Love, Danger, and Oil Field Drama
The Permian Basin never sleeps, and episode seven of Landman’s opening season, “All Roads Lead to a Hole,” hammers that fact home with every roughneck’s swing. The show never lets up. Tension brews, relationships shift, and the landscape seems to swallow up everyone and everything unlucky enough to cross its paths. There’s no question—this episode goes deep. Let’s dig through every gritty, complicated layer.
Cooper Norris Comes Home—But Not Where You’d Expect
Early on, we see Cooper Norris wheel out of the hospital. The wounds from his harrowing ordeal in episode six haven’t healed, and neither have the emotional scars. Tommy, Cooper’s dad, can hardly contain his worry. He wants to keep his son safe, so he offers a place to convalesce. But Cooper? He refuses. He chooses to bunk at Ariana’s house instead.
Ariana, grappling with the death of her husband Elvio, insists on nursing Cooper back to health herself. She blames herself for his injuries. Tommy doesn’t hide his concern. He warns her that trouble follows Cooper, especially now. Rivalries and threats linger everywhere. Ariana, however, stands her ground. She wants to help Cooper recover on her terms. So Cooper parks himself in her home, and an unusual new household forms.
Their dynamic starts to shift quickly. Cooper’s vulnerability meets Ariana’s resilience head-on. Over time, it grows into something softer—a partnership built on shared pain and raw honesty. Even in pain, Cooper manages a few jokes. Ariana laughs for the first time since Elvio’s funeral. Their chemistry feels real, and that draws them even closer.
Angela and Ainsley Find Their Footing in Midland
On the other side of town, Angela works hard to put down roots. She isn’t content just being another oilman’s wife. With Ainsley tagging along, she scouts out Western Skies, a local nursing home. The energy in the place falls somewhere between dead and dying. Most residents just sit, staring at dusty TV screens. Some barely acknowledge visitors.
Angela refuses to settle for watching people fade—she steps in and takes charge. She plans a party. She drags in games and snacks, and lets Ainsley help pick out music. Laughter trickles through the halls, then suddenly there’s a buzz in the air. People talk. Some even flirt. For a moment, the gray walls don’t feel so bleak.
Angela’s eyes light up, and for the first time since her move, she feels a sense of purpose. Maybe there’s more to Midland than oil money and roughnecks. For Angela, this taste of community service flicks at a new direction, something her old life never offered.
Monty Miller Bets Big—And Tommy Pays the Price
Back at the oil patch, Monty Miller sets his sights on bolder horizons. He’s eyeing a lucrative new drilling operation, one with big risks and even bigger rewards. Monty wants Tommy’s honest take before charging in.
Tommy doesn’t sugarcoat it. He’s worried. The drilling site sits squarely inside cartel territory, and recent events have proven how deadly that can get. Monty listens…for a moment. Then he does what he always does: He signs on, but he hands Tommy the headache. Tommy’s in charge of getting the new well up and running. If chaos breaks out, it’s Tommy’s reputation—and possibly his life—on the line.
Tommy rallies his crew and sets up camp at the new site. Sweat and nerves mingle in the West Texas sun. The drilling begins, but the real threat has nothing to do with slipping tools or dry holes.
Tension at the Drill Site
- Cartel members roll in, not bothering to hide their faces.
- They demand payment for the last “incident.”
- Tommy stands firm, refusing to give in. His men stay sharp and ready.
- The standoff crackles with violence just beneath the surface.
Every worker at that site knows what’s at stake. One wrong move, and blood could spill. Monty’s gamble hangs over them all.
Teenage Dreams and Family Drama Collide
While the grown-ups wrestle with adult problems, Ainsley seeks fun. She sneaks out to a patch party overflowing with rowdy locals and muddy trucks. There, she meets Ryder Sampson—a quarterback with charm to spare. Their flirtation is fast. They end up alone in Ryder’s truck, laughter giving way to something more serious.
But Tommy isn’t as clueless as his daughter hopes. Angela tracks Ainsley’s phone when she realizes her daughter isn’t where she said she’d be. Tommy storms the party, catches Ryder and Ainsley before things go too far, and lets loose his Texas-sized wrath.
This sequence puts the Norris family’s tensions front and center. Tommy wants to protect his daughter, but Ainsley aches for independence. Angela tries to build bridges, but she learns quickly—Midland moves by its own rules.
Cartel Shadows Stretch Further
Later, the cartel’s threats escalate. They corner Tommy again, pressing harder for payment, their patience thinning.
The message is clear: Don’t cross us. Tommy, and everyone who works for him, sits in the crosshairs. The tension throughout the oil field grows thicker with every interaction. Crews start whispering. Some threaten to walk out. Even the drill bit slows, like the earth itself understands trouble’s coming.
Hearts and Homes Get Tangled
Meanwhile, Cooper and Ariana’s relationship grows more than friendly. Their banter takes a softer shape. One night, lying side by side, Ariana gently worries about Cooper’s wounds. She touches his scar, and he leans into her hand. A tentative kiss follows.
Their moment gets interrupted when Rebecca, the company lawyer, and Nathan, a high-strung executive, arrive. They aren’t there for social calls—they want Ariana to sign a settlement agreement following Elvio’s workplace death. Rebecca spots Cooper sprawled across Ariana’s couch. The meeting turns awkward fast, and tension slices the air once again.
Ariana holds off signing anything, and Cooper promises to stick around for support. The alliances forming around that modest kitchen table may change everything for both of them.
What’s Next Up the Pipe?
“All Roads Lead to a Hole” digs deeper than any drill bit could. It’s not just about patchwork land deals or tough talk in dusty fields. The episode lays bare what happens when pride, loyalty, and fear all clash underground.
From the Norris family, we see raw emotion continually bubble up—anger, hope, regret. Cooper and Ariana reach for healing, even if it means breaking the rules. Ainsley smashes into adulthood, but her parents refuse to let go of the wheel. Angela, in her own quiet way, discovers new meaning far from Midland’s endless oil wells.
And yet, the shadow of violence keeps stretching. Monty’s risky decisions batter Tommy from every side, and the cartel’s threats linger day and night. Now, everyone must pick their battles. Some roads, as the episode’s title spells out, lead deeper into danger.
So, where does this leave us with Landman’s cast of survivors, dreamers, and schemers?
- Cooper finds fragile comfort, but his demons sleep lightly.
- Ariana holds her household together with sheer will and stubborn grace.
- The Norris family stands at a crossroads, with truth and rebellion running in their veins.
- Tommy? He faces cartel danger, workplace chaos, and personal betrayal—sometimes all before noon.
Landman S01E07 reminds us: out here, every relationship gets tested. Every risk echoes along the horizon. And when the dust finally settles, you might not recognize what comes up out of the hole. One thing is certain—it’s never just oil.
Stay tuned. The roads keep twisting, and nobody’s safe for long.
