This series is really leaning into the heavy themes, and Landman Season 1 Episode 3, “Hell Has a Front Yard,” doesn’t change that.
It dives deep into the oil industry’s inner workings and our complicated relationship with clean energy, continuing with the personal toll this world takes on everyone connected to it.
In many ways, it’s laying down some real talk about just how reliant we are on petroleum — and the fact that even those pushing for a cleaner future don’t fully grasp what that transition would demand.
Tommy’s conversation with Rebecca sums this up perfectly.
Tommy doesn’t sugarcoat his take on green energy. He lays out the uncomfortable truth: those 400-foot wind turbines may look like the future, but they’re embedded in the same system they’re meant to replace.
To build, maintain, and eventually dispose of them, you need a lot of diesel and oil, not to mention resources like lithium for batteries, which have their own environmental baggage.
It’s like a checklist of all the ways clean energy isn’t actually so clean once you peek behind the curtain.
And when Tommy starts listing everyday items made with petroleum — from lipstick to tennis rackets to cell phones — it hits home. You can’t just flip a switch on petroleum; it’s embedded in modern life in ways most of us don’t even realize.
This isn’t a discussion that negates the need for alternative energy; it’s about not getting complacent about thinking we’ve already found it when we haven’t.
Right from their first exchange, you can tell Rebecca’s mindset is miles away from Tommy’s.
She’s all about questioning gender roles and spotting every sign of age discrimination, which seems out of place in the harsh reality of the oil fields. And, whether intended or not, it’s very funny.
When she scolds Tommy for merely asking her age, Tommy’s blunt reply highlights the absurdity of her complaints in an industry that doesn’t have much room for “woke” conversations.
And her squeamishness when faced with a rattlesnake? That scene practically writes itself — Tommy’s exasperation is hilarious as he kills the snake for her, tossing its carcass back at her as if to say, “This is the real world, honey.”
Moments like these don’t shy away from poking fun at the clash between urban ideals and the brutal reality of field work, something that often gets lost in other on-screen conversations.
While Rebecca’s idealism feels out of place, her presence adds a layer of irony to the whole situation.
Here’s a young lawyer trying to bring accountability into a world that thrives on looking the other way, and her attempts to fit her ideals into this rugged landscape just don’t hold up.
Her naïveté contrasts sharply with Tommy’s hard truths about the industry, particularly when he explains just how deeply petroleum runs through everything we depend on.
Tommy’s truthful talk hits her over the head with a reality check: you can’t just take oil out of the equation without pulling the rug out from under modern life.
And her silence says it all — there’s no comeback, no idealistic rebuttal, just the harsh reality she’s only beginning to grasp.
You really have to laugh at how far apart they seem on the issue, especially when you can see that sharing their ideas would not only be worthwhile but enjoyable.
And unless I’m losing my touch, there is something simmering just under the surface of her annoyance that looks like attraction. Informed opposition can be an intellectual turn-on.
But Rebecca isn’t just here to clash with Tommy. She’s been brought in by TTP to shift the blame onto him for an OSHA violation, even though Monty, Tommy’s boss, isn’t thrilled about it.
Monty’s in a tough spot — he recognizes that Tommy’s not exactly following the rulebook, but he also knows Tommy is the kind of guy who gets things done. Hell, he’d probably print Tommy’s rulebook if he could.
When Monty meets with another executive (played by one of my favorite people, Kristoffer Polaha) to discuss what happened, it’s clear he’s weighing the cost of pinning everything on Tommy against the bigger picture of keeping operations running smoothly.
Monty’s balancing act will likely recur on Landman, where the pressure to maintain profit clashes with the personal responsibility of keeping their people safe.
You can feel his reluctance, especially when he’s told that if he doesn’t hold Tommy accountable, it’ll be Monty’s head on the line next time.
This episode also retains the human side of the story, particularly with Cooper, who’s trying to make peace with the families of those lost in the premiere.
His visit to the widows is awkward and oddly endearing. Young widow Ariana feels it, too, and they find odd solace together in his presence. You can feel Cooper’s discomfort and respect, as well as Ariana’s attempt to distract herself, if only for a moment.
Cooper may not be family, but in that living room, sharing a meal and a quiet moment, he’s showing up in a way that feels deeply human and unlike anything Ariana has experienced before.
And in typical soap opera fashion, the encounter sets up more trouble for Cooper, as the air between him and Ariana crackles with electricity. I suspect he won’t be able to stay away from her, and she won’t want him to.
Hopefully, the beatdown he took won’t be an episodic thing and the tide will turn for him. The fact he keeps standing when the others want him to disappear speaks volumes.
Then there’s Angela, waltzing into Tommy’s life again with what we already know is her signature drama. She’s a tornado, pulling in her daughter Ainsley, who’s caught between her parents’ messy past and complicated present.
Angela disrupting Tommy’s routine with her sexy flirtations and reminiscing is quite entertaining for us, but that kind of on-again-off-again emotion must be exhausting.
She balances being destructive and undeniably charming, which makes it easy to understand why Tommy can’t let her go. She’s a lot like the oil business — the highs are mesmerizing, and the lows can crush your soul.
If she’s hoping her mere presence will be the lynchpin of their getting together again, she might be right. She’s needy and intoxicating and uses her sexual confidence as a weapon in battles she almost always wins.
Angela’s chaotic presence and Cooper’s need to still his pained heart by reaching out to the family of those he feels responsible for killing give Landman unexpected range.
But for me, the clash of ideologies between Tommy and Rebecca really gets at the heart of Landman. When you pull away from its soapiness, there is a conversation we really need to have.
It’s not just a show about oil rigs and corporate battles; it’s about the real-world consequences of our demand for resources, the toll it takes on everyone involved, and the uncomfortable truths that don’t fit neatly into an “alternative energy” narrative.
This kind of moral complexity gets me every time.
It’s what I keep hoping will seep into our real-world discussions, but it is always just beyond our reach. Confronting our limitations and choices we’ve made and need to make is tough but necessary.
The combination of these elements — the industry critique, the human fallout, and the messy personal relationships — is why I’ve already fallen in love with Landman.
The story doesn’t just focus on the dangers of drilling oil but digs into the psychology and daily lives of those who keep this machine running.
Tommy’s no saint, but he’s a straight shooter.
He may be earning a paycheck from a highly contested industry, but he also sees the bigger picture and isn’t afraid to talk about it.
Notes from The Patch:
- When Calls the Heart star Kayla Wallace works hard to show her edge in this new role with great success. Fiona who?
- Cooper’s physical prowess surprised me almost as much as the cousins who wanted his head on a platter.
- After Demi Moore’s amazing comeback recently, especially with The Substance, it’s hard to watch her as an ornamental wife. Hopefully, she’ll have more to do in future episodes.
- Meanwhile, Ali Larter is showing off her incredible talent and body, proving that being middle-aged isn’t the end of the world. I dare any of today’s ingenues to compete with that powerful force on screen.
- People are always questioning Taylor Sheridan’s politics, and these frank conversations about alternative energy will only fuel the fire. Independent thinkers for the win!
Landman doesn’t offer easy answers, which makes it so compelling. We’re reminded that every solution has a cost, and sometimes, the people trying to bring accountability to the table — like Rebecca — find themselves in way over their heads.
It kind of leaves you with a lingering sense of dread, as though it’s all leading up to something inevitable. I can’t wait to see where this tangled web of alliances, grudges, and harsh realities takes us next.
If you’re digging Landman, let me know in the comments below. I’m especially interested in what you think of Hurricane Angela and the frank conversation about green energy!
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