Landman is Taylor Sheridan's latest series about an oil rig-related economic boom in West Texas, which leads to some unpredictable consequences for the large ensemble of characters. It's a story of greed, capitalism, and ambition that uses the Western setting to explore very modern themes, with characters who are surprisingly relatable and familiar despite their forgotten histories. Landman has an excellent cast, including Jon Hamm, Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore – although their importance in the story has yet to be proven.
Landman is very different from Taylor Sheridan's other shows, which include the immensely popular yellow stone and its multiple derivative projects. It is less focused on history and period narrative, focusing instead on its characters and how these unique personalities interact with each other to create an intricately woven story of lies and truths. This has already proven to be a success, with first reviews praising Landmanthe crisp writing and rich character work – but the actors who were marketed as the show's leads weren't as present as some fans had hoped.
Demi Moore and Jon Hamm Are the Stars of Landman, But You'd Almost Never Know It
Its characters were barely used
Before the show aired, it was taken for granted that Demi Moore and Jon Hamm would be at the center of the story – but that quickly proved false. The two actors are among the most prominent names on the program, but Landman Didn't fully leverage its star power. Demi Moore only appears in a few sporadic scenes in the first five episodes, while Jon Hamm is only seen walking around buildings and talking on his cell phone.
It's certainly not the high-octane storytelling audiences have come to expect from Taylor Sheridan, and the show's failure to capitalize on these extremely popular actors is an apparent failure. Especially with Demi Moore's current popularity following The substance releasing on streaming, it is very strange that Landman doesn't seem interested in using this to attract more viewers.
What stories did Landman create for Jon Hamm and Demi Moore
The program appears to be gradually increasing in importance
Hopefully, Landman will bring Moore and Hamm's characters closer to the spotlight in the second half of the season. There are certainly some clues that hint at where their respective narratives are headed, and they could certainly become more relevant soon – the duo play husband and wife Cami and Monty Miller on the show, and their characters are preparing to cross paths of the cartel at some point. As close friends of protagonist Tommy, they will be caught in the crossfire when his antics catch up to him.