Landman’sepisode 6 ending is one of the series' most climactic so far, with a lot of new material to break down. Taylor Sheridan has become thetelevision producer maestro for Paramount+in recent years, with his various series covering some of the most dangerous facets of American life. Billy Bob Thornton leadsLandman’scastas Tommy Norris, an oil crisis executive who works for an independent company, dealing with issues pertaining to local landowners, oil patch crews, and, in some cases, the cartel.
Much ofLandmanepisode 6 was focused around Tommy’s son, Cooper, and his problems with Manuel.Manuel is the cousin of Elvio, one of the men who died in the explosion inLandmanepisode 1, and has gotten overprotective of Elvio’s wife, Ariana.After multiple warnings,Cooper refused to stay away from Ariana, and episode 5 ended with Manuel and his friends beating up Cooper, leaving him in his company-owned trailer inches from death. In episode 6, Tommy seeks out retribution for the violence against his son.
Why The Sheriff Helps Tommy So Much
Tommy’s Work Ensures Stability In The Permian Basin Region
The scene demonstrates just how much power Tommy has over these men, to break the law and threaten them with the law simultaneously.
Episode 6’s climax is centered around Tommy bringing his pals together to get revenge on Manuel. While Tommy doesn’t kill anyone, he has the security man turn off the cameras and then brutally injures his sons' assailants. Heexplains to Manuel that Sheriff Joeberg is going to come in and arrest him, with assault, drug possession, and various other feloniescounted against him, suggesting he might be locked up for thirty years. The scene demonstrates just how much power Tommy has over these men, to break the law and threaten them with the law simultaneously.
Sheriff Walt Joeberg has clearly made himself one of Tommy’s primary allies in the series. Even in episode 2, when Tommy got into a verbal argument with a police officer, the sheriff didn’t reprimand him for it. While there might be some personal loyalty involved,Tommy’s relationship with the sheriff is more about business and stability for the Permian Basin region.Landmanis centered around a real-life region of Texaswhere the oil industry is the centerpiece of the lifestyle for almost everyone. Even those with no direct connections feel the impact of the oil flow.
The oil industry has such a drastic effect on this region’s economy and general way of life that Tommy’s job is paramount. It’s his responsibility to verify things remain intact, and even if that means bending the rules now and then,the sheriff knows how important Tommy is and is willing to support his decisions. Tommy can be brutal at times, but he’s not an inherently malicious or dangerous person, and his main focus is to keep the company’s workflow stable and peaceful. That makes him a clear ally to law enforcement and earns him some extra favors.
Why Tommy Doesn’t Just Kill Manuel
Arresting Manuel Also Benefits The Sheriff
A major component of Tommy’s working relationship with the sheriff is that it’s mutually beneficial. If Tommy went berserk and killed Manuel, it would create a bigger mess for Sheriff Joeberg to clean up. Not to mention,the sheriff specifically asks Tommy to leave someone for him to arrest. By arresting Manuel, the sheriff fulfills his duty to solve the crime related to Cooper’s assault, improving whatever political standing he needs to maintain his position and the respect of local officials. For better or for worse, solving crimes by making arrests is the most apparent metric of law enforcement success.
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Regarding Tommy, he may be angry about what happened to Cooper, but he also doesn’t have a bloodlust. He keeps his cool and remains rational, knowing it’s better for everyone if Manuel ends up in prison instead of dead. It’s possible that Tommy has killed before, but his primary loyalty in life seems to be to his work, and he knows that murdering someone crosses a line that puts him at major risk.A murder would be much more difficult to cover up, and all of his companions would be witnesses to what he’d done. He could also see thirty years in prison as a more worthwhile punishment.
Who Were The Other Guys Who Beat Up Cooper?
Another Crew Joined In On The Violence
After Manuel and Antonio, there are still more men who were involved in assaulting Cooper in episode 5. When Tommy asks, Cooper says that he doesn’t know their names but that they werethe “maintenance crew for the Buffalo field.“Tommy claims the information is enough for him, and he’ll know who to go after. Furthermore, he has Boss interrogate Antonio in the back room during the climax, and Antonio writes down the specific names of the other assailants for Tommy.
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The scene ends with Antonio giving up the names to Sheriff Joeberg in return for his freedom. These likely aren’t characters that have appeared onLandmanso far, andthe sheriff could just deal with them off-screen in the next episode. For the purpose of the show’s story, Tommy has dealt with the necessary antagonists for now by sending Manuel away. Antonio could come back and be a problem later on, but he seems pretty scarred from taking a beating.
Will Cooper & Ariana Get Together Now Manuel Is Out Of The Way?
Probably, But That Doesn’t Mean They’ll Live Happily Ever After
Cooper is insistent that he’s only helping Ariana because he feels remorseful for her husband’s death, but every character seems to be aware that there’s something more going on. However, just because Manuel is out of the way doesn’t mean it will be sunshine and rainbows for Cooper and Ariana from here on out. As Tommy points out,she’s dealing with grief that Cooper can’t possibly comprehend, and her feelings are bound to be justifiably unpredictablein ways that even she likely won’t understand in entirety.
Cooper and Ariana may pursue a romantic relationship, as it will feel comforting for both of them. However, they barely know each other as people, and it looks possible that Taylor Sheridan is setting up a romance that ends in heartbreak. Tommy also acknowledges that Cooper is sensitive, and in the world he’s living in, that’s bound to attract problems.Landmanhas only just begun to flesh out these characters, and a relationship could allow Sheridan to examine them in their most vulnerable states, exploring the complexities of love, grief, and human impulses.
Landman
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.
