Landman star Michelle Randolph defends the controversial Ainsley storyline in the Taylor Sheridan-created Paramount+ drama.

Randolph’s character, Ainsley Norris, is introduced in the premiere episode of Landman, which is based on the podcast by co-creator Christian Wallace.

She’s in a relationship with Dakota Loving (Drake Rodger), a young man that her father Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) doesn’t approve of. But early on, Randolph’s scenes drew a lot of attention online because of how Ainsley was depicted despite being only 17 years old.

In an interview with Screen Rant‘s Grant Hermanns to discuss Landman, which streams Sundays on Paramount+, Randolph discusses the online response to Ainsley’s controversial depiction and viral scenes.

The actor explained that she put her effort into developing the character and filming. Beyond that, she says that it’s not her job to decide what viewers should take away from the scenes. Read the full response:

You know, I got the script, I developed character, I filmed it, and we put it out into the world, and that’s where my job kind of ends. It’s not my job to tell people how to interpret my character.

But I think that’s the thing about art, is you put it out and it creates conversation, and that’s exactly what’s happening.

Landman’s Ainsley Controversy Explained

It’s Driven Conversation Around The Show

It’s been argued that Landman depicts Ainsley in a suggestive way despite the character’s young age. This first becomes evident in a scene from the premiere episode when Tommy asks whether Ainsley and her boyfriend Dakota are having sex. Ainsley replies that they are, of course.

But they have a specific rule to follow, which Ainsley tells her father about in detail. He responds in disbelief, the camera lingering on his face, as he says that he’s going to get a Dr. Pepper. It’s a setup for an obvious punchline, telegraphed from the moment Tommy asks the personal question.

Other scenes play out in a similar way, with Ainsley dressed casually and the men in Tommy’s life essentially leering at his daughter.

Critics argue that, besides the general weirdness, the suggestive moment undercuts what is otherwise a worthwhile bond between father and daughter. But it’s par for the course for how teenagers are portrayed on television despite how, in Randolph’s case, the actor is fully an adult.

Where You Know Michelle Randolph From

She Appeared In 1923

Landman may be Randolph’s most visible performance yet, but one of her first prominent performances came in another Taylor Sheridan series, 1923.

In the Yellowstone prequel, led by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, Randolph plays Elizabeth Strafford. Appearing as part of the 1923 cast throughout the first installment, Elizabeth is the daughter of Bob Stafford and is the romantic partner of John Dutton.

Going back further, Randolph’s first major credit came in the 2017 horror movie House of the Witch, which focuses on a group of high school kids who enter an abandoned house that leads to disastrous consequences.

She also appeared in films such as A Snow White Christmas, playing the lead role of Bianca Snow, and appeared in the dramedy film 5 Years Apart opposite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Chloe Bennet.

Directed by Joe Angelo Menconi, who wrote the script with Zac Krause, 5 Years Apart centers on two estranged brothers who are born on the same day five years apart. They run into each other at their family vacation home, each having different expectations.

Randolph’s final two major roles are the 2021 horror movie The Resort, in which four friends investigate a haunting, and the 2024 comedy The Throwback. The latter film is written and directed by Mario Garcia, focusing on what happens when an overly-stressed mom regresses back to her younger self. The cast of The Throwback is led by Justina Machado and Will Sasso, with Greg Sulkin and Bobby Lee also starring.

Our Take On Ainsley’s Storyline

The Prestige Trappings Are The Only Thing That’s Different

The specifics of how American television depicts teen sexuality is nothing new. For better and worse, thoughtfully and otherwise, teen dramas are filled with examples where the subject is handled both skillfully and clumsily. It’s usually the domain and discussion of that particular subgenre.

What’s different about the Sheridan example is that it is ostensibly a prestige series, with big stars, that is meant to be taken seriously. But maybe if there is Landman season 2 and beyond, there will be more interesting character progression for Ainsley rather than uninspired humor. Perhaps, as has been speculated, she’ll evolve into the series’ Beth Dutton.