“Landman” Season 2 Premiere Recap – Find Out Who Died
on Nov 16, 2025
Season 2, Episode 1 – “Death and A Sunset”
Season 2 of Taylor Sheridan’s hit show Landman premiered on Sunday, November 16. After a highly-successful Season One, the Billy Bob Thornton-led show finally returned to Paramount+.
When Season 2 was teased for months, leading fans to come up with their own conspiracy theories. Luckily, the season will answer so many questions we had!
Legendary actor Sam Elliott was cast for Season 2 in a role that fans were not sure of until the trailer dropped. The trailer implied that Elliott would be portraying Thornton’s father, but it was still unconfirmed.
After watching Season 2, Episode 1 titled “Death and a Sunset,” we found out his role and we also broke the entire episode down for you. Warning: Landman spoilers are ahead!
Find out what is going on with each character below.
Tommy Norris
The episode began with Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) going on a rant about the marketing of breakfast cereals to a waitress. He asks her to find a busboy to buy him more cigarettes since the three he has left won’t get him through the stressful day he is about to have.
The day includes a luncheon with all the wealthiest people in Texas who have money in TMex Oil. He arranged it so Cami (Demi Moore), Monty’s widow, could address them and assure them that Monty’s death will not derail the company’s mission and ability to make money.
Before Cami took the stage, Nathan, the oil company attorney and administrator, sits Tommy down to discuss Monty’s death and how it will affect M-Tex Oil seeing as now Monty’s wife, Cami, is now the sole owner. Tommy assures him nothing will change, since he will still be running the company.
It went over extremely well, thanks to some 20-something girls giving Cami motivation in the bathroom.
He flies home to Midland with his wife and daughter (more on them later) to a celebratory family dinner that goes awry after Tommy points out that Angela is hormonal and making decisions while on her period is not a good idea.
Cooper and Ariana
Cooper Norris, Tommy’s son, and his girlfriend Ariana seem to be living happily together after falling in love in Season One.
Cooper returned to the oil fields, where he is helping drill more wells on the land that Ariana and Cooper own from her settlement. After a huge success, Cooper rushes back to Ariana’s house to tell her the good news.
He brings her back to explain to her that they they will make $29,000 per day, or $10 million per year. And this is just from the one spot, they still have more space to drill.
Cooper calls Tommy to tell him the news but wants it to be in person, so Tommy invites Cooper to dinner with the entire family, which Cooper reluctantly agrees to due to his strained relationship with his sister and his mom.
Angela and Ainsley
In Fort Worth, Angela Norris (Ali Larter) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) are touring Texas Christian University after she decided not to attend Texas Tech based on their policy of cheerleaders not being able to date football players. Despite her train wreck of an interview, she was accepted based on her status of being a priority walk on to the cheer team.
Angela and Ainsley met Tommy at the private plane to fly back to Midland. On the flight, Ainsley tells Tommy she wants to buy a house in Fort Worth to be closer to Ainsley during her college years. Tommy asks her not to bankrupt him again like she did when they were previously married.
When they return to Midland, they attend the family dinner, where Tommy narrowly escapes Angela’s nuclear meltdown of throwing dinner plates.
In the middle of making up, Tommy got a call that his mother passed away, confirming that Dorothy is his mom and Sam Elliott’s character is his father.
Sam Elliott Makes Landman Debut
About 34 minutes into the first episode of Season Two, Sam Elliot makes his first appearance sitting in a wheelchair outside his assisted facility and looking at the sunset. He gets into it with an assisted living employee, who wants him to come in for dinner, but he wants to wait for the sun to set.
“See ya tomorrow,” he tells the sun as it finally sets.
He is told by another employee that Dorothy had passed away at a memory care facility in Amarillo, Texas. Through tears, he says, “I recommend you find a way to die quick. This dying a little bit every day [is horrible].”
Elliott finally walked back inside for dinner.
The episode ended with the revelation that Tommy is Elliott’s character’s son. Season 2 seems like it will be as action-packed as Season 1 with as many twists and turns.
Watch the Episode 2 teaser below.
