'Landman' Season 2 finale hits a boiling point as power shifts, and Cooper's fate hangs in the balance
Well, that escalated fast—and then, somehow got hopeful five minutes later. That's pretty much the vibe of the 'Landman' Season 2 finale. Episode 10 premiered on January 18, according to CNET. The episode opens with change already in motion. Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), with that worn-down stare he does so well, is no longer the president of M-Tex. At the same time, life away from oil fields is giving his daughter Ainsley its own set of problems. College at TCU isn't exactly the fresh start she imagined. After surviving earlier roommate problems with Paigyn, Ainsley now finds herself struggling to keep up during cheer practice. Coaches notice. Paigyn notices too.
They pull her aside, not to scold, but to be honest about what it takes to survive the season. Things get messier when a group of high school boys wanders too close to the bleachers and starts running their mouths. The comments land directly on Paigyn, and Ainsley snaps back hard. By the end of practice, the tension between the two finally cracks, and for the first time, they're talking like people who might actually choose to sit together later. Afterward, Ainsley tells Angela she wants to give dorm life another real try, and Angela's relief is obvious. Elsewhere, Cooper and Ariana are barely catching their breath when the season throws them its vilest moment.
Ariana is attacked behind the bar where she works, nearly assaulted by a man who doesn't hear the word no. Cooper arrives just in time and stops it violently. Too violently, according to the police who show up later. The next day, they're sitting in a station being questioned. Officers focused on Cooper's response, pointing out that he hit the attacker seventeen times, according to Entertainment Weekly. Ariana calls Rebecca because the attacker, Jonathan Reasner, died at the hospital, and suddenly, Cooper might be the one facing charges. Rebecca rushes in and calls Tommy, who still knows how the system works.
At the station, she makes it clear that charging Cooper would be a terrible idea, legally and otherwise. Tommy later argues the same to the chief, reminding everyone that Reasner didn't die at the scene and that the focus seems oddly misplaced. Eventually, reason wins. Charges are dropped. Cooper is free. Additionally, in the previous episode, Cami fired Tommy after weeks of clashing over how M-Tex should be run. He had tried to warn her about reckless decisions. She didn't care. By the finale, Tommy is done working for people who won't listen. Instead, he started his own company: CTT Oil Exploration and Cattle.
'CTT' stands for Cooper, Tommy, and Thomas, better known as T.L. Tommy gathers the crew and lays out the plan. Cooper's leases are producing. Gallino agrees to finance the new venture in a 50-50 split. Even better, a quarter of the profits will be shared among employees. No secrets. No scraps. Leadership is set quickly. Cooper becomes president, Tommy takes over as senior vice president, Nate handles the money, Rebecca steps in as COO and chief counsel, Dale leads exploration, T.L. oversees drilling, and Boss runs the crew. Ariana is offered an office job, providing her with a way forward that doesn't involve returning to the bar.
