After an eventful and tragic two-episode premiere, Landman Episode 3 takes things slowly by creating a perfect balance of storylines between Tommy's personal life and hectic professional life.
"Hell Has a Front Yard" further fleshes out Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) as he continues to deal with the ramifications of the oil rig explosion and a plane crash that happened in the first two episodes.
Elsewhere, his ex-wife Angela arrives to rekindle their romance while his son, Cooper, tries to get back on his feet after losing his crew to the explosion.
Landman Episode 3 premiered on Paramount+ on November 24.
Who Are Landman Episode 3’s Guest Stars & Cast Members?
Mustafa Speaks - Boss
Mustafa Speaks makes his Landman debut in Episode 3 as Boss, Cooper's team leader in his new crew who is both a badass and compassionate man who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his fellow oilmen.
Unlike Cooper's former squad leader, Boss instantly trusts Cooper, but he also reminds him that death and conflict are an everyday thing in the patch.
Speaks recently appeared as Kenny Boone in All-American. The actor is also known for his roles in Joe Pickett, Chicago Med, and Proven Innocent.
Kristoffer Polaha - Clay Chandler
Kristoffer Polaha guest stars as Clay Chandler, Monty Miller's legal adviser who reminds him about all the legal fiasco that he has to deal with due to the two major tragedies that happened over the past weeks involving his oil company.
Polaha is an actor, producer, and director best known for his major roles in Jurassic World: Dominion, Castle, Get Shorty, and Backstrom.
J.R. Villarreal - Manuel
J.R. Villarreal appears as Manuel, one of Cooper's new teammates in the patch who is enraged over the fact that Cooper is the only one who survived in the oil rig explosion at the end of Landman Episode 1 that killed his cousins.
Villareal's most notable credits include roles in Freeridge, United We Fall, and Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion.
Octavio Rodriguez - Antonio
Octavio Rodriguez is part of Landman Episode 3's cast as Antonio, another one of Cooper's new teammates in the patch who pulls a gun on him during their initial encounter since he is mad about the death of his cousins during the oil rig explosion.
Rodriguez has credits in Lioness Season 2, Chicago P.D., and Grey's Anatomy.
Paulina Chávez - Ariana
Ariana (played by Paulina Chávez) is Elvio's widow who is reeling from her husband's death after the explosion. She strikes a bond with Cooper during his visit to his former teammates' wake.
Chávez can be seen in Fate: The Winx Saga, The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, and Padre Pio.
Here are Landman's main and recurring cast members who appear in Episode 3:
- Billy Bob Thornton - Tommy Norris
- Jon Hamm - Monty Miller
- Demi Moore - Cami Miller
- Ali Larter - Angela
- Michelle Randolph - Ainsley
- Jacob Lofland - Cooper
- James Jordan - Dale
- Colm Feore - Nate
- Rebecca - Kayla Wallace
- Rosemary Dominguez - Isabel
Check out photos and details of all the Landman cast members who appeared in Episode 1.
Landman Episode 3 Plot Summary & Ending Explained
A Messy Reunion
Landman Episode 3 begins with Angela's (Ali Larter) arrival, with Tommy and Ainsley (Landman breakout actress Michelle Anderson) waiting for her at Midland airport.
While Ainsley is not a big fan of her mother's visit, Tommy says that Angela is doing this to give her and her brother, Cooper, emotional support after the chaotic events over the past few days.
Angela has no luggage since she plans to leave immediately during the night, but this doesn't mean she won't enjoy her stay. She asks Tommy to bring her and her daughter to spend the day in Midland's country club where they will use Monty's (Jon Hamm) membership to pay the bill.
Angela's arrival somewhat derails Tommy's momentum on the professional side of things, which makes viewers wonder why their marriage did not work in the first place. Still, it is quite fascinating to see a different and laid-back version of Tommy.
Monty has Tommy's Back No Matter What
Meanwhile, Monty is distracting himself by playing golf, but business talk gets in the way of his enjoyment after his legal advisor, Clay Chandler, pinpoints Tommy's flaws in the whole legal fiasco they are in, noting that he is "an employee who knowingly violated every rule he came across."
The lawyer admits that it would be best for Monty to let Tommy go. However, Monty insists that Tommy is a proven asset, telling him that every oil company has a version of Tommy and that "you cannot function without one."
Monty's protective nature toward Tommy cements the fact that the pair have gone through hell and back, and their strong bond is at a point that it is unbreakable and no $80 million lawsuit can even break.
You see, whenever Monty has problems with the oil company that seems to be insurmountable, Tommy is the only guy he can call to solve it. That goes to show how valuable he is since he is willing to do what needs to be done (legal or illegal) to get out of any messy situation.
Cooper's Rough Time in the Patch Continues
At the man camp, Cooper (Jacob Lofland) is jumped by two guys who are seeking revenge for the death of his old crew. It turns out that these two individuals are cousins of his late crew, and they want revenge because they blame him for their deaths.
He manages to fight them off, though, while also outsmarting Antonio after he pulls a gun on him.
Fans can recall that Tommy warned Cooper in Landman Episode 2 that it will not be a smooth transition on his return to the patch, and it is clear that not everyone likes the new oilman.
Despite that, Boss arrives to pacify the situation, with him even giving the gun that Antonio tried to use on him, saying that he needs to protect himself because "sometimes those gunfights trying to get to you."
Boss is a seasoned oilman, which is why he takes Cooper under his wing and recruits him to be part of his crew because they need a "worm" (a term used to describe the newbies in the patch).
Boss reminds him that death is inevitable at the oil rigs, pointing out, "Devil [is] cooking up new ways [to play games with us] every day."
Tommy's Family Day Gets Interrupted
Tommy's family reunion continues at the Midland Country Club and most of the conversation revolves around Angela giving Ainsley advice on how to move on from her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Loving (Drake Rodger).
Our resident landman is doing whatever he can to control Angela as she continues to spontaneously show off her body to the rest of the club members.
He tells the waiter to not give her any more Margaritas because he is aware of how wild his ex-wife can be when she is drunk.
His Sunday then gets interrupted by a call from the snooping and up-and-coming lawyer Rebecca (played by Landman newcomer Kayla Wallace) who insists that she wants to see the plane crash site.
Ahead of their big meeting with TTP (the owners of the trucks that the plane crashed into), her goal is to find a fall guy for the incident, and she doesn't care if it ends up being Tommy, Monty, or any other person tied to the company.
Of course, Tommy doesn't want to be on the lawyer's bad side so he agrees to meet her and go to the crash site.
During his drive on the way to Rebecca, Nathan (Colm Feore), his roommate and his trusted lawyer, calls Tommy to talk to him about the young lawyer, warning him that she is someone who is "an expert in the causation of liability" so he needs to be careful and do whatever he can "to make her blame someone else."
Meanwhile, Ainsley finds out via Instagram that his ex-boyfriend is now dating her co-captain, Madison. Ashley tries her best to comfort her with margaritas, which is not an ideal way to move forward.
Cooper Tries to Make Amends
Cooper, who is ridden with guilt, tries to make amends with the family of his old crew by going to their house.
Although he encounters a rude welcome party led by the two men whom he took down the other day (aka his new teammates), Luis' widow stops the commotion and invites him over to the house to eat.
Inside, he strikes an unexpected bond with Ariana (Paulina Chávez), the wife of another one of his late crew members, Elvio, and she leans on him for emotional support.
This is an awkward situation for Cooper, especially after almost everyone in the house notices their closeness. You couldn't blame Ariana, though, since she is still reeling from her husband's death.
Tommy Flexes His Oil Business Knowledge
At first glance, Tommy and Rebecca may be an odd couple, and they mightily prove it once they clash over the specifics of what truly happened with the stolen plane.
Rebecca presses him as to why he did not report the plane as stolen, but Tommy has a trick under his sleeve by showcasing his knowledge in the world of oil dealings.
He tells her that it has been a common thing for oil companies to lose planes, trucks, and any other heavy equipment, and the fact that they eventually make their way back has been proven time and time again.
There are two solid scenarios here. If Tommy ends up keeping his mouth shut and does not report it, then the truck magically returns to the company in two or three weeks.
If he ends up reporting one of these lost vehicles and a state trooper ends up finding them, then that truck or plane is not going to be released until the trial is over.
The conversation shifts to Rebecca mocking the oil industry after spotting some wind turbines, telling him that green energy could "push out the oil industry."
Tommy then brings Rebecca to the nearby wind turbines before flexing (once again) how oil is what keeps everything together, arguing the fact that "our whole lives depend on it" and "we're going to run out of it before we find its replacement."
Instead of making her his best friend or sleeping with her, he appears to be helping Rebecca understand the importance of the oil business.
There is one exchange that stands out between the pair where Rebecca insists that oil is the thing that could kill us all before Tommy argues by saying, "No, the thing that's gonna kill us all is running out before we find an alternative."
Tommy is more than just a landman. He understands the oil business and he has that vibe where he will even sacrifice himself to save it.
The meeting abruptly ends after a snake almost bites Rebecca. Thankfully, Tommy swoops in to save the day. If that does not put him on her good side, then I don't know what is.
Tommy & Angela Reflect on Their Failed Marriage
Back at home, Tommy and Angela starts to have an honest conversation before having sex. It turns out that Ainsley wants to stay with Tommy for good, with him thinking that his daughter wants to know his true badass oil-thinking self.
Angela doesn't know what to do, and it looks like Tommy wants to try to sort out their failed marriage and be together again.
However, Angela is well aware that she doesn't want to be the second priority again (the main reason why their marriage failed) since she knows that Tommy's number one concern is his job.
Kill the Well: Landman Episode 3's Ending Explained
Cooper's second week at the patch begins and it mirrors Episode 1's sequence of him riding along with his crew before getting four coffees ahead of a brand-new day.
There is a huge problem upon their arrival at the site since the oil well that Cooper and his crew are about to work on is not functioning well.
Tommy, who is already on the site, alongside Dale (James Jordan) inspects the oil well. Dale tells him that the 35-year-old well "needs worked over."
The thing is this oil well only produces 12 barrels a day, unlike its original tally of 180 a day.
Anyone in their right mind would want to kill this well even if means a dip in data and suffering from expensive costs in decommissioning one.
The resident landman calls Monty to let him know about the current situation, but he insists that he doesn't like reworking wells since data shows that M-Tex's oils are currently on the dip.
After some convincing from Tommy, Monty decides to kill the well.
At Monty's house, his wife, Cami (Demi Moore), reminds him to take a pill and exercise to keep his heart healthy.
While this may be a throwaway line for some, this could hint at Monty's declining health, and his potential death could have massive ramifications for M-Tex and Tommy's life.
The episode ends with Cooper being assigned by Boss to the floor hands before Tommy reminds him to get his act together so that no one else will die.
New episodes of Landman premiere every Sunday at midnight PT on Paramount+.
