Season 2 of Landman is taking Tulsa King’s Season 3 trajectory. After a few underwhelming episodes that made the show look like a molehill posing as a mountain, things are slowly getting back on track. Episode 5, immersing us with consummate flair and detail, specifically answered a question we’ve been asking ourselves all along. Who will be John Hamm’s replacement? The actor portrayed M-Tex Oil CEO, Monty Miller, but had to exit the show to dedicate more time to his critically acclaimed dark comedy series, Your Friends & Neighbors.
Following Monty’s death, it wasn’t so clear who would be calling the shots. Would it be Tommy? After all, he had been promoted to President of M-Tex. Though Tommy was committed to boosting the shaky company’s standing with a combination of troubleshooting and tough love, he is now being thwarted by Monty’s cold, cynical widow, Cami, whose end-justifies-means approach is threatening to deep-six everything. Initially, she seemed content with letting Tommy call the shots, a move that made sense considering that she hadn’t been actively involved in the business before. However, things changed in Episode 5, and Cami is now keen on dominance. What happened?
Gallino’s Involvement Has Driven a Wedge Between Cami and Tommy
Tommy and Cami looked like dream partners, but with Gallino in the picture, things are becoming complicated. M-Tex’s missing $400 million is proving to be a major headache for everyone, especially because the attorneys at the insurance company have unleashed their claws. In Episode 5, we learn that the missing money is currently invested in private equity funds, so it can’t just be pulled out. That would mean huge losses.
During a heated discussion, the attorneys insist the new rig start operations in less than two months, and demand weekly progress reports to ensure the company is doing as required. Any lack of cooperation will lead to a grand jury determining M-Tex’s future, and no one wants that to happen.
In an emergency meeting, Alan advises Cami to file for bankruptcy. On a negative note, she’d lose M-Tex, along with some of the leases and royalties from mineral rights, but her debt would vanish. This seems like a logical idea for Tommy, but not for Cami, who has been pondering over an investment offer by Danny Morrell, who secretly operates as the cartel boss “Gallino.”
Tommy knows the kind of person Morrell is, but even when he informs Cami, she surprisingly doesn’t seem to care about all the risks that might sprout from teaming up with a drug trafficker. She becomes hostile, telling Tommy that he should never summon her for a meeting again and that “From now on, meetings come to me.”
Cami Is the Captain Now
The declaration of dominance from Cami echoes the famous scene from Captain Phillips where a pirate declares that he is in charge of the vessel. “Look at me, I’m the captain now,” he says. Cami is willing to risk being the cartel’s top money launderer if it means she’ll keep everything Monty built and hold on to M-Tex. Losing the company is simply not an option for her. Neither is losing. “The only loss I ever endured was the loss of my husband!” Wow!
Is Cami being naïve or smart? It doesn’t matter. This ship will either sail to the shore or do a Titanic. But choices have to be made. Tommy hasn’t been providing any logical solutions. And he doesn’t seem to care much about the loss of the company because he is an employee. Cami, on the other hand, understands that her family’s legacy is tied to M-Tex. Dirty money? Bring it! As long as it washes the problems away. A deal with the devil has been made, but at what cost?
The move is likely to have huge implications. Tommy might grow disgruntled, and Cami might become a proper villain, as she should. It would be a shame for Demi Moore’s evil-human monologue skills to go to waste. Did you see how Cami put the fear of God in everyone in the season premiere? Damn! The chutzpah! The widow seems to be a believer in the mantra: “Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one.” Everyone can offer suggestions, but she’ll do as she pleases.
M-Tex’s future is now in Cami’s hands, just like it was in Monty’s hands. Perhaps this move pushes Tommy back to his usual tasks as a landman instead of trying to play corporate chess at the highest levels. Maybe he tucks his tail between his legs and leaves the managerial work to Cami forever after concluding that he shouldn’t be concerned about the moral hand-wringing regarding how business is done. Just sit back and revel in the genius of whoever does it best. But it’s hard to picture him doing that. He’s going to fight, one way or the other.
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