Landmanseason 1, episode 8, offers a ton of new material to break down. Following a relatively uneventful episode 7, the least well-reviewed of the season, Taylor Sheridan's Permian Basin oil industry drama came back in full force this week. Billy Bob Thornton leads Landman's cast as Tommy Norris, an oil crisis management executive for M-Tex Oil, a fictional independent company created for the series. The season has seen his complicated family life and tumultuous work life begin to collide with issues related to the Cartel and an oil rig explosion that claimed the lives of three men.
The most notable event from the episode's climax was the destruction of a Cartel vehicle from what was presumably a National Guard missile strike test. Cooper and Ariana's relationship has continued to develop, with Cooper negotiating a better deal for her after Rebecca Falcone's offer. This leads to Rebecca having a vendetta against Cooper, putting her at odds with Tommy. Jon Hamm's character, Monty, was hospitalized for heart problems, which could lead to Tommy being cornered without support from the big guns in the final two episodes.
What Is A "Bogey" In Landman
A Bogey Is A Specific Military Term
The final sequence of Landman sees National Guard helicopter pilots assessing the damage of their missile practice, using the term "bogey." This is a real military term used in the Air Force to describe an unidentified vehicle or radar target. The Cartel seems to have been transferring a vehicle of drugs in this area and just happened to find themselves in the radius of the missile strikes, with the incident claiming at least one life. While it's also implied by the scene, the word "bogey" affirms that the strike was accidental and not intended to hit the vehicle.
Only one episode of Landman hasn't had this controversial part of Angela and Ainsley's story, and it proved that the show is better off without it.
What The Cartel Being Attacked Means
Violence Is Going To Ramp Up In The Final Episodes
Tommy's relationship with the Cartel has been volatile throughout season 1, and with two episodes to go, they likely won't be happy about this intrusion in their process. Importantly, Andy Garcia was cast in a guest role for Landman (via Deadline from May 2024) and has yet to appear on-screen. He could be the Cartel boss that characters have mentioned previously in the season, meaning the potential for an exciting head-to-head between Tommy and another legendary actor playing a powerful drug lord.
Tommy got the National Guard involved, allowing them to practice in the region, hoping that the military presence would deter any Cartel business. His plan wasn't to go on the offensive, as that would create more needless problems. The military killing innocent civilians creates issues, but the National Guard being brought to a certain region by an oil company and accidentally killing a Cartel drug runner sounds like an even more dangerous set of issues.
The Cartel issue was always going to get worse before it got better, and now it seems like Tommy is going to have that on his plate immediately. The Cartel could return in force, and Landman episode 7's ending saw one of their members watching Tommy. If they think he's involved in the death of one of their members, they could look to strike him or his family at home before the season ends. Tommy already has potential issues with Rebecca, but the Cartel situation seems way more prevalent.
Why Rebecca Is Still Going After Cooper
Rebecca Falcone Is Out For Blood
Cooper came in clutch for Ariana and the other two families of the deceased oilmen at the start of Landman episode 8, negotiating double the settlement total for each of them. Ariana will now receive $1 million rather than $500,000 from M-Tex in return for not taking them to court, which, though risky, could have been won. The equipment was faulty, according to Tommy earlier in the season, and a proper investigation could have been a major issue for the company. Monty begrudgingly surrenders the $1 million.
Rebecca has shown herself to be a powerhouse throughout Landman season 1, going toe-to-toe with Tommy and savagely destroying rival lawyers. In this bout with Cooper and Ariana, she takes a major loss, and she's clearly unhappy about it. Rebecca has begun to spin her own web of what happened, creating a conspiracy about Cooper and Tommy's involvement in the oil rig explosion and the deaths of those three men, suggesting that Cooper and Ariana planned to walk away with the $1 million. This is a devious claim, and the audience obviously knows it to be false.
Landman star Paulina Chávez breaks down Ariana & Cooper's relationship, what their future holds, the settlement drama with Rebecca and season 2.
Rebecca likely knows that this theory isn't true, but she doesn't care. As she states in the episode, she's making her own truth. To put it simply, she's mad that she got out-thought by Cooper and was scolded by Monty, and she wants to pull off a win with what she has left. Whether she'll follow through with this is to be seen, but it's important to note that Tommy's original assumption about her is coming true. She was quick to criticize Tommy's involvement in the oil crew's death, but she's now willing to destroy Ariana's life out of pettiness.
What's Wrong With Monty In Landman Episode 8?
Monty's Heart Problems Have Been Teased Throughout Season 1
Monty quickly takes a turn for the worst in Landman episode 8, requesting that his driver take him to the hospital roughly halfway through the episode. This plotline has been teased throughout the season, as some combination of diet, stress, and lack of exercise has caused him to have heart problems. He monitors his heart rate with a wristwatch, and the situation with Cooper and Rebecca over the phone causes it to rise to an alarming number. Tommy's position doesn't seem dire, but his wife wants him to stay away from business calls to focus on his health and recovery.
This plot has been teased throughout the season, with multiple conversations about Monty's exercise habits and caffeine intake. It's interesting that Jon Hamm, though fantastic in the series, has only had a limited number of scenes. It'll be curious to see if Monty makes it through season 1 alive and what the power vacuum he leaves behind would look like. Importantly, for Landman episodes 9 and 10, his absence could mean difficulties for Tommy as he struggles to contend with conflict on two fronts, between the Cartel breathing down his neck and Rebecca vowing to give him problems.
Set in West Texas, this series explores the world of oil rigs and the fortunes they create. It portrays a modern upstairs/downstairs narrative of roughnecks and billionaires, highlighting the profound impact on the climate, economy, and geopolitics in these boomtowns.
Release Date
November 17, 2024
Cast
Billy Bob Thornton
, Ali Larter
, Jacob Lofland
, Kayla Wallace
, Mark Collie
, James Jordan
, Demi Moore
, Jon Hamm
, Colm Feore
, Robyn Lively
, Drake Rodger
, Brook Sill
, K.C. Clyde
, Rosemary Dominguez
, Mustafa Speaks
, J.R. Villarreal
, Octavio Rodriguez
, Michael Pena
, Emilio Rivera
, Alex Meraz
, Alejandro Akara
English (US) ·