Abhiroop Das
Created by Taylor Sheridan, the second season of Paramount+’s ‘Landman‘ continues Tommy Norris’s adventure as the new president of M-Tex in the wake of Monty Miller‘s passing. Although he already has a deal with the cartel in place as per the season one finale, this iteration of the western drama series brings a new set of challenges. While Tommy, Cami, and Rebecca work as a power trio to return their company to its former glory, Cooper sets out with his own ambitions, ultimately falling straight into Dan Morrell’s, aka Gallino‘s, plan. While the previous episode ends with Tommy trying to keep his family together in the face of threats to his business, this episode, titled ‘Dark Night of the Soul,’ expands on that thematic palette, bringing in the Norris saga from a series of fresh angles. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Tommy and Cooper Prepare Themselves For Major Moves in Life
‘Landman’ Season 2 Episode 6 begins with the day of the Permian Basin International Oil Show, which means that all of West Texas is about to spring into life. Tommy, however, has more specific plans for the day, which involve heading out to downtown Fort Worth and finalizing the deal with Gallino, even if it’s against his wishes. Surprisingly, T.L. suggests joining him on the long drive and promises not to make the journey any rougher. Meanwhile, Dale and company set out to explore the Oil Show, but are stumped when they come across the latest technology in town: automated oil rig machines. As a glimpse into the possible future for the billion-dollar industry, the machines set the episode’s theme as that of changing times.
Elsewhere, Ariana plays with her son at the house of Elvio’s mother, with whom she still shares a deep bond. It is that link which makes the subject of Cooper too awkward, but Elvio’s mother is the first to break the ice. When asked about her plans with Cooper, Ariana says that she is deeply in love with him and intends to tie the knot. She also adds that the feeling is coming from her heart, as there are still parts of her psyche that are telling her to end the relationship. While Elvio’s mother is eager to give her blessings, she intends to meet Cooper for herself, setting up one more test he has to pass before he can ask for Ariana’s hand in marriage. However, with his multi-million dollar oil rig plan now in the dumps, he has even bigger problems to deal with.
En route to Fort Worth, Tommy and T.L. cannot help but bicker due to their generational divide. T.L., who was an oil worker himself, scoffs at the modern developments within the industry, but the conversation is cut short by a call from Cooper, who has a big announcement to make. A formal marriage proposal is incomplete without a wedding ring, and with no money in sight, he has no choice but to ask his father for a loan. However, Tommy merely relays the question to Angela, who is far more excited about the news and this new task. Instead of directing Cooper to a new purchase, she suggests giving her own engagement ring. This way, not only does the ring stay in the family, but she also has another reason to bring up her and Tommy’s potential remarriage, along with a bigger, better ring.
Gallino Strengthens His Hold Over M-Tex
While Tommy makes his way to Fort Worth, Rebecca and Nathan discuss their plans for the new offshore rig, which they have only a few days left to set up. The plan is to rebuild an abandoned rig, which collapsed during a hurricane. While Nathan seems convinced that the way ahead is easy, Rebecca raises questions about why Monty ditched that lucrative location in the first place. For this, she needs to talk to a trained scientist, and Nathan redirects her to a geologist named Newsom, who is stationed nearby. Elsewhere, Cami joins Gallino at a local rodeo show, where the latter has a stake in one of the horses. Now that the cat is out of the bag, the duo doesn’t hold back on any business secrets, but Tommy is still far from convinced.
As Tommy arrives on the scene, T.L. nestles himself at the spectators’ arena, where a cleaning worker turns out to be his former co-worker, Nash. However, their interaction is far from pleasant, as it jumps between the death of T.L.’s wife and his apparent disinterest in conversing with Nash in the first place. Meanwhile, Tommy and Gallino duke out a deal, where the former initially proposes a 60-40 cut. However, Gallino flips that number, showing how he has the upper hand in this deal. When he brings his stake down further and sweetens the offers, Cami ends the negotiations right there and makes a deal, confusing Tommy even more. Before he can react, however, he notices that his father has entered a fight with Nash, who swiftly gets punched down.
Tommy manages to break the fight just in time and promises to resume his conversation with Gallino and Cami over dinner at the Cattleman’s. We learn that T.L. got triggered when Nash started speaking foully about his wife. Although Tommy doesn’t sympathize with his father’s feelings, he understands that there is still a long way to go for his emotional recovery. Elsewhere, a surprise awaits Rebecca, as she learns that the geologist, Newsom, is none other than the charming guy on the airplane with whom she had a fling. As awkwardness takes over, the duo heads out, where Newsom talks business. As it turns out, the offshore rig blew up once, which makes it unsafe to use today. However, he is more than capable of scouting the location for a new rig in or around the area.
Rebecca Might Have a Romantic Relationship in the Making
Although Rebecca and Newsom’s conversation is strictly professional up to this point, the romantic tensions are ever-present as an undertone. Newsom breaks the barrier first by kissing her, and Rebecca kisses back. With this, the duo decides to have dinner together, and the possibility of an actual relationship begins to take shape. At Ariana’s, Cooper returns home to learn that he has a drop-off meeting with Elvio’s mother. Once there, she asks him the same question about love, and he replies in earnest about how Ariana has slowly turned into the most important part of his life. With this, Elvio’s mother seemingly gives the two of them a go-ahead, and just one big step remains.
That night, at Cattleman’s, the party is in full flow, as Angela and Ainsley have flown in to reunite with Cami, Gallino, and his wife. Angela even manages to bring T.L. back to the dance floor, and as the joyous mood sets in, Gallino and Tommy find each other face to face once again. Despite the former making every move in his arsenal, Tommy has yet to actually give in. However, the final moments of this episode unveil what might be Gallino’s craftiest tactic yet. While Cami is distracted with Angela, Gallino tells Tommy that she might be planning to kick him out of the company he once co-founded, as there is a very noticeable power struggle between the two of them. Thus, a clash between the closest of allies in the show so far appears imminent.
Read More: Is Dan Morrell Actually Gallino? Who Plays Him in Landman?
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