The first season of the Paramount+ series Landman has turned out to be a very surprising hit. Not merely because of the incredible acting by Billy Bob Thornton as the landman Tommy Norton, or by Jon Hamm as Monty Miller the oil company CEO, but also surprisingly because it has been giving the audience economic lessons, told in an entertaining manner, on the importance of the petroleum industry.
The final episode of the season, although quite thrilling in its development (no spoilers here) was equally as impressive for what it revealed about the oil business starting with the opener of the episode with this voiceover narrative by the late radio host Paul Harvey. Later when the oil company lawyer Rebecca Falcone expresses moral qualms about fracking, Tommy Norton gives her a lesson on why it is necessary:
I love how “Landman” is just Billy Bob Thornton…
