The third episode of Landman's second season kicks off with a sinister twist as a toxic H2S gas leak in the woods claims the lives of a horde of hunters. It's a grim, deadly spectacle, and as the Hydrogen Sulfide fumes spread across the fields, M-Tex is presented with yet another daunting challenge to overcome. The camera pans out to reveal the gruesome scene, where numerous other animals lie lifeless as well.
Meanwhile, Angela and Tommy are on the road together, with Tommy having a meeting with Dan Morrell, the man Cooper has forged a partnership with. Angela, on the other hand, is eager to check out some new houses.
At Monty's office, Cami sifts through the papers and realizes that things are looking bleak—they're in dire straits financially. When Tommy discovers this, he promptly calls Rebecca to postpone their flight, insisting on meeting at the Fort Worth office to hash out what's happening.
Tommy meets with Dan Morrell, and the tension is palpable. It soon becomes clear why Tommy is not pleased with this partnership. Dan Morrell, it turns out, is a drug dealer and has saved Tommy from a nasty encounter in the past. Despite his insistence that his current cash flow is clean and that he has enough power to turn the tables for men, Tommy isn't buying it and walks away. There's clearly a lot of unfinished business between them.
As Tommy emerges from the meeting, he calls Cooper and orders him to hold off on any drilling until they sort out this mess. However, that's easier said than done given Cooper is already in the midst of setting up another drill.
Meanwhile, Dale and Boss venture out scouting and come across the bodies. With horror, they realize it's a H2S leak and the gang immediately starts retching, rushing for safety. They call for backup, who arrive armed with gas masks and hazmat suits.
Concurrently, Ariana finds herself working as a bartender, a job that, speaking from experience, captures the essence of the occupation brilliantly! A lecherous customer tests her patience to the limit, and in return, he gets a drink sloshed in his face. Surprisingly, this mishap doesn't lead to her dismissal. Moreover, Ariana remains unphased and continues to work as if nothing happened.
Returning to the main narrative, events take a downward spiral for Tommy as he already has a dire day before encountering Cami. It's then he realizes the severity of their financial predicament. Despite generating substantial revenue, M-Tex has frittered away its funds by dividing the company into various LLCs. The revenue is supposed to be channeled into an M. Hiller holdco, which would cater to payroll, leases, and exploration expenses. However, in reality, no money has been trickling down from the holdco; instead, they're relying on lines of credit. Rebecca, with her keen eye for details, observes that this strategy is a way to minimize tax liability.
The most pressing issue at hand is their inability to fund their offshore drilling due to Monty's meticulous control over the account used to service these loans. If the IRS gets a hold of this, they'll have a field day. They urgently need to locate Alan, who happens to be at the Cattleman's Club.
Moreover, the fallout from the gas leak looms as another problem that doesn't directly affect Tommy in this episode. However, we learn that they'll have to shut down all wells and bring in an environmental clean-up crew as soon as possible. Although it'll take two years, the payoff would be worth it if they start drilling given that the oil is pooled. Dale believes they also need to enhance their wrongful death policy coverage, especially after the recent close call in the fields. This, of course, means more money that the company doesn't have.
For now, Cami and Tommy confront Alan about the money at the club. After a bit of physical persuasion, Alan reveals that the revenue is funneled into a holding account and then used to fund an offshore drilling company in Nassau. They set up a meeting and demand answers with urgency.
Ironically, Dan Morrell is also present at the club and has witnessed everything firsthand. He jokes that Tommy's rough handling of Alan is not unlike his own modus operandi for getting things done. However, things take a sudden turn for the worse. Angela arrives, admires Dan's exquisite taste, and arranges for the traffic to be cleared so that they can all have a drink together—including Cami and Dan's wife. One drink turns into an entire evening of socializing and mingling.
As the evening wears on and things settle into a comfortable haze, Dan takes Tommy aside and offers to help him with his "problem." But Tommy knows this is a slippery slope, and he refuses. Dan looks incredulous and points out that they are already in business together.
Interestingly, as Tommy and Angela leave, Dan approaches Cami. He brings up that he is an investor and that he invests in people, which piques her interest. Will Cami go into business with Dan?
