Episode 2 of "Landman" resumes right after the catastrophic oil rig explosion that claimed the lives of Cooper's entire crew, leaving him as the sole soul clinging to survival amidst the ruins. Devastated by the loss of his nascent camaraderie and stranded atop the desolate rig, Cooper grapples with the depths of despair.
Elsewhere, Tommy and his companions, Nate, Dale, and his daughter Ainsley, experience a morning tinged with leisure yet unnervingly disturbing for the audience's discerning eyes. Ainsley weeps over Dakota's departure, while Nate ogles at her as she ambles around the house, sparking an uncomfortable tension. A misunderstanding in the bathroom escalates into chaos, leaving Dale with an injury and Ainsley's screams echoing throughout the house, heightening the eerie atmosphere.
Tommy receives a harrowing call from Walt, who informs him of the rig explosion. With urgency, he rushes out, dialing Monty en route. Monty's harried demeanor reveals the immense strain he's under from the plane crash, now compounded by this fresh catastrophe. Upon arriving at the scene, Tommy spots Cooper in the ambulance but exhibits a striking lack of concern for the latter's wellbeing; his mind is engrossed in whether a crucial valve has been secured. Springing into decisive action, he ushers Walt and the firefighters aside to shut the valve himself, enduring a minor injury in the process.
Despite his hurt, Tommy takes a moment to savor a beer and a cigarette, relishing a fleeting moment of calm before instructing the company's fire crew to proceed to the location. He then speeds off to the hospital, leaving a trail of tension in his wake. Meanwhile, attorney Rebecca Falcone lands at the airport, ready to tackle the myriad woes currently plaguing M-Tex Oil Company, poised to navigate the stormy waters ahead.
At the hospital's hushed corridors, Tommy dials Angela's number, his voice tinged with urgency as he relays the news of Ainsley's heartbreaking split with Dakota and the shocking hospitalization of Cooper. Amidst the clinical ambiance, Cooper makes a grim decision,拒绝接受手指尖端再植手术, preferring instead to use a pocket knife to amputate it himself, leaving the attending physician utterly dismayed. With a steady yet disturbing resolve, he instructs the doctor to prepare for stitching up the wound while he momentarily steps away to visit his son, a task that pulls him further into a whirlwind of emotions.
On his way, his phone buzzes with a call from Walt, delivering the grim news of bodies discovered at the oil well. In the ER, Tommy's demeanor lacks compassion towards Cooper, who is visibly shattered by the abrupt demise of his colleagues. Instead, he delivers a harsh lecture, accusing Cooper of selfishness and urging him to reconsider his vocational path. Tommy warns that the next time he finds himself delivering the grim news of a settlement to a bereaved family, it might be Angela on the receiving end.
Tommy then reaches out to Monty, who is immersed in his daughter's athletic event, informing him of the tragic loss and suggesting a substantial monetary settlement for each deceased crew member as a gesture of compensation. As he awaits Walt's arrival to proceed to the victims' families, Tommy finds himself entangled in a heated dispute with a police officer, the tension in the air thick with anticipation.
En route, Tommy calls Nate, instructing him to prepare the necessary paperwork and expedite it to the accounts department. Upon arriving at Medina's residence, where the family is huddled in grief, Tommy's mind races with the gravity of the situation.
Later, Tommy retreats to the bar, where his flirtatious conversation with Angela reaches a crescendo, culminating in her promise to visit him and the children the following morning. Meanwhile, Rebecca, now settled in her hotel room, makes her way to meet Tommy at the bar, proposing a strategic shift in focus from the plane crash to the blowout incident to minimize public scrutiny. Tommy concurs, agreeing to escort Rebecca to the incident site, but their discussion soon turns contentious over substandard equipment that violates OSHA regulations and the peril it poses to workers' lives. Rebecca expresses her desire to speak with Cooper, but Tommy deflects, suggesting she await his departure from the hospital.
As Tommy headed back home, he dialed Monty's number, his tone laced with dissatisfaction as he confronted Monty about sending Rebecca, accusing her of having ulterior motives against him. He reminded Monty, with a hint of sarcasm, that his wells were in such a sorry state that they'd fail any OSHA inspection due to their substandard conditions.
Monty, undaunted, assured Tommy he'd delve into the matter to uncover the lawyers behind the decision and issued a stern warning: never again should Tommy raise his voice to him, for he was, after all, the boss.
Tommy's drive was interrupted by two more calls. The first came from Ainsley, her voice tinged with playfulness as she requested he bring her a burger and fries. The second call was from Angela, her tone more insistent, urging Tommy to invite her to Midland to assist with the children.
Upon arriving home later that night, Tommy shared a meal with Ainsley, updating her on Cooper's decision to quit school to work for him. Ainsley dismissed Cooper as a loser, but Tommy countered, reminding her that the oil patch now attracted dreamers, not failures.
The following morning, Tommy picked Cooper up from the hospital. During the ride back, Cooper steadfastly declared his aspiration to follow in his father's footsteps as a landman. Tommy attempted to discourage him, mentioning that for every Monty, there were hundreds of landmen, suggesting it wasn't a lucrative path. Cooper, however, drew a distinction between Tommy and Monty, noting that Monty never quit. This comment sparked Tommy's ire, prompting him to bring the truck to a halt.
Tommy snapped back, emphasizing that the real difference between him and Monty was that he didn't have a trust fund to fall back on, thus choosing to fight tooth and nail for his future. Cooper remained undeterred, asserting his ambition to run an oil company one day and gain a comprehensive understanding of its workings.
As the episode concluded, Cooper implored Tommy to assign him to another crew. Tommy cautioned him that he'd bear the blame for what transpired with the previous crew, but Cooper was insistent. Tommy, relenting, promised to find him a place in another team.
