Note: The following story contains spoilers from “Landman” Episode 10.

In its first season, Taylor Sheridan’s Landman hit the jackpot.

The show debuted to 14.6 million viewers on Paramount+ and Paramount Network, where it also aired. It was the biggest domestic premiere ever for Paramount+, including the first three days of viewing, and the biggest premiere on the streaming platform in two years. The series has just concluded its first season with a luxurious 80-minute finale in which many storylines come together and build to a crescendo. We don’t have the numbers yet, but it’s safe to say this will be the case large. Like a geyser of black tar gushing from a well in Texas large.

Even “Landman” star Billy Bob Thornton was surprised by the response to the show. “I have to tell you, I have never experienced such a reaction. I’ve been in some iconic films over the years, and that’s what you get from people when you’re in the public eye, but this one has become something of a phenomenon,” Thornton said, sounding genuinely amazed. “I can’t go anywhere. And even people you wouldn’t expect to watch the show love it and quote some of my lines. A lot of my stuff is on TikTok.”

And there will certainly be stuff from the finale that ends up on TikTok. If you haven’t seen the final, high-octane installment of “Landman,” based on Christian Wallace’s nonfiction podcast “Texas Monthly,” we encourage you to come back after watching.

Now let’s move on to “Crumbs of Hope,” which, like the rest of the season, was written by Sheridan himself.

Still there?

OK. In Crumbs of Hope, Thornton’s Tommy Norris takes over the oil business (the fictional M-Tex) from his dying boss Monty Miller (played by Jon Hamm). While it’s not explicitly stated at the end of the episode that Monty is dead, this is strongly implied, with a wordless moment in which his wife Cami (Demi Moore) cries for him in the hospital. By the end of the episode, Tommy is already settled into his new job.

We wondered how early on Thornton knew about Tommy’s storyline, especially since Sheridan is a creator not exactly known for keeping his actors on track.

“When we started filming I had everything and Taylor and I talked about it at length. Taylor is keeping things to himself until it’s time to tell you, but for the first season I suddenly had two scripts and they were brilliant. “We were just talking on the phone about some of the funny lines that we started laughing at on the phone,” Thornton said. “When I had four or five scripts, he said, ‘Oh, wait for the next one.’ And then I would see that since they were doubled. I was surprised to a certain extent, but then I had spoken to him at some length about where it was going.”

Thornton said he wasn’t surprised that his character had such a crazy arc, going from a fixer for the oil company to the man in charge of it. (The season also began and ended with him tied to a chair by some evil cartel guys.) He said the speed and density of storytelling was “his MO.” “That’s really how it works. Essentially he wrote a 10 hour film. You have to fit those first, second and third acts into the structure of a 10-episode thing. And for an actor, I think it serves us better than movies in a lot of ways,” Thornton said. “Of course there have been a lot of brilliant films over the years, but and that means you get to live with these people for a long time and actually watch their lives unfold. There are no shortcuts. I think he did a brilliant job and we were very lucky to be the actors to tell the story for him.”

One of those actors, introduced in the finale’s final moments, is Andy Garcia, who plays Galino, the leader of a rival cartel who saves Tommy’s life. The catch, of course, is that Tommy has to deal with Galino from now on. It’s a fascinating dynamic that will undoubtedly unfold between Tommy, Cami and Galino in the as-yet-unannounced second season. It will be very special to watch these three heavyweights.

“These are people I have known for a long time. I have known Andy for many years. I’ve known Demi since 1989 or 1990 and so on. And there you have the three veterans together in this strange little triangle. I think that’s a very interesting thing,” Thornton teased. “Working with both of them was so organic because we’ve all been at it for so long and have been in some pretty intense situations in films. And so we naturally got into it. If there is a second season (note: Thornton winked at this point), then I think both will be much more integral to the story.”

When Tommy takes control of the company, Thornton was able to write some extremely detailed monologues about fracking, the oil company, its relationship with the cartels, and more. And it just rolls off Thornton’s tongue like he’s been a Texas oilman all these years instead of starring in countless movies and TV shows. (Just a reminder: Thornton was born in Arkansas.)

Thornton consulted with Wallace to make sure he was actually pronouncing the terminology. “Seriously, I’m stupid as hell, but I’ve always had a knack for learning long monologues. I’m actually dyslexic and have OCD and anxiety disorder, all of those things. And in a way, they’re actually a help in that regard,” Thornton said. The actor wasn’t interested in memorizing. “It’s about learning what it means. And once you know what it means, it makes the dialogue flow easier. In other words, I don’t want to just be someone who recites lines; You want to be realistic in the scene. When I talk to you in a scene and say something to you, I have to know what that means so that you believe it and the audience believes it.”

Of course, there is dialogue that Thornton knew would be discussed. It is the scene in which Michelle Randolph appears as his teenage daughter Ainsley. She tells him about the “rule” she has with her stupid boyfriend – that he can finish anywhere on herbut not men her. Thornton’s line immediately afterward – and his absolutely perfect delivery of that line – that he had “a Dr. “Getting Pepper” makes the exchange so special and so fun. Sheridan warned him in advance that the exchange would make Thornton laugh and possibly give him a heart palpitation or two.

“One of the first things Taylor told me was when he sent me the first scripts. He actually said, “There’s a line here and you’re going to think it’s the greatest thing in the world.” He said, “You’re going to laugh your head off and call me if you read this line before you even finish the script I actually got on that line and called and said, “Dr. Pepper, right?” And he said, “Of course I knew.” I knew that would be your favorite thing to do there.’ I mean, what I like best as a reader, what I like least as a father,” Thornton said. “It’s like I’ve just been shot with a stun gun. I can’t react at all. What are you going to say? ‘I’m taking a Dr. Pepper.’”

As for Tommy in a possible second season, Thornton teases both his character’s new responsibilities and his commitment to taking care of business the old-fashioned way.

“I’m sure Tommy is doing this because he knows he owes his old friend and boss, yes. And for a company that he has been running for a long time. I think Tommy is eager to make it a success, but at the same time he’s scared shitless to tackle it right now and he probably doesn’t want to do it,” Thornton said. “He doesn’t want to take on a leadership position. And I felt like if there was a season 2 (another wink) that it would involve a lot of the Landmann, I don’t think the Landmann will disappear in “Tommy.” I think he’ll probably do both jobs.”

All episodes of “Landman” are now available to stream on Paramount+.

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