and trust me, I'll figure them out), but the oil industry environment is interesting, and it's sorely lacking in overall energy. Yellowstone towards the end. Billy Bob Thornton's performance as oilman Tommy Norris is a clear standout; this show was written with him in mind.and he's insanely entertaining to watch, even when he goes on eye-roll-worthy tirades that seem to come straight from Sheridan's mouth.
Death and Decline wastes no time getting back to business with one of those signature rants. Less than a minute into the episode, Tommy is already monologuing about how corporations like Kellogg spread propaganda about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. He also hands over a $100 bill to send the waiter on a smoke break. What a legend.
Not much time passed between seasons. After the death of Tommy's boss and buddy Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), he is now the president of M-Tex Oil and gradually becomes accustomed to the lifestyle, traveling on a private jet between Midland and Fort Worth. But the pressure at work is high: banks are wary of financing an independent company with a power vacuum at the top. Tommy is still the one who actually does all the work, but Monty's wife, Cami, owns the company and she doesn't necessarily know the ins and outs of oil. This does not inspire much confidence among people who have contracts with M-Tex. So she hosts a dinner to appeal to her naysayers and prove that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Demi Moore's small role in the first season seemed inexplicable at times. But it looks like she'll have a much bigger role to play this time and Monty will be out of the picture and I have to say I'm very excited. I was hoping this was something the show was setting up for early on, with her just being a “wife” character, with the occasional affectionate or mournful glance.
It also needs to be said that Landman is in dire need of a well-written, strong female character, and Cami could really fit the bill. The premiere with her is the most exciting segment, starting with the scene in the toilet, thematically and even visually straight from the film. Substancecomplete with a heartbreaking shot of Moore's frustrated and insecure reflection. And just in case she needs years of misogyny and ageism reflected in her spoken word, Cami receives a cartoonishly rude remark from a young woman bragging about her upcoming vacation to Tulum with a rich old man. “A convention of divorced doctors will be held in the same hotel,” she says. “It’s a young women’s game here.”
Of course, Cami's indignation only encourages her to take her high-stakes speech out of the game, and so she does. She calls herself a hunter, details her shark-like plans to make money off all these people during the coming energy boom, and claims that she is “meaner” than Monty, warning her listeners not to test or underestimate her. The crowd responded well, and Tommy gave unexpectedly warm praise afterwards, telling Cami that Monty would be proud. It's rare to see Tommy genuinely respect a woman on this show, and it's nice.
I'd like to say that things have also improved with Angela and Ainsley, who in season one struck me as perhaps two of the worst female characters I've seen on TV since the early noughties. Unfortunately, that's still the case, as evidenced by Angela immediately extolling the virtues of her 17-year-old daughter's gray sweatpants (two words: dick print). They tour Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where Ainsley's priority cheerleader status virtually guarantees her admission.
The admissions counselor wasn't very happy about this, and I don't blame her. Their meeting ends in disaster as Ainsley plunges into previously uncharted depths of idiocy. Look, I support a funny chick character as long as the author has a clear idea of who she is, but Ainsley is a confusing dumbass. She studies hard, scored a pretty respectable 29 on the ACT and is in the top 10 percent of her class, yet doesn't know the word “besieged,” claims to be “studying abroad” in Midland, and thinks cheerleaders are persecuted at Texas Tech because they can't date the jocks? It's not even that funny to watch her flounder.
If it's the big, stupid opening night scene with Ainsley, then Angela's “cacio e pepe” dinner (with shaved white truffles on top) her big, stupid stage. Planning for her daughter's future has already left Angela emotional, and she is looking to buy a house in Fort Worth to be close to TCU. It's not such a crazy idea considering the level of wealth this family has, but for Tommy it's yet another example of Angela being reckless and melodramatic about her menstrual cycle. Gross. But of course, Angela plays right into this, giving him the tantrum he wants by throwing plates everywhere, and then gets over it almost immediately when Tommy compliments her breasts. He's learned his lesson and now understands that he doesn't need to constantly comment on his partner's period, but we'll see how long that lasts. Meanwhile, it really annoys me that the show makes excuses for Tommy by confirming that his wife is indeed hormonal and has PMS.
What about Cooper? Well, everything's going well, Cooper. The well he owns begins to produce large volumes of oil, which quickly accumulate and will soon completely change his and Ariana's lives. However, the news seems to have only a mild impact on her, and I wonder what we should glean from her underappreciated reaction. If someone said to me we were going to make $10 million a year, I probably started screaming and crying.
In the final moments of Death and Decline, Tommy receives devastating news: his mother has died. We don't really know much about his parents, so we'll have to wait until next week to get some real context, but this episode does follow his father Thomas, aka TL, who received bad news about Dorothy while watching the sunset outside his retirement home. It's a striking scene, especially thanks to a better-than-usual script (TL's misplaced rage at the prospect of missing the sunset feels right) and the ever-reliable Sam Elliott, whose performance immediately grabs your attention. If there is one reason to think about a second season Landman may be a step up from the first season, this is it.
Boomtown
• If there is another The reason is because it's Andy Garcia, who is also a regular this year after his appearance in the finale as the boss of the Gallino cartel. However, he is not there yet.
• When Tommy advises Cami to submit to him, you get the feeling that he is not being condescending or greedy. He just knows that people will shoot at her, and he wants to protect her (and the company) as much as possible.
• Also absent this week: Rebecca Falcone (the young lawyer to whom Tommy once wind turbines), which M-Tex presumably still uses.
• Glad the admissions counselor called Ainsley offensive and elitist, because we were close to eugenics thinking with all her spouting on hot cheerleaders owned by hot football players.
• I hope we get some real insight into Cooper and Ainsley's rivalry this season. It will also be a great opportunity to see Ainsley do something new.
• Nate criticizing Angela's use of the word “senorita” as cultural appropriation just seems like Sheridan's idea of something that would make liberals angry.
• TL is hearing about Dorothy from Memory Care of Amarillo, so I'm guessing she's been sick for a while.
• “I advise you to find a way to die quickly. Dying a little every day is…”
