Landman Continues An Ugly Trend From Yellowstone (But It's Not The Show's Fault)

"Yellowstone" had its share of unpopular characters, but Kelsey Asbille's Monica Dutton seemed to spark a particularly insidious sort of backlash. Season 1 of the show broke Monica, but that was nothing compared to what viewers had in store. Audiences just couldn't abide Monica's insistence on keeping her son safe from the unrelenting drama of the Dutton family, and took issue with her standing up to Luke Grimes' Kayce Dutton. That might have something to do with why the newly-launched "Marshals" killed off this controversial character in the worst way possible, giving Monica an off-screen death that completely undermined her importance to "Yellowstone." 

Now, many viewers of Taylor Sheridan's "Landman" seem to have decided that Paulina Chávez's Ariana Medina is the show's Monica. Reddit threads are full of fans bemoaning the character's indecision and what they see as a "boring" subplot involving her and Jacob Lofland's Cooper Norris. That's a shame for multiple reasons, not least because it carries on a trend from "Yellowstone" that has nothing to do with the show itself and everything to do with fans who seem a little too eager to pile onto a female character with the gall to question the central family of the series.

In reality, like Monica, Ariana is part of what gives "Landman" its heart. The show simply wouldn't be as good as it is without remaining grounded at its center. It might not always be easy to see that center when much of the show is made up of strip teases for the elderly and scantily-clad female stars, but it's there and Ariana is one of its most important facets. According to fans online, however, she's "unbearable to watch."

Take a look at any of the multiple Reddit threads attacking Ariana Medina on "Landman" and you'll see an assortment of complaints that should be familiar to any "Yellowstone" fan. During the neo-Western's five-season run, Kelsey Asbille's Monica Dutton came under fire for essentially being the only character with any sense. She took hers and Kayce Dutton's son, Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill) in order to try to protect him from the Duttons' never-ending odyssey of violence and conflict. What happened when she finally relented? Tate was kidnapped. Fans weren't upset with the Duttons, though. Instead, they simply couldn't forgive Monica who came to be seen as some sort of boring scold that stood between "Yellowstone" and its ambitions of becoming an all-out soap opera. The coup de grâce came when Monica was given an off-screen death prior to "Marshals," thereby continuing the "Yellowstone" franchise's most depressing and repetitive trend. 

Now, yet another depressing trend continues, but this one has nothing to do with the writing. Viewers have turned on Paulina Chávez's Ariana Medina, complaining about her moving on from her deceased husband too quickly and her indecisiveness over keeping Cooper Norris around in season 2. One user who evidently "dread[s] every scene Ariana is in" sums up the general tenor of the backlash, while another even complained that she was too "melodramatic," which is a strange thing to be upset about in a Taylor Sheridan show. The hate is surprisingly strong the more you read it, and it's a shame because Ariana is a grounding force within a series that could very easily become as ridiculous as these fans seemingly want it to be.

"Landman" might not be the most accurate show, but it might be the best of all Taylor Sheridan shows for representing the perfect distillation of the Sheridan formula. The oil drama demonstrates its creator's knack for blending absurd, soapy melodrama with hard-hitting, naturalistic drama. I defy any father or son to not shed a tear while watching the scene in which Cooper Norris forgives his father for being distant in the early years. "I love you dad, you did your best," says Cooper, "and your best is good enough for me," prompting Billy Bob Thornton's typically unflappable oil man to choke up. 

It's a striking moment of entirely believable and affecting father-son reconciliation that immediately dissolves any criticism of the Sheridan-verse as tawdry or trivial. Yet, for some reason, a significant portion of the fandom seem determined to rid "Landman" of this very aspect. 

Ariana and her indecision around her relationship with Cooper also reads as entirely believable for a recently-bereaved young mother who explains how her love for her deceased husband was built upon dependence whereas her affection for Cooper is deeper and she can't help herself. Her inability to fully commit is a great source of tension for the show, as we hope that Cooper Norris can find stability with a conflicted woman for whom he clearly cares. That's the kind of thing this show needs. Without this stuff it's just Ali Larter trying to fellate Thornton on road trips and care home residents watching high schoolers strip off. With Monica's death, the "Yellowstone" franchise has already proved it has no problem continuing regrettable trends. Why would the fans want to do the same?