Critic’s Rating: 3.75 / 5.0
3.75
As we slide into the final episodes of the season, this crazy world is getting even crazier.
From heart attacks to the National Guard playing war games on M-Tex land to curb the drug cartels, it’s clear the story is building toward an explosive finale.
Landman Season 1 Episode 8 proves the narrative has no intention of slowing down, and I couldn’t be happier about that.
(Ryan Green/Paramount+)
Just When I Thought Ainsley Was a Lost Cause…
From what I can tell, Ainsley isn’t anybody’s favorite character. She’s teetering on the brink of adulthood without the essential tools any successful adult needs to survive.
It still shocks me that she had never seen a retirement home. On Landman Season 1 Episode 7, her childlike reaction to the realization that people congregate together to die was mind-blowing.
But, much like it affected her mother, this new experience might be the best thing for Ainsley.
She’s still Angela’s mini-me, but spending time with the facility’s residents has encouraged her to look deeper at Roger, her future quarterback husband, to see if he’s got more than a nice ass. Engaging with those residents might just be the best gift Angela has ever given her daughter.
(Ryan Green/Paramount+)
Are Cracks Already Showing in Tommy and Angela’s Relationship?
If Ainsley discovered a different side of herself, Angela hasn’t had the same luck.
Every scene between Angela and Tommy raises my anxiety by several degrees. Angela has absurd rules for everything — from how she likes sex in the morning to when you can and cannot smoke inside the house.
As demanding as she is, Angela also has moments of genuine care, like her concern when Tommy mentioned eating cereal for dinner daily before she arrived. She protects her emotions with outrageous behavior, but there’s still hope for her.
Tommy is generally unscathed by their banter, but even he has limits. After the day he had, listening to Angela’s berating — even playful — was too much.
Are there cracks in their newly reestablished relationship? Probably not. They’ve likely played this game so many times that even a bad reaction after a horrible day can’t really hurt them.
(Ryan Green/Paramount+)
Excuse Me. FIVE Heart Attacks???
Before we dive into the why of them, let’s pause to unpack that Monty is rumored to have suffered his fifth heart attack.
When he met with the governor to request the National Guard, the governor was savoring hollandaise sauce, a creamy delight that makes everything underneath it delectable. Monty claimed never to have eaten it, and if he’s on his fifth heart attack, that tracks.
The governor, however, embraces life and all it has to offer, trusting in God’s plan for everyone. He believes there’s nothing you can do to alter the path God sets out.
It might sound hokey, but all the herbal tea in the world hasn’t alleviated Monty’s stress — the real culprit behind his bad ticker. Denying himself life’s pleasures doesn’t help; if anything, it probably adds to his stress.
It’s also worth noting that the governor is played by Maxwell Caufield, sparking a Gen X battle cry about the worthiness of Grease 2 over Grease. Gen Xers, take it to the comments!
(Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
Call In the National Guard
Monty’s visit with the governor was to discuss calling in the Texas National Guard without officially activating them. It was a brilliant plan.
Politics and the oil business go hand in hand, and this showcases how such alliances can benefit everyone. Tommy threatened the cartel goons with government intervention, and by handing over land to the Guard for training, everyone wins.
M-Tex gets a military presence without formally involving the military. The Guard gains a training ground, and Texas curbs the drug presence threatening its way of life.
But what was that final scene about? The Guard seemed wary of using explosives near the rigs, yet explosions were going off as the cartel made a trade. Soldiers in a helicopter flying over the scene appeared perplexed, wondering if they hit a bogey.
Any ideas about what’s going on?
(Ryan Green/Paramount+)
Rebecca Better Watch Her Step
Early in the season, before I knew better, I thought Rebecca might learn something from Ariana’s survival skills and soften her edges. How wrong I was.
Dealing with Ariana has only hardened Rebecca further. She seems devoid of humanity.
Her interrogation of Cooper turned into a blatant threat, promising to wage all-out war against him and Ariana if he continued advising her on legal options.
Cooper, like his father, wasn’t deterred. He stood firm, pointing out that an attorney doesn’t show up at 7 a.m. without a solid case. Rebecca, outwitted, grew angrier.
(Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
Her rejection of Cooper’s truth was so out of character for someone with her ideals. She champions green energy and balks at gender norms but rejects someone’s truth? That’s hypocrisy at its finest.
Rebecca’s ego cannot handle failure, and that makes her dangerous. She underestimates those around her, a fatal flaw. Ariana and Cooper surprised her, but underestimating Tommy? That’s lunacy.
By showing her hand to Tommy and threatening to frame Cooper, Rebecca crossed a line. She’s dangerous, and Monty would be wise to rid himself of her before she lands him in serious trouble.
If there’s one thing Tommy knows, it’s business. An all-out war between legal counsel and his inside man won’t end well.
For now, Tommy has an active threat against Rebecca, and I’ve never wanted to see someone brought down more than that smug attorney.
(Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
It’s Clumsy, OK?
After Rebecca and Nate’s visit, Ariana was overwhelmed with emotion for Cooper, who quit his job to stand by her.
She feels too much too soon for the man who just gave up his livelihood for her. But he’s determined, promising to one day run an oil company that operates differently from what they’ve endured.
They grow closer, though they’re aware of how fast things are moving and how it looks to the outside world. Ariana doesn’t want to wait, but when she says every interruption is God warning them to stop, it’s clear she’s riddled with guilt.
There are stark differences between Envio and Cooper, and she likes what she feels with Cooper. He looks at her in a way her husband never did. Nate saw it too and warned Tommy this was no passing fancy — it’s real.
(Lauren ìLoî Smith/Paramount+)
That terrifies Tommy. He knows how disaster can derail a relationship, having lost Angela to catastrophic highs and lows. How will Ariana and Cooper survive when their beginning is already marked by pain?
Ariana’s confusion was evident when Tommy visited. He simply asked what they were doing, seeking truth, not lies. Yet Ariana launched into a tirade, assuming judgment.
Even as she kicked him out, it was clear her reaction stemmed from inner turmoil, not Tommy’s words. The battle inside her rages on, and everyone in her path will feel its weight.
There are two more episodes remaining in Landman Season 1. How do you see it playing out?
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