Summary
Landman Episode 9 lays the finale’s foundations in low-key fashion with some of the best writing and acting of the series. But some of the subplots are a little shaky.
Oh, look, another steady, contemplative episode of Landman. Is that what we need in Episode 9, one removed from the finale, when the previous outing ended with a cartel SUV being hit by a U.S. military drone? I’d argue not, no. But “WolfCamp” isn’t especially interested in what I think.
On the upside, though, some of the best writing in the entire season is here, with some low-key performances to match. Billy Bob Thornton is great as ever when faced with the potential loss of his best friend, but the surprising MVP is Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who delivers a speech about working with his family from Monty’s hospital bedside that is one of the best stretches of dialogue in the entire season. Who’d have thought that?
Monty Is Stepping Down
The Monty stuff is mostly frontloaded in Landman Episode 9. It’s ironically Tommy’s cartel contact who lets him know that Monty might be on his last legs, mostly as a veiled threat to imply that he has eyes everywhere and won’t be letting the drone mishap go unanswered, but Monty’s condition compels Tommy to sideline the matter while he and his friend deal with two important matters – mortality, and succession.
After Jerry Jones’s thought-provoking monologue, Monty is beginning to realize that his dodgy ticker and the stresses of the job don’t make an especially fruitful pairing, so one of them has to go. And it’s the job. To that end, Monty wants to promote Tommy to Vice President of Operations, which Angela probably won’t love but is nonetheless a nice gesture.
More problematically, though, he also wants to promote Rebecca to Vice President of Exploration, despite her knowing nothing about oil. This would mean that Tommy and Nate would train her to negotiate M-Tex’s various drilling deals. But there are issues with this. One is that her no-holds-barred approach would likely scare clients off. Another is that Monty has no idea she threatened Tommy with accusing Cooper of sabotage. It hardly seems like the basis for a sustainable working relationship.
Jon Hamm in Landman | Image via Paramount
Cooper Is Already Working On His Future With Ariana
Speaking of Cooper, he’s making moves in “WolfCamp”. Despite some ambiguity around the moral appropriateness of his relationship with Ariana, the fact they finally manage to sleep together without being interrupted – despite a very brief visit from a salesman – is taken as a sign. That’s enough for Cooper to start working out how to fund their future immediately.
His plan involves using the settlement money to scoop up expired leases and start up a modest drilling operation. By the end of Landman Episode 9, he already has his first partner. And I’m using “partner” deliberately there since Cooper’s whole thing seems to be turning the oil industry topsy-turvy by taking a fair and honest approach to it rather than trying to build an empire on other peoples’ backs.
Would this make him a competitor to Monty? And given Tommy’s new role, perhaps even to his father? I suspect it probably would, and the jury’s still out when it comes to how petty Rebecca is planning to be about the settlement money. But Cooper seems determined and he and Ariana seem suited, despite the odd circumstances in which they got together, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Is Monty Dead?
Towards the end of the episode, Tommy gets a call from Cami with what seems like bad news, but it’s kept deliberately obscure. The logical assumption is that she’s telling Tommy about Monty’s death, which he seems to take quite well, but we’re not sure. Either way, it leaves Tommy in a contemplative mood and lets Taylor Sheridan indulge in some of his favorite symbolism, which is a character watching an animal roam around the edge of their property (as seen almost every week in Yellowstone, and even in the largely urban Mayor of Kingstown with Mike’s bear friend.)
Quite shockingly, though, Tommy’s neighbor shoots the visitor – it’s either a wolf or a coyote; I’m English and can’t tell the difference – with a rifle, claiming they eat all the pets. Fair enough. But it isn’t much of a metaphor.
With the finale right around the corner, we’re left with several key subplots to worry about now – the transition of M-Tex into Tommy’s (and Rebecca’s) control, Cooper’s new business endeavor, and the ongoing feud with the cartel. Sure, we’re probably going to get a silly scene of the senior citizens in a strip club too, but I don’t imagine it’ll warrant much of a mention.
