Landman Season 2, Episode 9, "Plans, Tears, and Sirens," revealed the gut-wrenching reason why Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) got fired, even though he had the right mindset in the oil business. Season 1 of Taylor Sheridan's original Paramount+ series ended with the sudden death of Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), leaving his wife Cami (Demi Moore) to take over as the owner of M-Tex Oil. Cami's takeover of the company led to numerous questionable decisions that made Tommy, a veteran in the industry and the President of M-Tex's Operations, scratch his head.
It all came to a head when Cami took a bold risk by investing millions of dollars to begin drilling on an offshore oil rig in Louisiana, which has only a 10% chance of producing oil. The problem with this decision is that Tommy (and some of the other employees) believe there is zero chance for the offshore rig to produce anything, which could lead to M-Tex's bankruptcy. This point of contention reached its peak in Season 2's penultimate episode when Cami made a shocking move by firing Tommy.
Why Did Cami Fire Tommy in Landman Season 2?
Landman Season 2, Episode 9 assembled most of the core characters during the start of drilling the offshore oil rig in Louisiana, fully cementing Cami's first big decision (or some would say, risk) as owner of M-Tex Oil. However, Tommy was still not a fan of the risky drill operation, which led to an honest conversation with Cami.
Cami told Tommy that she already understood why her late husband loved owning an oil company, noting that "there's a rush, an exhilaration to the risk:"
"I understand it now, what drove him. There's a rush, an exhilaration to the risk."
Tommy, though, once again pointed out that the rush she is feeling is not good, noting that he does everything in his power to prevent himself or anyone he cares about from getting into that sinkhole. It's worth noting that Tommy took a significant risk in the past, which ultimately led to his bankruptcy during the 2008 financial crisis.
Tommy's negative take on the matter appeared to be the final straw that pushed Cami over the edge, prompting her to fire Tommy, saying, "The president of my company can't be averse to the very thing that built it."
Tommy's shocking firing would lead to massive ramifications across M-Tex and his personal life. Aside from losing his main source of income, it also placed his family in a difficult situation, considering that they are already in a vulnerable state due to the loss of Tommy's mother and the overspending of his wife and daughter.
Interestingly, Tommy already knew that his job was in a dangerous situation as early as Landman Season 2, Episode 6. During the episode, Tommy had an honest conversation with Gallino (Andy Garcia) where he pointed out that Cami doesn't trust him because "she thinks I'm a loser:"
"Me and her husband started out together. So, at one point, I had a version of what she has. But I didn’t hedge it. Crash of ’08 pretty much cleaned me out. So I went to work for her husband. She doesn’t trust me ’cause she thinks I’m a loser. And she thinks I’m gonna lose her fortune."
Aside from Tommy's insistence that offshore drilling would not work for M-Tex, the fact that he knew Cami didn't trust him contributed to his firing from M-Tex. This firing didn't mean that Billy Bob Thornton would leave Landman after Season 2, especially after he mentioned in a previous interview that he wanted to stay in the series "for as long as they'll have me."
Does Tommy Stay Fired? What Happens to Him in Landman Depends on Cami
Landman Season 2's penultimate episode ended with uncertainty regarding Tommy's status in M-Tex, and it appeared that he was out of his way and had no chance of coming back. Still, many believed that Tommy's firing was a clear foreshadowing of Cami and M-Tex's downfall.
There was also an inconsistency surrounding Cami's business partnership with Tommy, especially after she outright told him that she wanted him to find success for the company at any cost.
By firing Tommy, she single-handedly caused M-Tex's future collapse and betrayed her husband's legacy, as Tommy was the one who had kept Monty in check with his past decisions.
It seems that the only way for Tommy to get back into M-Tex was for Cami to experience a rude awakening and realize that her decision to fire him was wrong in the first place. Hopefully, M-Tex is still not in shambles before Tommy returns to save at least part of the company he loves and gave him endless opportunities.
