Landman Season 3 Replaces 2 Major Characters

Published Sep 15, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT

Ben Sherlock is a Tomatometer-approved film and TV critic who runs the massively underrated YouTube channel I Got Touched at the Cinema. Before working at Screen Rant, Ben wrote for Game Rant, Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. He's also an indie filmmaker, a standup comedian, and an alumnus of the School of Rock.

Production on Landman season 3 got delayed by a couple of months, throwing the show’s old-school yearly release off-schedule, but that won’t be the only major change next season. Landman’s season 2 finale teased a massive change to the status quo. After getting squeezed out of his old job, Tommy decided to cut his own puppet-strings and go out independently. He’s starting his own family-run company, so he’s no longer under the thumb of some larger corporation.

At the end of Landman’s second season, Tommy filled out his board of directors with his friends and family. He made Cooper the president, Nate the treasurer, and Rebecca the chief legal counsel, and rounded out the rest of his staff with Ariana, Dale, and Boss and his crew, and he’s even bringing his father out of retirement. While the first two seasons had the cast scattered all over Texas, Landman season 3 will have all the characters working together in the same office, so it could feel more like a workplace show. As an independent, family-owned business, CTT Oil Exploration and Cattle will essentially be the Bob’s Burgers of the Texas oil fields.

The scene where Tommy gathers his loved ones and gives them all jobs didn’t just set up the switch to a workplace format; it subtly introduced replacements for two main characters. Nate and Ainsley will (hopefully) still be around in season 3, but two other characters will be taking their place in the story.

Cooper Is Replacing Nate As Tommy's Right-Hand Man

In the first two seasons, Nate was Tommy’s right-hand man. He’s his business partner, and he’s in charge of the money, but it goes beyond that. Tommy trusts Nate, and knows he can confide in him. But in season 3, it’s looking like he’ll have a new right-hand man. Nate is staying on as the treasurer at Tommy’s new venture, but Cooper is being set up as his new confidant and business partner.

Tommy has made Cooper the president of this new company, so all the decisions will come back to him. It could be a great way to bring this father and son closer together, and reintroduce Cooper to the family he’s been deliberately avoiding, but it’ll also drastically change the business-partner dynamic. Tommy and Nate are both equals, with a mutual respect, but Tommy has an inherent authority over Cooper, and a biological imperative to look out for him and do what’s best for him, which could get in the way of their business decisions.

It’ll be interesting to see how this changes Tommy and Cooper’s relationship. In season 1, Cooper worked for Tommy’s company, but they didn’t have any direct interaction. In season 3, they’ll be working together, and if they disagree, then Tommy can’t just put his foot down; they’ll have to arrive at a compromise.

Ariana Is Taking Ainsley's Place As She Goes Off To College

Not only is Cooper replacing Nate as Tommy’s right-hand man; his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Ariana, seems to be taking Ainsley’s role. Toward the end of Landman season 2, Ainsley was off enjoying her own side quest at summer cheerleading camp, and that storyline seemed to be a tease of things to come when she goes off to college — she’ll be off in a different world, like Denise Huxtable. When Ainsley leaves for college, she’ll leave a massive emotional void in Tommy’s life, and I suspect Ariana will fill it.

She’s not literally replacing Ainsley as Tommy’s daughter, but she might be taking Ainsley’s role as the directionless young woman who comes to Tommy for advice and mentorship, especially now that she’s working for him. When Landman comes back for season 3, it’ll be a very different show, but hopefully an equally great one.

Landman

7/10