Second season of ‘Landman’ created by Taylor Sheridan returns with Tommy Norris at the height of his powers and richer than ever, however with twice the emotional baggage. Monty Miller (a titan of the oil industry and owner of M-Tex) dies at the end of season 1. Not long before that, Tommy is given the company’s presidency and shares power with Cami. But the cartel wanting to show off their power, he needs to be very careful with his steps, otherwise, he will lose everything he has working for. The first episode of the second season called ‘Death and Sunset’ is rightly about fresh starts, not only for the father figure but also for his sons, Cooper and Ainsley, who are gradually getting out of their parents’ influence and making their own mark. Unfortunately for Tommy, a memory from the past is ready to make his life even more tangled.
Cami’s Bold Entry as M-Tex’s New Owner
Season 2 premiere of ‘Landman’ It opens with Tommy Norris drinking in the Texan skyline on another big day for the oil industry. Now that the Cartel has come out of hiding to demand their piece of the oil production, he is feeling the heat. Elsewhere, his son Cooper is waking to a big day in his life, but keeping what exactly that means a secret from Ariana before dashing out the door. Cami Miller, the recently anointed owner of M-Tex and relieved widow of her dead husband Monty, decides to host a luncheon, with business partners on one side and friends on the other as she full-on transitions into role as boss babe. Nevertheless, the atmosphere at the event is actually more tense and paranoid than she anticipated because no one is convinced that Monty’s departure is easy to cover up.
Whispers of the partners doubting the business reach the ears of Tommy, and in not much time, he is Danny’s confrontation, who by pointing to a “change in control” clause in their contract, recklessly demands a restructuring of the business. Nevertheless, Tommy is out of the fire with the argument that Monty made it clear to him before his death that he was promoting him to president, and thus it was a natural company’s development. In vain, Danny attempts to provoke the argument by questioning Cami’s trustworthiness while Tommy warns to cease the company’s operations till things are clarified. The mere thought of millions, even billions, going down the drain is what stops Danny from speaking any further. After that, Tonny strikes a deal with Bob to sell the company’s gas-field areas in East Texas. Tpomy, when asked about Cami’s speech, says that he is the last person to know, and actually, he is in line with everyone else thinking that the company should let her go.
While this is going on, Cami is standing by herself in the restroom, her hands shaking as she goes over the speech she had prepared for the luncheon. When two girls come in and pass comments about her age and appearance, Cami retaliates, but then they tell her that the world she has just entered is like the Serengeti. This comparison stays with Cami and, as a matter of fact, it gives her the shove she needs to throw away her speech and speak from her own experience.
Going into a room full of top-tier investors and bankers, whom she thought were all ready to tear M-Tex apart, Cami takes the stage and indomitely announces that she is a hunter who understands the nature of the oil industry. She takes it further by likening herself to a tougher version of Monty and saying that if any of her credibility is questioned, she will unleash her complete wrath against the challenger. This is the only speech needed to do the turnaround in the room, and Bob is among the very first to stand up and applaud her.
Cooper and Ainsley: Making Meaningful Strides Forward
In another location, Cooper did some follow-up work at the new oil well which he had recently scouted and a whole crew was there to set up the rig. The first try looks like it leaves a heap of sludge and mud in its wake, but Cooper doesn’t quit and commands his men to keep going. The pressure valve at more than 5000 feet is turning the most extreme values rapidly and Cooper’s instinct was right, the officer says. A close reading is a confirmation that the oil rig is about 6200 units, which is approximately 500 barrels a day; a lot more than anyone had estimated. Cooper, full of energy, drives home to get Ariana and take her to the rig where he hardly manages to keep his excitement to himself. Cooper sees the rig as being able to make a return on the investment in 2 months or less and after that, they will be able to make around ten million dollars a year. Ariana is amazed at the figure, and the thought of living the dream slowly but surely sinking into her mind, just like it has for her partner.
Meanwhile, Angela and Ainsley decide to embark on a journey that takes them to the renowned Texas Christian University where Ainsley has been shortlisted for admission. On her way to the interview with the admissions counselor, Angela instructs her daughter in college trivia. One of the facts she tells her is that the school’s mascot, the horned toad, is in fact a lizard.
In recognition of her talents as a cheerleader, Ainsley is given a priority walk-on status, however, her interview with the counselor does not go smoothly. When questioned about her choice of Tech over TCU, she responds by saying that the reason was that the former college didn’t allow cheerleaders to date athletes.
She supports her point by saying that if one typically good-looking cheerleader is romantically involved with an athletic boyfriend, then their children will be of better health and more attractive. The counselor, although stunned by the level of elitism revealed, is still not able to reject the application.
Tommy’s Past Unfolds: A Potential Revelation of His Parentage
Driving back to see his family, Tommy talks with Cami in her car about the future of the business and how it might be in good hands after all. With that promotion in mind, Angela pulls out all the stops for a private jet to their destination. The scene transitions from there to Prairie View Assisted Living, a geriatric home, where an old man in his twilight years watches the sun set.
Despite the fact that his caretakers are calling him for supper, the man, T.L. that is, refused to go. At this point, a nurse manages to calm down and get him to rest as they have some sad news to tell him. A woman named Dorothy, who seemed to be close to T.L., has died and when he hears this news he falls into his wheelchair and asks for euthanasia. Cooper comes to the dinner table at Tommy’s home with the intention of telling his father about his plan to be a complete landman, but the conversation is interrupted by Angela announcing the day’s dish that is made with rare and expensive white truffles.
Even though Tommy is richer than ever before, he is still very much irritated by the family’s spending which has been doubled. It is especially clear when a new house purchase conversation comes up between Angela and Tommy. While Angela is excited about it, Tommy is hesitant. In an absolutely foul move, he falsely suggests that her menstrual cycle affects her rationality, and that causes a huge difference in the family’s interactions. After that, as plates are being thrown and broken in the whole room, Ainsley and Cooper run out for their safety, and by trying to flirt with her instead of insulting her, Tommy barely manages to calm down the situation. The method succeeds, and the two are almost getting intimate when a phone call interrupts them and changes the mood.
Tommy discloses that his mom has passed away, which means that the woman previously mentioned and named Dorothy, was his mom. Besides, it makes one wonder where T.L. really is in this or the most probable answer that he is Tommy’s dad.
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