Landman Season 2: Ariana's Assault Echoes Yellowstone's Brutality

Warning: SPOILERS For Landman Season 2, Episode 9 - "Plans, Tears and Sirens"Taylor Sheridan just can't help himself from bringing Yellowstone-style violence into Landman. Although Landman has had literal explosive moments and character deaths, Sheridan's West Texas-based oil opus is also a family drama with oddball comedic moments that differentiates different from Yellowstone.

Landman season 2 saw Cooper Norris (Jacob Lofland) propose to Ariana Medina (Paulina Chavez). Their unlikely love story has been a reliable romantic thread throughout Landman thus far. Ariana's story was improved by taking a bartending job at The Patch Cafe, where she slings beers and fights off unwelcome advances from the bar's patrons.

Landman season 2, episode 9 ends with Ariana sexually assaulted in the alley behind The Patch Cafe. Ariana's attacker, Johnny (Mike Harkins), wanted revenge from when she threw a drink in his face after he sexually harassed her earlier in Landman season 2. It was a shocking and disturbing scene that felt more like Taylor Sheridan bringing the worst of Yellowstone into Landman.

Ariana’s Sexual Assault Echoes The Worst Yellowstone Violence

Ariana's brutal sexual assault in Landman season 2, episode 9, was hard to sit through and felt out of place in the oil drama. Granted, there have been explosive car accidents, fights, murders, and Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) was kidnapped and tortured in Landman season 1's finale.

However, Ariana getting attacked and nearly raped is a new low for Landman. It feels more egregious because Landman season 2 has continued Taylor Sheridan's difficulty in finding substantive storylines for Landman's female characters, like Angela Russo (Ali Larter) and Ainsley Norris (Michelel Randolph).

Ariana had only begun to claim her agency and move forward from the grieving widow she was throughout Landman season 1. Ariana getting a job was a positive step forward, but it's now clear that it was just a setup for her being victimized and needing rescue from Cooper.

Landman's sexual assault of Ariana harkens to the brutal ultraviolence Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) endured in Yellowstone. Both Dutton women suffered bloody beatings and worse. Landman's overall different tone from Yellowstone has been welcome, which makes the infusion of Yellowstone-style sadism even more jarring.

Cooper Norris Is Always Involved In Landman’s Yellowstone-Style Violence

Besides following in his footsteps as a landman, Cooper Norris shares another unforunate distinction with his father, Tommy: Getting involved in Landman's most violent beatdowns. Cooper was Ariana's knight in shining armor in Landman season 2, episode 9, beating Johnny to a bloody pulp.

Cooper aimed to kill Johnny for attacking Ariana, but thankfully, Landman stopped short of pursuing a storyline that makes Cooper a murderer. Cooper saving Ariana in Landman season 2 puts him on the opposite side of a bloody beatdown compared to season 1.

Relatives and crew mates of Ariana's late husband, Elvio (Alejandro Akara), ganged up on Cooper and hospitalized him in Landman season 1. At least this time, Cooper doled out the Yellowstone-style 'justice' in Landman season 2, but maybe Taylor Sheridan should ease up on bringing ultraviolence to Midland, Texas.