Landman Season 2 Episode 9 Recap: Rebecca and Charlie’s Steamy Reunion + Ainsley’s Dorm Nightmare
- Kae
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
We have arrived at the penultimate episode for season 2 of Paramount+’s hit oil drama Landman. No one ever said that life on the Pitch would be easy, However, “Plans, Tears, and Sirens” runs an emotional gambit more akin to the good, the bad, and the ugly. Never without drama, this week goes to eleven for all those caught up in the maelstrom of the West Texas oil and gas industry.
Directed by Stephen Kay, the episode opens with another chaotic morning at the Norris household in Midland, Texas, suburbia as Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and his mix of family and friends roommates burn up the phone lines coordinating, planning, organizing for the day ahead. Cutting through the cross-conversation chatter, the atmosphere is thick with emotion for one Angela Norris (Ali Larter), as the overwrought mother stands at the proverbial door of another milestone for her and her daughter, Ainsley, played by Michelle Randolph. With the underlying fear of losing her little girl looms large, the Norris matriarch’s angst and sharp wit in the moment reflects a perfect mix of humor and over-the-top despair.
Nevertheless, while Angela’s motherly fears are palpable, articulating the anxiety that many parents face when their children take their first steps into adulthood, it falls desperately short of being relatable when we learn Ainsley’s departure is only for a mere week at cheer camp at her soon-to-be university, just three hours away.
Despite his wife being in near tears at the thought of their daughter also having to share a room in gen pop, aka the dorms, Tommy rushes out the door to jump from the frying pan into the fire as he heads to catch a private jet down south with his M Tex Oil compadres for the launch of their new oil rig, off shore.
Before everyone is onboard and buckled in their seats for that quick trip, attorney Rebecca Falconea (Kayla Wallace) finds herself on the doorstep of her on-again, off-again geologist buddy, Charlie Newsome (Guy Burnet). Since Charlie has hit the scene, there has been a softening of Rebecca’s hard-shell exterior. Though it was only a matter of time, it seems Mr. Newsome has been the one to crack the code on the sharp-tongued corporate litigator’s vulnerability and defenselessness. Overlooking the fact that he’s loading up his gear for a six-month stint on a jack-up rig in the middle of the Gulf, the relentless legal strategist has come this day to make amends, with a reluctant apology and an urgent plea to keep their situationship going. No spoilers here — the two make up, as we knew they would; though, there is that pesky little workplace ethics violation of fraternizing with an employee that still remains. But, yeah, he’s worth it.
In Fort Worth, Angela drops Ainsley off at her new “home” for the week at TCU. At luck would have it, Taylor Sheridan could not have scripted a more fairly odd couple when Ainsley opens the door to her new roommate, who is her opposite in every sense of the word. Despite her best efforts, Ainsley is unable to breakthrough to common ground with the stranger. If truth be told, with that laundry list of “cannot dos,” “I must haves,” and preferred pronoun demands dominating every conversation, even Felix Unger would find Ainsley’s new roomie to be, as the kids would say, extra.
In no time, Ainsley finds herself back in the admissions office, sitting across from everyone’s fav university administrator Greta Stidham, played by acclaimed stage and screen actress, Miriam Silverman. Silverman’s portrayal of the no-nonsense admissions counselor stands out as a highlight every time she is on canvas, marked by her keen attention to character detail, employing subtle gestures and expressions that enhance her performance. Silverman’s deadpan delivery of one-word comebacks opposite Randolph’s blindly naive coed quips is comedic gold.
Though Ainsley is encouraged to pull on her big girl pants and work through her differences, she opts to cut to the chase and call in reinforcements. Pulled from a day of retail therapy to work through her empty nest despair, Angela storms her way back on campus to set things right for her daughter. The intimidating university admissions counselor is not easy intimidated, herself. That is until she goes word-for-word with the Texas tornado that is Angela Norris.
Played for dramatic laughs, the scene could have easily devolved into cinematic farce, if there were not some measure of truth to the fierce parental advocacy behind the moment. Believe me, the “Texas cheerleading mom” stereotype exists for a reason, and not just as a pop culture phenomenon reserved for Friday Night Lights. If you know, you know.
Just as Angela averts a college crisis back home, Tommy and friends touch down in the Louisiana bayou to attend the pseudo garden party setup at the water’s edge to view the offshore rig launch. Go big or go home, right? Finding her footing in her new role as big oil boss, Cami Miller, played by Demi Moore, wastes no time putting her own magic touch on M Tex oil’s initiatives and activities. Dressed to the nines in a scene-stealing pink chiffon, one-shoulder gown, the oil barroness invites her guests and employees to enjoy a Cajun banquet as they watch the company’s future sail out to the Gulf. Though, I must say, it does feels a lot like a let-them-eat-cake moment?
Under the sweltering heat and humidity, Tommy, himself, tries to make sense of the need for such pomp-and-circumstance in an industry that has learned not to count its millions before they are pulled from the ground and sealed in barrels. Nevertheless, his hesitance to celebrate unknowingly puts him at odds with his boss. Tommy better enjoy the shrimp while he can, Cami’s fade-to-black “she dropped a bomb on him” moment is going to make for a long ride home.
Nevertheless, the episode’s most emotionally charged moment comes back in Midland when Cooper Norris (Jacob Lofland) makes a planned stop after work to check in on his fiancé, Ariana (Paulina Chavez). When the often tenacious and determined single mom, oilfield widow finds herself in a harrowing confrontation with a brutish man during a break from her bartending job at the Patch Cafe, Cooper arrives just in time to protect what’s his, and not a moment to soon. While we want to believe this is a one-off moment for the reserved oilman to defend his bride-to-be, there is a nagging feeling the fallout from the events of this night may linger.
With only one episode remaining in Landman, we have less than 60 minutes left to tie up loose ends on this season’s controlled chaos. The season 2 finale is slated to drop on Sunday, January 18. Catch up on all your favorite episodes from the past nine weeks on Paramount+. Landman has already been renewed for a third season.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So