The lovably dysfunctional relationship that fans can’t get enough of.
Landman Season 2 has officially come to an end, but the future looks bright for Tommy Norris and his family. If you haven’t watched the season finale yet, don’t worry, I’m not here to spoil anything, but rather highlight how it appears that Angela and Tommy Norris have seemingly ended the season on the best note possible.
The previously divorced couple chose to rekindle things during Season 1 of Landman. During Season 2, Tommy’s father, T.L., reminded Tommy that when you find a woman who loves you the way Angela does, you work through all the craziness to make it work. The end of this season threw the couple some curveballs regarding their uncertain financial futures, which brought up past trauma. Still, Billy Bob Thornton’s character assured Ali Larter’s that he would not revert to what caused the downfall of their relationship.
And at the end of the episode, we see Tommy Norris show Angela that while they seem like opposites, he sees how Angela views the joys in life, and beautifully ends the episode, noting that although the world is full of scary things like illness, tragedies, and death, he will keep celebrating their daily wins and will work to make her happy.
While Angela and Tommy are far from a conventional loving relationship, it’s apparent that the two care deeply for each other. But that vision only sells because Billy Bob Thornton and Ali Larter’s on-camera chemistry is off the charts.
Ali Larter has previously touched on the chemistry she and Billy Bob Thornton share on screen, noting that a large part of it stems from mutual respect and admiration for each other, as well as for the other actors and the team on set.
“It’s so interesting, you never know where chemistry is going to come from, and I think that you know he commits and spends so much time on the set. He’s incredibly present and giving as an actor. So, when you’re number one on the call sheet, you really set the tone for how it’s going to run on set, and we both work in a similar way that we love what we do.
And we also feel really grateful to be a part of something where the writing is that special, so we do the work… When you have that level of respect, that’s where the chemistry comes from.”
She also expanded on this during a sit-down with Drew Barrymore, saying that it feels like they are exchanging energy while filming. And she shared the surprising information that Billy Bob Thornton does not like to rehearse their scenes, and the two often act as if they were real-life partners.
“He does not have an inauthentic beat, and he’s like, ‘Relationships are so messy. Let’s find all the things between us we can put into this work.’ So he doesn’t rehearse, and so when I show up on set with him, I’m very prepared, and we’re just living. And he has raised my game, and it’s just like every moment you don’t know, as we don’t know in human life if something’s going to make you cry or laugh, or you’re just like you know, blase, blase.
I don’t know, but we just find it, and it’s real. We’re exchanging energy is what it feels like.
But what does Billy Bob Thornton attribute their chemistry to? The question was asked to the Landman star during an appearance on CBS Mornings following the season finale, and Thornton offered a hilarious response:
“It ain’t hard.”
HA. I mean, is Thornton wrong? Ali Larter is a stunning woman, so I’m sure that always helps the chemistry. However, he expanded on his thoughts, sharing that the two instantly clicked and that their off-screen banter is similar to how they act on-screen.
“Every now and again, they’ll throw in a goofball like me in there with a beauty. No, Ali and I had chemistry immediately. I mean, just naturally, and we didn’t know each other before. We met literally two or three days before we started filming the first season. She’s just so fun.
I just kind of let her… We’re kind of like we are in the show in real life. So, she drags me around by the ear.”
I bet these two are a hoot to hang out with.
As I previously mentioned, these two are lovably dysfunctional, and I’m sure we will see more antics, lovers’ quarrels, and moments of reconnection in Season 3 as CTT Oil Exploration & Cattle takes off.
