Even After 10 Episodes, Landman Never Figured Out A Way To Make Its Controversial Scenes Work

Now that Landman’s season 1 finale is over and done with, it’s safe to say the series never figured out its more divisive material. Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows are some of the most popular available, giving Paramount+ a chance in the streaming wars with plenty of original content. That being said, his work on Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and other projects isn’t known for being consistently critically acclaimed, with his knack for melodrama blending prestige television with soap opera-like qualities. Landman’s family drama subplot featured the most recent examples.

The show began receiving flack from a certain portion of its viewership during its opening episodes, primarily in how the series portrayed Ainsley. Michelle Randolph plays Ainsley in Landman’s cast, and the young star is undoubtedly talented and appealing to audiences, also playing a role in Sheridan’s 1923 series. Still, the show received some backlash for how her character was written, and Landman’s climactic season 1 ending only piled on to this with the depiction of her young boyfriend, Ryder, in a scene where he gives a lap dance to old women at a strip club.

Landman’s Controversial Ainsley Scenes Hurt The Show

Ainsley’s Scenes Don’t Contribute Anything To Landman

Ainsley takes after her mother, Angela, in many ways, including being an overtly sexual character who’s been raised to please her male partner by offering physical appeal. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with women being portrayed as sexual on television, with Fleabag being an outstanding example of a series that approaches the idea from a mature, psychological standpoint. In many ways, the quality of being sexual and the pressure on women to be sexually appealing actually benefits Angela and makes her an interesting character, as she’s beginning to struggle with her self-assurance as she reckons with aging.

it’s no surprise that sexualizing a character who’s meant to be 17, even when it’s meant to be played for laughs, was met with backlash.

The difference, when it pertains to Ainsley, is that the character is mentioned as being a 17-year-old high schooler. Michelle Randolph is 27 in real life, so it’s not that sort of scandal. However, it’s no surprise that sexualizing a character who’s meant to be 17, even when it’s meant to be played for laughs, was met with backlash. The most notable examples include Ainsley telling her father about the sexual rule she and her (then) boyfriend shared or the scene where Nathan has to struggle not to stare at Ainsley when she’s walking around their home in a bikini.

If nothing else, these scenes are cringe-worthy and lowbrow and not up to par with the standard Taylor Sheridan sets with his more engaging ends of the series, like the oil industry drama. Whether the viewer finds these scenes offensive or humorous, there’s no argument for why they need to be part of the series. Seeing a grown man ogling at a child contributes nothing to the art or thematic purpose. If the counterargument is that these scenes provide light-hearted humor, it should be mentioned that Landman is filled with much funnier, more clever moments in its natural dialogue.

Landman’s Finale Doubled Down On The Problem With Ryder

Ryder’s Strip Club Scene Was… Strange

Ryder’s age is never explicitly mentioned, but audiences know he’s a high school football player, adding a layer of absurdity to him giving lap dances at a strip club. Actor Mitchell Slaggert is 30 years old in real life, but when the character he’s playing is meant to be a child, it raises questions about him stripping down and performing an inherently sexual act for adults. Taylor Sheridan isn’t one to back down from what he believes should be in his stories, and Landman’s season 1 ending shows him doubling down on the more divisive material with Ryder.

Tommy and Cami from Landman

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9 Things Landman’s Season 1 Finale Sets Up For Season 2 Of Taylor Sheridan’s Show

Landman’s season 1 finale offered a climactic finish for several narratives while also setting up story elements for season 2 and beyond.

Again, it’s just a strange stain on an otherwise solid and entertaining show. The season 1 finale had an enormous rig explosion, the death of an oil magnate, a torture scene, and Andy Garcia appearing as an exciting new drug lord character. The random strip club scene that doesn’t tie to anything else that’s happening is a glaring outlier that lacks narrative synergy. The show is funny without these scenes; they aren’t needed for humor. Billy Bob Thornton’s dialogue is hilarious and laugh-out-loud-worthy on its own.

Landman Season 2 Needs To Avoid Its Controversial Scenes

Landman Could Be A Great Show Without These Scenes

Ryder (Mitchell Slaggert) talking to Tommy and Ainsley in Landman season 1, episode 8

Landman season 2 hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but it seems likely that it will happen, given Taylor Sheridan’s credibility at Paramount+. The show will see Tommy taking on a greater role at M-Tex, increasing the dramatic stakes as he navigates boardrooms, millions of dollars in oil, and an ambitious new Cartel boss. It’s important that Angela and Ainsley remain prominent forces in the series, as they represent Tommy’s heart and the innocent presence that makes the Permian Basin’s violence and danger worthwhile.

Walter White and Tommy from Landman

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Landman’s season finale fully embraced its action-packed Cartel storyline, and it feels more like Breaking Bad than anything we’ve seen in years.

Still, it’s crucial for Landman season 2 to determine what role these characters play as individuals. They can represent innocence and homeliness to Tommy, but for that to be truly meaningful, they need to be defined characters in and of themselves, like Walt’s family in Breaking Bad or Tony’s family in The Sopranos. The problem with these controversial scenes isn’t even necessarily that they’re offensive, though many will perceive them that way, and that’s fair; it’s that they’re meaningless schlock.

Despite The Problems, Ainsley & Ryder Are Good In Landman & Season 2 Needs More

Ainsley & Ryder Have A Charming, Funny Bond

Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) riding in the car with Ryder (Mitchell Slaggert) in Landman season 1, episode 8

With all of that having been said, Ainsley and Ryder have fantastic moments in Landman. Ryder is a meathead, but he’s a sweet one, and there’s a fun, well-meaning charm to their dynamic that works most of the time. There’s great potential for their relationship, but they’d be even better without being oversexualized teenagers. Again, the importance of portraying the Permian Basin’s youth is to demonstrate how this dangerous world of crime and money affects those who grow up around it, and that’s a vital element to examine and critique.

These characters could be phenomenal in Landman season 2, especially as Ryder grows to earn Tommy’s respect more and more. Unlike Dakota Loving, who’s just a tool, Ryder seems to have genuine affection and attraction to Ainsley. His posing as a stripper on her behalf was a strange way to have him demonstrate that affection, but it shows an aspect of his personality that is more interesting than how he could be perceived on the outside. There’s more to these characters, but Taylor Sheridan needs to break through their outer layers and embrace their potential.