Stephen King, the master of horror, the creator of worlds twisted and dark, just made a confession that no one saw coming: he’s into the Paramount + series “Landman.” And, in typical King fashion, he’s not quite sure how to feel about it. The author took to Instagram's Threads platform on Jan. 23 to share his thoughts on the show, offering his usual candidness wrapped in a layer of self-deprecation.
"LANDMAN: I sorta hate myself for liking this," King wrote, "the spine is all macho-macho man and like 'The Mayor of Kingstown' and 'Yellowstone,' the main character is a fixer who takes no s***. We'd all like to be that guy. But Taylor Sheridan knows how to show ordinary men at work, and you gotta like that. Also, great country music needle drops."
For a guy who usually crafts tales of supernatural terror, King’s admission felt like a cool breeze on a hot day — a strange mix of vulnerability and admiration. The post has since been viewed over 390,000 times, with fans chiming in with relief, gratitude, and, of course, their own guilty pleasure confessions.
“I watch for Billy Bob and the music. Tanner Usrey, Shane Smith and the Saints, Treaty Oak Revival… great bands and awesome they are getting more recognition,” one person said. Another added, “I am from Oklahoma and started my career in oil & gas. The personalities ring true (and Billy Bob - I will watch that very talented man in anything), but they have yet to introduce a character that is actually a landman. Billy Bob’s son comes closest, but he is doing it independently. I sorta hate myself for liking it too.”
And honestly, who can blame King? “Landman” — created by Sheridan, the same mind behind “Yellowstone,” “1923,” and “Lioness” — isn't exactly a show that you'd expect to draw in a literary icon like King. Based on the documentary podcast "Boomtown," created by Christian Wallace, it’s a gritty exploration of the West Texas oil boom, a world of “roughnecks and wildcat billionaires,” and a story so big, it’s reshaping the climate, economy, and geopolitics. With characters battling greed, power, and survival, it’s like a living, breathing landscape of oil-soaked ambition.
Billy Bob Thornton takes the lead as Tommy Norris, an oil executive navigating a crisis, while Demi Moore, Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, and Jon Hamm — who plays the now-dead Monty Miller — round out the ensemble. It’s a show about people on the edge, caught up in a boom that has a ripple effect far beyond the drilling rigs. And yes, like King pointed out, there’s a certain "macho" flavor to it all, the kind of protagonist you'd want to be if you were looking for the ultimate fixer — someone who gets things done, no matter the cost.
But here’s the kicker: the show has heart. The ordinary men working in the oilfields, struggling with their families, their moral compasses, and the fast-paced chaos around them — that’s the thread that keeps pulling you in. Maybe that’s what drew King in, too, despite the show's bravado. Because underneath it all, there’s an undeniable truth that Sheridan knows how to craft relatable, real people, no matter how rough they might be.
And just like that, “Landman” became one of King’s guilty pleasures. But what about Season 2? With the finale of the first season having aired on January 11, the question on everyone’s mind is whether the show will continue. Hamm, despite his character’s demise, has voiced his hopes for more. “I’m hoping. Stay tuned,” he teased during CNN’s New Year’s Eve special.
Randolph, one of the show’s breakout stars, is equally hopeful. “There’s so much more of the story to tell,” she told Newsweek. “If we get to do a Season 2, I know that for a fact everyone would be overjoyed to do that.” And the stakes? “The stakes just get higher and higher,” she said, hinting at a deeper dive into the emotional heart of the show’s characters and their intricate family dynamics.
Even Moore has spoken about the potential for a second season, though with no official confirmation yet, fans are left waiting with bated breath for what’s to come. In the meantime, they’ll be rewatching the first season, clinging to every moment — macho or not — that keeps “Landman” so addictive.
King might still be wrestling with his own feelings about the show, but one thing is clear: “Landman” is a cultural force, a story that’s bigger than any oil boom. It’s about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances — and maybe, just maybe, it’s a guilty pleasure we all need a little more of.
