Landman Season 2 Episode 6 Ending Explained: Why the 2008 Crash Still Owns Tommy’s Next Move

Spoilers ahead for Landman Season 2, Episode 6. This one piles on the drama, the oil, and yes, a pirate party. Let’s talk about Tommy, who spends the hour spinning plates while trying not to drop his family.

The party before the storm

Episode 6 fires up right after Angela throws an extravagantly detailed pirate-themed bash to celebrate Thomas reconnecting with his dad. It’s exactly the kind of spectacle Angela lives for, and Tommy takes a quick breather there before the real problems roll back in.

Tommy and Thomas hit the road

Thomas asks to tag along with Tommy to work. At first Tommy says no because, well, his day job is a mess right now. But Thomas isn’t trying to punch in; he just wants time with his dad. That softens Tommy, and he lets him ride shotgun.

On the drive toward Fort Worth, they get into a surprisingly frank talk about the environmental cost of drilling. Thomas likens the planet to a pincushion stuck full of rigs. Tommy counters that Thomas used to work in the same business he’s now critiquing, which is a fair point and also very human. Before they can get too deep, Cooper (played by Jacob Lofland) calls with money questions, yanking Tommy back into the grind.

Angela, Cooper, and the world’s most loaded engagement assist

Cooper returns from Corpus after meeting Ariana’s dad and asks for a salary bump so he can buy a ring. Angela swoops in with her signature combo of generosity and dominance: she makes it happen, then tells Tommy that once her ring is out the door, he’s on the hook to buy her the next one. Translation: she’ll play fairy godmother, but Tommy’s footing the refill. He grumbles and pays. She also instructs him to meet her at Cattlemen’s bar for a full weekend of festivities, which Thomas can’t resist ribbing him about. That whole dynamic says a lot about who really sets the tone in Tommy’s orbit.

Everything Tommy is juggling this week

• M-Tex’s ongoing land grabs that need shepherding
• Fallout from a truck crash tied to a suicide attempt
• Jerrell’s H2S exposure that left him blind
• Blanton’s lawyers demanding M-Tex kick off offshore drilling within 45 days or get sued into oblivion
• Cooper’s engagement logistics and cash crunch
• Angela’s ring-and-party demands (and the bill that comes with both)
• The 2008 financial crash still rattling around in Tommy’s head, feeding trust issues with Cami (Demi Moore) and risk-aversion at work

Robots, roughnecks, and bad vibes at the oil show

In Odessa, Dale, Boss, Ben, and Russ stop by the Permian Basin International Oil Show and watch robots step in for rig workers. The sales pitch is all about safety, which is true, but it also means real people get sidelined. It’s a neat, slightly chilling snapshot of where the industry is headed and who gets left behind.

Ariana, Isabel, and a test for Cooper

Ariana meets with Isabel, Elvio’s mom, and we get a clearer read on why Isabel picked up work at The Patch even after getting insurance money: she’s tucking it away for Miguel’s future. Isabel approves of Ariana’s approach, then grills her about Cooper. Ariana admits she’s in love, and Isabel sets a simple bar: bring Cooper over so she can gauge him herself. He shows up, means what he says, and earns Isabel’s provisional blessing. Sincerity goes a long way here.

Tommy vs. Dan (ft. Cami)

When Tommy gets out to rural Fort Worth, he walks into a familiar problem: Dan cozying up to Cami while trying to steer M-Tex. At a rodeo arena, Dan literally frames himself as the rider and M-Tex as the cow. Subtle, right? Tommy can smell what this is really about — likely laundering money — but Cami is still willing to make deals, which keeps his hands tied. Thomas, of all people, becomes the voice of reason, nudging Tommy to make memories with his family while he still can. It’s the episode’s simplest, sharpest advice.

The 45-day clock and a risky hire

Blanton’s attorneys aren’t bluffing: if M-Tex doesn’t start offshore drilling in 45 days, the lawsuits hit. Making that worse, Hurricane Francine already wrecked the original rig. So Rebecca taps Newsom — yes, the guy she once had a one-night stand with — to oversee the new offshore push. It’s awkward, sure, but she’s prioritizing competence over optics.

If Newsom gets the job done, they both look smart and the Dan deal holds together. If he misses, the blowback will be brutal, and those legal threats go from theoretical to catastrophic. It’s a clean, high-stakes setup.

Where it lands

By the end, Tommy is stuck between two bad options: insert himself and try to save M-Tex from Dan’s grip, or step back and finally give his family the attention they’ve been asking for. The 2008 crash still colors every call he makes — he doesn’t trust easily, especially with Cami — and that last exchanged look between them says there’s a lot they aren’t saying. Meanwhile, Dan keeps smiling for the cameras and tightening the reins.

Landman Season 2 is streaming on Paramount+.