Taylor Sheridan’s oil drama is composed of explosive moments, and eachLandmancharacter has a scene that could be considered their best segment.Landmanseason 1debuted on Paramount Network alongside the final season ofYellowstone.Like Sheridan’s flagship work,Landman’s castis full of dynamic characters that help drive the story of the neo-Western series, making for a memorable saga.
Landman’s first ten episodesare full of moments just as unpredictable and harrowing as the West Texas oil fields that Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy Norris manages. Still, sometimes it’s just Tommy’s wife and daughter, Angela (Ali Larter) and Ainsley Norris (Michelle Randolph), adding fuel to the fire. WithLandmanseason 2on the horizon,it’s worth revisiting theLandmancast’s best moments, sinceLandmanseason 1 could be setting up a show that lasts as long, or longer, thanYellowstone.
8Tommy Norris Explains The Oil Industry To Rebecca
Landman season 1, episode 3, “Hell Has a Front Yard”
Tommy explains the oil industry to Rebecca Falcone (Kayla Wallace) inLandmanepisode 3, and it’s the M-TEX fixer’s best moment. Norris’ monologue encapsulates much of the messaging ofLandman,with Tommy sending a foreboding message that the world is reliant on oil, whether it’s ethical or not. Therefore,Tommy’s conversation with Rebecca is Sheridan’s mouthpiecefor the show’s core ethos.
As they go out to visit the crash site,Tommy tells Rebecca that the world relies on petroleum productsafter Rebecca spots a wind turbine. She asks if the clean energy industry threatens the oil business and questions Tommy sardonically about how wind energy could put a strain on the environment. The conversation leads to the base of a wind turbine, which Norris explains the complications of.
7Angela Norris Hosts A Paella Dinner
Landman season 1, episode 9, “WolfCamp”
While not her brightest moment,Angela Norris’ most memorable scene is when she hosts a paella dinnerinLandmanepisode 9. Angela tells her dinner guests that the dish is a traditional Spanish meal. When Angela instructs the guests to share a plate, almost everyone is on board, except for Tommy. Angela’s ex-husband refuses to stand so that he can eat the dish in the traditional manner she suggested.
Saying that it looks the same and uses the same ingredients,Angela’s dinner guests mistake her main course for jambalaya. Angela memorably antagonizes her guests for their misconceptions, squeezingDale’s (James Jordan)hand when Ryder (Mitchell Slaggert) calls it jambalaya. The moment is comical, but also shows Angela’s duality, coming around to Tommy saying that he had a long day.
6Cooper Norris Relives Ariana’s Memories With Her
Landman season 1, episode 10, “The Crumbs of Hope”
As one of the more morally sound characters inLandman,Jacob Lofland’sCooper Norris has his fair share of good moments. However, Cooper’s highlight is when he shows Ariana the depth of his compassion inLandman’s finale, offering to walk through her old photos and memories so that she can properly grieve her life with Elvio (Alejandro Akara). The gesture allows Ariana to come to terms with her loss without having to push Cooper away.
It’s memorable how understanding Cooper is. Aligning with his character,Cooper chooses to be empathetic about Ariana’s situation, rather than feeling hurt or jealous, which adds to his good qualities and reinforces his reputation for always doing the right thing. While Cooper has a plethora of endearing moments, this one with Ariana struck the right emotional chord and proved their connection could last.
5Ainsley Norris Explains Her Sex Rule To Tommy
Landman season 1, episode 1, “Landman”
Ainsley is a high school student and a bit self-absorbed inLandmanseason 1. That said, we see character growth from Ainsley in the first season, as she navigates her journey of finding the right romantic partner, breaking up with Dakota Loving (Drake Roger), and eventually falling in love with Ryder. That said,Ainsley’s most memorable moment comes inLandman’s pilotas her journey begins.
While controversial, the scene is doubtlessly Ainsley’s most memorable.
Tommy takes Ainsley to a football game inLandman’s pilot, hoping to prove what a tool her boyfriend is. While at the game, Tommy asks his daughter about her romance, andAinsley opens up about the rule that she and Dakota keep to practice safe sex, saying,“As long as he never comes in me, he can come anywhere on me.”While controversial, the scene is doubtlessly Ainsley’s most memorable.
4Rebecca Falcone Crushes The Opposing Counsel In Tommy’s Deposition
Landman season 1, episode 4, “The Sting of Second Chances”
Rebecca Falcone’s best scene is Tommy’s deposition,convincing opposing counsel to accept their settlement offer inLandmanepisode 4. While the meeting begins as a standard deposition, it quickly escalates as Rebecca calls out her opponents for objecting to Tommy’s statements. When the other lawyers ask Rebecca to pause the recording, that’s when she heats up.
Her opponents tell Falcone they were“playing the pissed-off litigator while [she was] still being bathed by [her] daddy.”The sentiment prompts Rebecca to unleash a series of legal threats against the lawyers. As Falcone’s delivery intensifies, telling the attorneys that she will hang their law degrees above her toilet,the opposing counsel calls“uncle,”with Rebecca convincing them to accept M-TEX’s settlement offer outright.
3Monty Miller Convinces The Governor To Run Drills In M-TEX’s Oil Fields
Landman season 1, episode 8, “Clumsy, This Life”
Monty Miller’s (Jon Hamm) bestLandmanscene is when he meets with Texas’ governor (Maxwell Caulfield) and convinces the leader to have the National Guard run drills on M-TEX’s oil fields.Miller requests military intervention on Tommy’s behalf, as Jimenez (Alex Meraz) continues to appear at the oil patch and make threats. Tommy wants to scare the cartel away, and Monty proves that he has Norris' back.
In Monty’s scene with the governor, we see all parts of his character. We watch as Miller enters the dining room where he meets with the lawmaker, composing himself as he prepares to make another deal.We see Miller’s finesse in the negotiations, building an ironclad case for why it benefits all parties for the governor to send the National Guard out to the oil patch to practice drills rather than commute to the nearest military base.
2Cami Miller Steps Up To Run M-TEX
Cami Miller (Demi Moore) shines afterMonty’s death inLandman’s finale, stepping up to run M-TEX Oil. While Tommy became the president after Monty was declared incapacitated, Norris makes it clear thatCami is the one calling the shots, since the future wealth of M-TEX is her family’s security. That said, Cami must make a significant decision immediately upon assuming a larger responsibility in the company.
Tommy and Monty were in the middle of a farmout deal, in which they planned to take a risk that could yield huge payouts, potentially earning billions. Tommy warns Cami of the farmout’s risks, urging her to sell assets instead of threatening them, butMiller boldly follows through with her husband’s deal. The moment shows Cami’s resilience and sets upDemi Moore’s leading role as Cami Miller inLandmanseason 2.
1Ariana Explains Her Relationship With Cooper To Tommy
There can be no doubt that Ariana’s (Paulina Chávez) bestLandmanscene is whenMedina explains her and Cooper’s relationship to Norris seniorwhen Tommy stops over to check in with the couple inLandmanepisode 8. Ariana is gracious with her explanation after she serves Tommy dinner. She tells the landman that while things are“clumsy,”they are figuring it out, and she wants to see where it goes.
Landmanseason 2 premieres in November 2025.
When Norris sarcastically questions how it’s going, Ariana’s tone shifts. Medina passionately explains herself to Tommy again, and in doing so, reveals her perspective to the entireLandmanaudience, helping to justify why the romance happened so quickly. The moment was a turning point for Ariana and Cooper’s relationship, setting up their story forLandmanseason 2.
