Warning: This post contains spoilers for Landman season 2, episode 4.
NEED TO KNOW
Sam Elliott made his Landman debut in the season 2 premiere as the father of Billy Bob Thornton’s character. Now, viewers are learning more about their complicated dynamic.
In the Dec. 7 episode of Taylor Sheridan’s hit series, the reality of Tommy’s (Thornton) painful childhood came to light when he revealed that his mother — who was an addict and died in the season 2 premiere — broke his nose when he was 14 after he saved her life, which prompted him to leave home and never return.
T.L. (Elliott), meanwhile, would take jobs that kept him away from home for months at a time as a means of avoiding his wife, which explains the tension between the father and son.
“This character I’m playing is a fractured man,” Elliott, 81, tells PEOPLE. “It’s gone on for him for years, since his wife turned inward, and he waited forever for her to come out of it, and she never really did. But consequently, [Tommy] paid for it, while [T.L.] checked out.”
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
“So we’re going to spend much of this season seeing T.L. early on — but then it becomes both of us, I think — healing that relationship that’s falling apart,” he says.
He teases that it’s an “emotional ride, for sure” as the father and son work to mend a decades-long rift, but it’s “a lot of fun” too.
“It’s been a real gift for me,” Elliott says of joining the series, his first role since his other Sheridan project, 1883 in 2021. “That’s my favorite word in relation to all of this stuff — whether it’s this show or anything else that Taylor does, basically.”
“But having an opportunity to work with Billy again — we’ve only worked, briefly, a couple of times, and this time, we’re in deep, and it’s just a treat to go to work and be with him,” Elliott continues. “I’ve loved him afar for a long time, and now I get to love him up close. It’s special.”
Still, Elliott admits that it was “a little overwhelming” walking onto the Texas set earlier this year, following the massive success of season 1.
“Even after 56 years, or whatever it’s been … I mean, coming in and joining [Thornton] on an established show, we have a history, so that made it a lot easier. Had I not known Billy before this, it would’ve really been daunting,” he says. “But I consider him a close friend.”
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Landman set is a special one, Thornton says, echoing Elliott’s comments.
“This is one of those where you don’t have days when you don’t want to go to work. We love to go to work on this show, and we love all the cast, it’s an amazing crew — best crew I’ve ever worked with,” Thornton tells PEOPLE. “And we have the great words from Taylor, the great story from Taylor, and I mean, honestly, I feel blessed every day because of this show. I mean, there’s never a day when I’m like, ‘Wow, I wish I could get the hell out of here.’ It never happens. It’s a wonderful place to be.”
New episodes of Landman premiere Sundays on Paramount+
