Billy Bob Thornton deconstructs Landman’s finale and sends a message to fire victims

[This story contains major spoilers from the season finale of Landman, “The Crumbs of Hope.”]

The perilous beginnings are brought back in the film’s finale Landman.

Billy Bob Thornton’s oil company fixer Tommy Norris ended the season similarly — but almost more seriously — than he began it on Sunday, the first season of the hit new Paramount+ series about the Texas oil industry. Yellowstone Chairman Taylor Sheridan and co-creator Christian Wallace.

In The Crumbs of Hope, Tommy gets a promotion when his friend and boss Monty Miller (played by Jon Hamm) lies on his deathbed due to a weak heart. Tommy takes over Monty’s multi-billion dollar company, M-Tex Oil, and soon finds himself having to continue making profits for Monty’s legacy: his wife, Cami Miller (Demi Moore), and their two daughters.

Tommy agrees to abide by Monty’s wishes and fracturing some oil wells to increase production and wealth for the company. Amid all this, there’s also swirling pressure from his family: his fiery teenage daughter Ainsley (played by Michelle Randolph) and her new youthful romance; his high-maintenance but newly reconciled ex-wife Angela (played by Ali Larter); And his stubborn son, Cooper (played by Jacob Lofland), now falls in love with the widowed wife of an M-Tex patcher.

But then Tommy is kidnapped again, hooded, and taken to an unknown location by Jimenez (Alex Meraz) and the cartel he’s been going head-to-head with all season. This kidnapping proves to be more violent, bloody and painful for Tommy, until a surprise character (played by guest actor Andy Garcia) comes to the rescue – but at a price. The season ends with a battered Tommy realizing that his hands remain metaphorically tied, as he strikes a deal with Galeno, the head of the Garcia Cartel, to coexist with the cartel on the board.

Hollywood Reporter I recently caught up with Thornton via Zoom at his home in San Luis Obispo, California, to discuss the film’s ending Landmandoing his own kidnapping stunts and how that final scene sets up his hopes for a potential second season.

But as wildfires continue to rage in Los Angeles County, Thornton has more on his mind than just wanting to discuss his hit show. “I just want to say that my heart goes out to all of these people in Los Angeles who are going through these terrible fires,” Thornton said. THR. “We lost our house in 1993 in the Malibu fires; So, I went through it. This is very devastating. So, we have to wake up every day and realize that the most important thing is life, limbs and family.

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What did you enjoy most while filming? Landman After the show wraps for season one?

At first, I loved being around this cast and crew. They were truly first class. They gave 100 percent every day, and we were all very close. It’s probably one of the most fun casts and crews I’ve been around; Coming to work every day was fun. And to be able to do the scenes that Taylor did [Sheridan, co-creator] He wrote the story he wrote and told, because his dialogue really embodies what these characters are trying to say. This dialogue really told the story and it was a pleasure to say his words. Paramount was very much behind us, really supportive. We had no idea it would become the success it has; Suddenly, we have a monster on our hands. It’s been a great experience working throughout, and telling this story was important to all of us.

In some ways, the ending is the beginning of the series, with the cartel kidnapping Tommy once again. But this time, in a more violent and bloody attack. How did you do in those horrific scenes with the horrific beatings, gasoline being poured everywhere, and rusty nails being driven into Tommy’s thigh?

Yes, that was all me. In fact, these things were thrown at my head, and I was under the bag twice. And it was really interesting because Andy Garcia and I have known each other for years and years, but this was our first time working together. But it was very natural and real for two veterans to be facing each other. I think Andy and I work very well together.

In this type of scene, you just have to put yourself in that place as if this is actually happening. And that night, I felt that way. Plus, I was exhausted. By the time we did the outdoor scene, I could barely stand. So, there’s no acting going on there. I was leaning against the wall between each take. (He laughs)

What do you think of the young cartel leader not considering the potential ramifications of ending Tommy’s life, and taking on the big oil giant and his company?

I think they’re often what they called henchmen in the old movies. They want to impress their boss. And now that I’m dealing with Andy’s character, who is the main guy in this thing, I’m dealing with a much smarter person, which can be a good and a bad thing. More intelligent so you can talk to him intelligently, but at the same time, he is more intelligent, so you can’t tell what kind of tricks he has.

With other players, all they really have is their strength. They come there and want to spoil you! I think the actual attempt to move on and push me away was just an emotion thing once I talked to him again. If you had sat there and taken it, you probably wouldn’t have gotten to this point. But these are guys who are used to the underworld in a real violent world. Once you like spitting in their faces, sometimes the gun comes out. So, I’m not sure they thought about it much, and later found out they were about to make a mistake.

Is Tommy a man of faith, or does he just see himself as a lucky person?

I think Tommy is trying to go through life knowing what pressures he is under from all sides – the oil business; His family, his boss’s death, and now he has to take up the torch. I think Tommy is trying to focus on the job, like he’s putting himself on autopilot. Because if he thought about it too much, because Tommy is an emotional guy, that would probably be where Jon Hamm’s character ended up. I think he knows he has a job to do and I think Tommy is very driven and obsessed with succeeding at what he does. I don’t think he wants to be a failure.

So, does he want to take over M-Tex Oil after Monty (Jon Hamm) dies?

He may not want to, but he knows he has to. I think he owes it to his old friend and boss, because that’s what he wanted. I also think that because he knows this business, he knows he’s the one doing it. He doesn’t want to wear the suit, but he knows he has to. And I don’t technically mean the suit (He laughs) – I don’t think Tommy will ever change his clothes.

In the scene where Tommy’s wife and daughter want to celebrate their victory, but you explain to him that Monty will probably die and that you’ll have to take over to keep the company going, Tommy has a great line where he says “Men die, oil companies don’t. My job’s not going to “Anywhere.” With the high demands placed on him by his family, what might Tommy come up with first – the oil business (dealing with cartels, etc.) or his family?

(He laughs) Well, you know, Tommy loves his family. He loves his son, but he sees himself in his son because Cooper is stubborn like Tommy, and you don’t want to see your kids in danger. And now he comes and says, “By the way, I’m about to put myself in danger.” He doesn’t like it. He loves his son, but every day with him is a nightmare.

His wife, Angela, his ex-wife, and now it looks like they’re getting back together, they’re two completely different people on the surface. But there’s some chemistry they have that never goes away. So they love each other, but it is difficult to live with each other. I mean they couldn’t be more night and day in terms of what they want to do on a daily basis.

And the daughter, Ainsley, I have a 20-year-old daughter who’s in college now. And if I came in and she told me some of these things! So every time Michelle, who plays my daughter, says some of those things she says to me [about her sex life]I say, “Oh my God!” No acting required. you know what i mean?

What did you hear about there being a second season? Also, what symbolism do Tommy and the wolf have for each other at the end of the finale?

Well, the first question about Season 2 is that we don’t officially know that we’ll be getting one. Usually when it shows success, they do it again; So, I can only imagine they will, but I don’t know for sure.

The symbolism of the wolf to me, and I’ve talked to Taylor about this a lot, there was more dialogue in both of the wolf scenes in the original. We talked about it and said, “You know, I think these are basically silent scenes because this is Tommy looking at this coyote.” I think Tommy looks at that wolf and finally says, “Here they come. They’re coming for me.” or “Are they coming for me?” Am I the wolf, am I looking into my eyes? Am I the lone wolf here, running across these plains trying to avoid getting killed? Or is the wolf the cartel? I think it’s a very symbolic moment as Tommy is trying to figure out who is here. I think he’s staring himself, perhaps death, in the eyes.

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The entire season of Landman Now streaming on Paramount+.