Landman Season 2 Episode 5 Review: M-Tex’s $400 Million Trap Forces Cami’s Most Ruthless Decision Yet

Episode 5 shows up like it knows exactly how bruised Episode 4 left everybody and says: cool, let’s press on that. The previous hour patched up Cooper and Ariana after their breakup, but it felt like stitching over a wound that’s still tender. Dorothy’s funeral scraped open Tommy’s history with Thomas. Angela pushed hard to bring Thomas home, and she was right, even if it complicated everything. And Rebecca? She ignored serious stuff happening on M-Tex land like it was a paperwork hiccup. So yeah, calm wasn’t on the menu.

Home fires, business alarms

We open with Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) doing what Tommy does: carrying more than any one person should. Thomas living under his roof makes Nate immediately suggest a retirement home, which lands about as well as you’d expect. I’m with Tommy and Angela on this one: when time is short, you keep family close, not tucked away.

Angela, meanwhile, turns up at a retirement home with a fake birthday party and a straight face. It’s a lie, sure, but her version of chaos has a warm center. The residents light up; nobody gets hurt. I’m not mad at it.

Back at Tommy’s place, invoices start arriving at the house instead of the office, which is basically the episode’s thesis: the line between personal and professional is gone. Work isn’t knocking; it’s already in the kitchen.

Cooper and Ariana: the marriage talk that actually sounds like life

Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and Ariana aren’t playing the fantasy game. They talk about marriage with the nerves built in, especially on her side. She asks him to go see her dad first, not for permission, but because effort matters.

Cooper makes the drive to Corpus to meet Mr. Barrera, and it’s one of the episode’s best low-key scenes. No speeches, no threats, just a father who says love is proven by showing up and sticking around. Blessing or not isn’t the point; consistency is. Cooper passes the test by being there.

Still, the vibe around Cooper is uneasy. The whole “stay alive” caution feels like more than fatherly advice. The show loves a warning that doubles as a countdown.

The Patch: a rookie mistake with a real price tag

At The Patch, Tommy lays out the mess with all the patience of a man out of patience. Cooper used Tommy’s name in his paperwork, which spooked the wrong people and torched the deal flow. No tantrums, no excuses from Cooper, just the gut-punch realization that he screwed up.

Tommy’s fix is simple and painful: M-Tex buys Cooper’s leases. The quick-money dream evaporates, replaced by something stable enough to survive. It’s the adult choice. It stings now and keeps you afloat later. This is why Tommy’s the show’s spine — not soft, but straight.

The stuff Tommy isn’t being told

M-Tex is getting hammered by real problems: suicides, collisions, poisoning incidents. Tommy’s hearing about them late, if at all, and people keep looping Rebecca instead of him. That’s not a clerical error; that’s a slow bleed of authority.

In the middle of it, Tommy calls Thomas while driving and vents without meaning to. It’s half gripe, half therapy, and it humanizes a guy who’s spent most of the hour tightening screws.

The $400M trap, explained like an adult who’s tired

Here’s the gnarly corporate part, but it actually matters to the plot and the people:

• M-Tex has an insurance situation holding around $400 million in place.
• The catch: if they try to pry it loose the wrong way, they blow up their own position.
• Yes, bankruptcy clears the bills, but it also strips leases and royalties — which is the actual engine of the company.
• Translation: the money exists, but using it could cost them the company itself.

Dan resurfaces with a smile and a target

Dan slinks back in and admits he meant to play Cooper from the jump. Tommy’s worst assumptions? Confirmed. Problem is, Dan has leverage. And now Cami is considering him as a partner. That’s not panic — that’s a decision. She’s done being handled, protected, and sidelined. Tommy thinks he’s shielding her; she hears him taking choices off her plate.

Cami chooses the fight

Tommy tells Cami (Demi Moore) that Dan has cartel ties, which should be the end of that conversation. Instead, it’s the pivot point. She already understands the risk. What she won’t accept is letting M-Tex die while she plays it safe. She goes with the ugly option if it keeps control in her hands. Bravery or hubris? Ask me next week.

The episode caps with a pirate-themed family dinner that’s weirdly perfect. It doesn’t solve anything, but it cuts the tension long enough for everyone to remember why they’re still swinging.

Is Episode 5 worth your hour?

Yep. It’s heavy without being miserable, and the pressure feels real. No grandstanding, no easy wins — just people choosing between bad and worse, quietly hoping the fallout is survivable. It also sets up consequences that feel locked in.

So, where are you landing: is Cami right to take the risk? Is Tommy losing control, or finally noticing the edge of it? And how long can M-Tex hang on when every fix comes with a trapdoor?

Landman Season 2 Episode 5 is streaming now on Paramount+.