Sumith Prasad
The seventh episode of Paramount+’s drama series ‘Landman,’ titled ‘All Roads Lead to a Hole,’ follows Cooper Norris’ discharge from the hospital. Instead of his father, Tommy Norris, Ariana takes care of him, adding to the concerns of the former. Tommy’s partner, Angela, and daughter, Ainsley, find ways to feel at home in Midland, even though their methods are not completely agreeable to the landman. Monty Miller decides to expand his business by operating more wells, which are added to the responsibilities of his trusted commander. While Tommy deals with personal and professional issues at the same time, his son teams up with Ariana ahead of a potential legal battle! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Angela and Ainsley Find Ways to Spend Their Time in Their New Home
Even though Angela and Ainsley have been cherishing their reunion with Tommy, there haven’t been many affairs in Midland for them to remain engaged, especially after the landman leaves for work. They have a great start to their mornings by working out, but their schedules are wide open after their time at the gym. Since Midland is neither Dallas nor New York City, there aren’t many shopping centers or commercial destinations where they can spend their time buying things. That is when Ainsley notices a nursing home in the city. She finds it hard to accept that there are people in the same establishment awaiting death without anything substantial going on in their lives.
Ainsley and Angela drop by the nursing home, Western Skies, to give the residents company and cheer them in any way they can. After a short while at the place, the mother realizes she needs more to do their “job.” She runs to several stores and buys board and card games and a lot of alcoholic beverages to rejuvenate the elders living in the nursing home. Her plan works as the residents celebrate the makeshift party wholeheartedly, even though consuming alcohol is against the rules in the establishment. Still, the old men and women expect Angela to be back since they haven’t been happy for a long time before her arrival.
After the fall of the night, Ainsley leaves for a party at the patch with her new friend, Shelby, only for her to meet the quarterback sensation, Ryder Sampson. The football player gives her a beer and discusses getting together with her, even though there are rumors that he is interested in several other girls. The conversation leads them to make out, only for Tommy to show up at the place and smack Ryder before he can have sex with her. The landman clarifies that he will kill the boy if the latter ever tries to be intimate with his daughter. He also asks Ainsley to lie to him that she will forever remain a virgin till the day she dies.
Tommy Norris’ Concerns and Responsibilities Continue to Grow
While Tommy discusses the threat he has received from Jimenez with Dale Bradley and Boss, Monty Miller considers a business deal to expand the number of wells he operates under M-Tex Oil. After listening to a proposition, he calls Tommy before making a decision. The landman warns that the land is located in a territory “infested” by drug cartels that can snatch their trucks overnight regularly. Regardless, he doesn’t say no to his boss. All he does is list whatever he needs, in terms of crew and other resources, to aid the expansion, only for Monty to agree that he will get whatever he wants.
Before ending the call, Tommy reminds Monty that a lot of money is at stake if he decides to expand, but the businessman reminds the former that the money is his to spend. The oil tycoon rewrites the fundamentals of the deal according to his best interests since he has much to lose and closes the same. Tommy and crew then arrive at one of the sites to drill a well. They are confronted by a handful of men who belong to Jimenez’s crew. The group threatens the landman and his men with guns, only for the latter gang to reveal their firearms and outnumber their enemies. The cartel members retreat, but they keep an eye on Tommy, who is watched when he picks up Ainsley from the party.
Cooper and Ariana Kiss for the First Time
When Cooper gets discharged from the hospital, Ariana picks him up to let him recuperate in her house. Tommy is concerned about her presence in his life since her family and friends can easily turn against him again. He fears that they will end up becoming Odessa’s Romeo and Juliet, who had to die young after causing a war between two families and communities. After arriving at her home, Ariana lets Cooper sleep in her bed after choosing the couch for her. However, he is too much of a gentleman to make her spend the night on a couch.
Cooper asks Ariana to sleep on the same bed. He hugs her to comfort her, only for her to realize that she hasn’t been hugged since the death of her husband, Elvio. The next morning, they wake up and see each other, which brings them together for a kiss. As they continue to be intimate, Nathan and Rebecca Falcone arrive at the home to discuss a settlement. The latter reminds Ariana that M-Tex Oil will not greenlight the other two families’ settlements if she doesn’t agree to hers. She asks Cooper to read the agreement to counter the lawyer’s scare tactics. His presence in the young widow’s house stuns Rebecca.
