Landman is one of the most popular series in Paramount Plus history, but the release of season 2 is not going over terribly well with fans. Critics are more or less on board, the show getting a 74% Rotten Tomatoes score for season 2 of Landman compared to a 78% for season 1. Fans? The show has dropped from a 64% to a 38% between seasons. And it seems to be for one main reason.
Audiences are simply sick of what is unequivocally the worst storyline in the series, following the adventures of Tommy’s wife and daughter, Angela and Ainsley. But Landman season 2’s opening was one of the worst uses of their characters to date, and practically all negative reviews mention them. Here’s a sampling:
- “If the daughter and wife’s characters were not included in this show or were remotely relatable- this show would be 5 stars. They ruin great acting and locations.”
- “The show is being destroyed by the insultingly grotesque behavior and dialogue of the wife/mother/ daughter. Are there mindlessly uneducated gold diggers in the world? Yes of course. Usually they display a much higher intelligence than these two obnoxious and lascivious caricatures.”
- “I would rate this series much higher if they would focus on the main premise of the show rather than get distracted by this mother/daughter sideshow that seems to take up way too much screen time.”
- “Sick of the dumb blond crap, usually Taylor is good at making strong female characters, not here. The woman are weak and he makes stupid jokes about menstruation. Do better Taylor!”
I’m not kidding when I say probably 90% of the negative reviews mention the Angela and Ainsley storylines. Why were they so bad in the premiere?
Angela is accused of making bad decisions and being irrational on her period, so she throws a bunch of plates at the wall during dinner and knocks the food off the table. Minutes later, Tommy compliments her boobs, and she forgives him and wants to immediately have sex.
Ainsley has an interview at TCU and spouts some of the dumbest things that have come out of a woman’s mouth in recent TV history, at one point wondering out loud why athletes can’t date cheerleaders, as they should be able to make pretty and smart babies which would help society. Misogyny and…eugenics? What are we doing here?
This is no fault of the actresses, especially what’s being demanded of Michelle Randolph, a 28-year-old meant to play an oversexed 17-year-old; they’re just doing what the awful script demands. But the two’s storylines have always felt like an entirely different series divorced from the harder-edged oil storylines that are wildly different in tone. Does Landman need a lighter component to balance that out? Maybe. But not whatever this is, and fans agree.
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