“Wolfcamp,” the penultimate episode of Landman’s first season has dropped, and, with it, Taylor Sheridan’s hit oil drama finds itself deeply entrenched in its Self-Reflection Era.
The episode opens with Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), the series’ titular character, having to clean up the fallout from the military training snafu that resulted in the inadvertent death of drug runners at the close of episode 8. With the leader of the local outfit on speed dial (no judgment, here), Tommy reaches out to advise the cartel that they may want to eliminate the mess, themselves — of course, to avoid any investigations by the authorities. Despite the exchange of veiled threats, the two men strike a deal to meet as a way to find common ground co-existing on The Patch. What can you say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Cue the soulful orchestral opening theme by composer Andrew Lockington, Landman is about to take us on another deep dive exploration into the life that is Big Oil.
When you live in Texas, you can take for granted how big life truly can be here. Everything IS just bigger — the cars, the homes, the portion sizes, the work, the relentless drive to survive. Life is super-sized in the Lone Star, to include men’s ambitions and their egos. Nevertheless, when Father Time and Mother Nature come a-callin’, it levels the playing field, proving, once again, even the toughest of cowboys can be humbled.
You get a sense of that truth in a rather unexpected, but one of the series’ most poignant scenes, to date. And, though sandwiched in between the show’s usual oil industry facts and figures diatribes and sometimes choppy character dialogue, it is a standout for its delivery and sentiment. The scene in question features a mutual friend who has come to drop a knowledge bomb on Monty Miller, portrayed by Jon Hamm (Mad Men). The oil tycoon is laid up in the hospital recovering from his third heartache and recent bypass surgery.
No spoilers here, as you must watch this well-crafted moment for yourself, without prejudice. The way that it is so naturally unpacked by a non-actor, though familiar cultural icon, you know instantly the entire moment was unscripted. It has to be. For, no other reason than it does not feel forced. Beautifully filmed in close-up and almost poetic in its sincerity, it is a highlight for the episode, and one of the better moments in the entire season.
In reflection of their mutual friend’s words, Monty makes Tommy an offer, with a caveat that comes in the form of an unexpected promotion for someone Tommy does not quite see eye-to-eye. No doubt, the move is a setup for a showdown between the two characters that is sure come later.
Back on the homefront — when Tommy’s wife Angela, played by Ali Larter, is not out creating bucket list memories for the retirement besties she and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) have globbed onto, she is trying her darndest to keep the home fires burning with colon-friendly foods for her family and their roommates. Three guesses as to why this never ends well. Gee Wally, June Cleaver, she is not!
Despite the poor choices made for the women on canvas for the show, these mother-knows-best scenes (particularly around the dinner table) often provide the show some much-needed comic relief. Believe me, with the things they have these female characters say, you have to laugh to keep from crying.
Across town, Ariana and Cooper have fallen into playing house, themselves, and for Cooper, to no one’s surprise, he and his heart are falling into something a little deeper with the young oilfield widow. Though the love declarations are nowhere to the level of Shakesperean prose, there is something about the chemistry Jacob Lofland and Paulina Chavez infuse into their fictional alter egos that makes this onscreen pairing work. Could it be that more care seems to have been given to the development of this relationship, or, is it simply that Cooper, as a character, appears to be the only member of his family apart from his father grounded in a measure of reality.
Nevertheless, with Cooper’s impromptu resignation from the oil workcrew in the previous episode, the young roughneck workshops a plan to strike out on his own, with an idea to cobble together small oil leases in the region to ultimately be in a position to drill in the larger oil shale. Ironically, doing so, would put him in the position to become a landman, like his father, with the end game being to someday build a life away from oil for himself…ahem, and the one he loves. As they say, the only way out of the Patch is the Patch. His words, not mine.
While the show tries too hard, at times, to drop certain characters into absurd, almost satirical type situations, the one thing it gets right is what life is like living in and around the oil industry. It is not for the faint of heart (no pun intended, Monty) with the long, hard, and often gritty hours, that consume your days and the best parts of your body physically. If you are not careful, over consume the work and you find yourself speed racing your way to an early death. And, while you know that in the quiet moments of regret of what you may have missed along the way, in doing so — you understood even more that money is the mistress who’s just too good to ignore.
And, so as the sun sets on the latest episode, in setup for the season closer, the visual of that truth remains pensively etched on our fav landman’s face as a familiar symbol makes an appearance, following a suspicious phone call Tommy has just received. Familiar, if you have spent any time watching Taylor Sheridan’s other franchise series.
What could it all mean!? Well, if you have come this far with the Landman, why not stick around to see how he caps off the season in the Januay 12 finale.
Created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, watch all previous episodes of Landman’s debut season streaming now on Paramount+.
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