Landman star Ali Larter opens up about what she thinks the critically acclaimed show is really about

Landman might seem like another oil-field drama, but Ali Larter claims that there is more to it. Although the series contains its fair share of hard-boiled characters and deserted areas of Texas, it is all about family, love, and messy relationships. Larter, who portrays the erratic Angela Norris, says the emotional side of the story unfolds over time.

It becomes apparent as the show progresses that Landman is not about the oil business but about the people at the center of this business, and once you realize that, it's even bizarre and melodramatic events begin to make sense.

The heart of Landman

The difference between Landman and other shows by Taylor Sheridan is the family at the center of it. Ali Larter has made it clear that the show is not just about oil, crime, or power struggles. Those are important, but it is the family that is of genuine interest, their love, conflicts, and how they gradually rekindle their interest towards one another.

In an interview with Variety, Ali Larter said,

“Nobody knew when they saw the first two episodes that our show was really about the family. So, you see this beautiful arc in the first season. [Sheridan] knows what he's doing and has a vision and an idea for seasons of this show. I think that when you only see one or two episodes, it's really hard to understand the kind of work that we put in for the entire season."

Angela and Tommy Norris, played by Larter and Billy Bob Thornton respectively, go through the series divorced and out of sync. They are not an ideal couple, yet they grow to love each other, and their developing relationship turns out to be the heart of the show. Larter is of the opinion that as soon as the viewers get to watch that all the larger drama is merely a backdrop to individual transformation, then Landman really comes to life. As with any Sheridan story, the tension and lack of resolution of conflicts are what make the characters real.

Ali Larter on playing a woman who refuses to be tamed

Landman has sparked much discussion over the internet due to the manner in which it depicts its characters, and more so, the women, such as Angela and her daughter Ainsley. Angela is too loud or chaotic to some viewers, but Ali Larter believes it was not a stereotype: it was something intended. She feels that the show gives space to the fearless women who do not strive to become their own size to suit the occasion.

Larter claims Angela to be interesting as she is a lot of things simultaneously, including emotional, sexy, funny, vulnerable, and confident. Such a blend may seem confusing, but it provides more depth and makes the show seem more human.

As Landman depicts family conflict on big and dramatic scales, it equally creates room to heal. The intense viewer feedback, criticisms, as well as praises, is precisely what Larter claims Taylor Sheridan desires: a TV series that leaves an impression and does not recede into the background.

Identity, love, and self-discovery

Landman is a topic of widespread discussion among people, especially Angela’s character, as it ventures into areas that few other programs dare tread. Larter has said that playing this character has led her to think a lot about notions of identity, aging, sexuality, and self-worth, and all of that while still being fun to watch.

There is also more to it than family politics and oil company troubles, as freedom and identity are core themes as well. The confidence, humor, fashion, and outspokenness that make up so much of Angela are what many people feel constrained by. According to Larter, fans express a desire to be like the confident and sometimes flawed nature of Angela, even when life is getting out of hand. The key to Landman is that it has so many honest, flawed, and unpredictable characters.

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