Is Sam Elliott’s Character Next to Exit Landman?

In the unfolding drama of Paramount+’s hit series Landman, viewers are growing increasingly concerned about the fate of T.L., played by veteran actor Sam Elliott. As the second season approaches its finale, scheduled for January 18 and ominously titled “Tragedy and Flies,” fans are speculating whether creator Taylor Sheridan is preparing to bid farewell to another main character.

The sophomore season, which premiered in November 2025, brought T.L. into the spotlight as the father of Tommy, portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton. Previously residing in an assisted living facility while managing various health issues, T.L.’s storyline evolved when he moved into Tommy’s home. Throughout the season, audiences have witnessed T.L.’s physical struggles, including his occasional need for a wheelchair due to knee and hip problems. The show hasn’t shied away from mortality themes, with T.L. frequently contemplating his own finite existence. In one particularly tense episode, Tommy even mistakenly believed his father had passed away during a nap. This narrative groundwork, combined with Sheridan’s established willingness to eliminate significant characters – as demonstrated by Jon Hamm’s Monty, who was introduced and killed within the first season – has viewers on edge about T.L.’s prospects.

Despite these concerning signals, Elliott himself has mentioned in interviews with ExtraTV that he was contracted for two years on Landman. This revelation offers both reassurance and ambiguity – it could indicate that T.L. survives the upcoming finale, or it might suggest that Elliott will continue to appear in flashbacks should his character meet an unfortunate end. The 81-year-old actor, who previously collaborated with Sheridan on 1883, has expressed appreciation for the depth of his current role. Speaking to Variety in November, Elliott explained his approach to the emotional aspects of playing T.L.: “When you have that kind of material, you don’t look at a piece of material and say, ‘I’d really love to cry here,’ or, ‘Really love to make the audience cry.’ It just has to come naturally.” He credited Sheridan’s writing for enabling authentic emotional expression, revealing that he “spent a good part of [his] time in tears this entire season.”

The connection Elliott feels to his character runs deeper than just the role itself. The actor has drawn parallels between T.L.’s experiences and his own life journey, particularly regarding their shared appreciation for nature and rural landscapes. “I’ve spent a good portion of my life growing up in the outdoors, and there’s something about Taylor’s material that I feel like it hinges on that in some respect. That really speaks deeply to me,” Elliott shared. This resonance extends to his personal lifestyle choices – he and his wife, Katharine Ross, have lived on the western edge of Malibu for five decades, a decision that deliberately distanced him from the heart of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. “It’s a choice I’ve made. It’s probably not the smartest choice in terms of pursuing a career in the movie business,” he reflected, suggesting that, like T.L., he values authenticity and connection to the land over conventional success.

Perhaps most poignantly, Elliott acknowledged the emotional weight of portraying an elderly man confronting his mortality. “There’s something about this guy sitting in a wheelchair at 81 or 82 years old, however old he is, watching the sun go down. I mean, I don’t know how much more to say about it than that. There’s a reason for that,” he explained. The character’s appreciation for the harsh yet beautiful Texas landscape, which T.L. describes as hating “us all day, and then it gives us this sunset,” resonates deeply with Elliott’s own sensibilities. These elements, he confessed, “speak very, very strongly to me,” suggesting that regardless of T.L.’s ultimate fate, the role has allowed Elliott to explore meaningful existential themes that mirror his personal reflections at this stage of his career.

As viewers eagerly await the season finale, Landman continues to stream new episodes every Sunday on Paramount+. Whether T.L.’s story concludes in the upcoming finale or continues into future seasons, Elliott’s nuanced performance has already cemented the character as a memorable part of Sheridan’s expanding television universe. The tension between life’s fragility and the enduring beauty of the natural world – themes that have defined much of Sheridan’s work – finds powerful expression in T.L.’s journey, making his potential departure all the more significant for the series’ emotional landscape.