Brutal Truths, Family Pain, and Oilfield Justice in Landman
Paramount+’s Landman just cranked the drama up another notch with episode six, “Beware the Second Beating.” Viewers expecting a quiet hour in West Texas get a reminder—nothing stays quiet for long in the oil patch. This week, the Norris clan endures heartbreak, betrayal, and a fair share of gut-punches. But there’s also grit and dark humor. The episode refuses to let up, layering personal wounds with the dirt and sweat of the fields.
Angela Hits the Wall
Angela Norris has never seemed like a woman who’d back down from a fight, and this week, she proves it. She drives to glitzy Fort Worth, thinking she’ll face Victor, her wealthy soon-to-be-ex, man to man. Instead, his lawyers intercept her, divorce papers ready. They hammer in the humiliating fine print—the prenuptial’s infidelity clause strips Angela of almost every cent.
She stands there, cornered, as these men point to her only remaining asset: a gorgeous Bentley, a parting gift from Victor. But, as Angela realizes, the gift feels more like a mocking souvenir than any comfort. She signs the papers. The scene drips with awkward bitterness.
And if things weren’t bad enough, Angela gets another smack in the face. Not only is Victor absent, but he’s basking by the pool with a much younger woman while his lawyers sort out the “mess.” Angela clocks the move, fully aware of how strategically humiliating it’s meant to be.
Coming out of this exchange, Angela doesn’t break down. She burns with resentment and disappointment, yet decides to keep moving. The writers deserve credit for giving Ali Larter’s character such agency and raw edge.
The Trouble with Tommy and Monty
Back in the heart of oil country, Tommy Norris, portrayed by a steely Billy Bob Thornton, calls a critical meeting with his boss, Monty Miller. Tommy’s fed up. Threats from the Jimenez cartel grow sharper each day, and now local workers face danger just heading to the job.
He warns Monty: their rigs could go dark if this mess escalates. Tommy demands Monty pull strings with state politicians and the sheriff’s office. All he wants is some muscle—enough to send a message. Monty shrugs at first, calculating the corporate risks. His body language says it all: he’s balancing ledgers while Tommy thinks about blood on the floor.
Monty’s dismissal only makes Tommy more determined. When top brass turn a blind eye, West Texas men take matters into their own hands—right or wrong.
Blood on the Sand: Cooper’s Beating
Drama boils over when someone finds Cooper Norris, Tommy’s son, twisted and barely conscious after a severe beating. The hospital becomes the new stage for Norris family pain. Doctors hover around Cooper, detailing his wounds: collapsed lung, battered ribs, bruised face. The room feels heavy, and Tommy’s rage simmers close to the surface.
So, who did it? Word gets out that Manuel and Antonio—fellow roughnecks—attacked Cooper. The reason? Old beefs, tangled in the oilfield’s relentless pressure cooker. Violence brews fast while the corporate world debates, and workers take justice into their own hands.
Angela’s arrival at the hospital throws gasoline on the fire. She blows past nurses and security to see her son, still making time to bark at Tommy and blame his choices. Behind Angela’s nails-hard front, viewers glimpse her raw fear for Cooper.
A Settlement at a Cost: Ariana’s Crossroads
While chaos swirls around Norris family drama, Ariana Medina faces her own storm. She’s still reeling from her husband Elvio’s death in a tragic rig accident. M-Tex Oil sends their suits—Rebecca and Nathan—to offer a settlement: $250,000 in hush money for her husband’s life.
Ariana listens, arms crossed. She feels the sales pitch: a thick check if she signs away her right to fight. Unlike Elvio’s buddies’ widows, Ariana hesitates. She asks questions the corporate reps can’t—or won’t—answer. She senses there’s more at stake than the money. The moment feels tense, with everyone waiting on Ariana’s decision.
Her phone vibrates. It’s news about Cooper’s attack, and suddenly money doesn’t matter. Ariana turns her back on the office, running out the door for the hospital, unresolved. She knows: loyalty and family demand more than any payoff a corporation offers.
Rough Justice: Tommy Strikes Back
Tommy Norris isn’t a man to count on the system. Cooper’s injuries flip a switch deep inside him. He grabs a pair of friends—Dale Bradley and Boss—then heads after Cooper’s attackers.
This isn’t a backroom deal. Tommy storms Manuel and Antonio’s trailer and makes his own justice. He wrecks Manuel, fist after fist. He fills the dim room with threats: 30 years in prison, a lifetime ban from any oilfield. The message is simple: you mess with my family, you pay twice.
Billy Bob Thornton delivers this scene with burning intensity. He isn’t a hero here, but he’s not the villain either. The audience is left wrestling with the same question Tommy must face: when the cops and lawyers fail, do you fight fire with fire?
Family Ties and Fractures
With Cooper battered and lying in a hospital bed, the Norris family stares at some ugly truths. Angela and Tommy, both tough as hell in their own ways, find themselves pushed together not by choice, but by crisis. Their marriage may be over, but their loyalty to Cooper becomes their last glue.
Angela’s outburst at the hospital shows anger and guilt, while Tommy holds back, bottling everything inside. Both struggle with blame—who let this danger come so close? Who should protect whom? It’s heartbreak in real time. The writers let these moments breathe, giving the audience a front-row seat to pain—unspectacular but absolutely real.
These moments remind everyone: the Norris family’s strength isn’t just in muscle or money, but in stubborn hope—no matter how brutal the world gets.
Key Episode Highlights
- Angela faces financial ruin and rotten truths about Victor.
- Tommy demands action, but the oil company hesitates.
- Cooper’s assault becomes the flashpoint.
- Ariana, tempted by hush money, must choose between a payout and her conscience.
- Tommy’s retribution against Manuel shows the limits of legal justice in the patch.
- In the end, the Norris family comes together in chaos, not triumph.
Reflection at Nightfall
“Beware the Second Beating” doesn’t just deliver on its title. It strikes at every layer of the characters’ lives—family, industry, reputation. The writers lean hard on realism, but also let tough characters show vulnerability.
Tommy’s brand of justice invites debate. Is it ever right to answer violence with more violence? Angela, humiliated but still standing, reminds viewers that dignity sometimes means just getting back in the car and driving away. Ariana’s pain and indecision reflect a more insidious battle: how corporations quietly fight to buy silence with big checks and thin condolence cards.
Through it all, West Texas feels alive. Oilfields buzz, trucks fly down dirt roads, and people find themselves alone, no matter how crowded their lives have become.
By episode’s end, nothing is settled, but everything feels set for a storm. The Norris clan, battered and bruised, isn’t beaten down yet. And with threats looming from cartels, companies, and maybe even from within, viewers can expect the barbed tone and high stakes to only sharpen from here.
For those craving shows about America’s heartland, plus all the backroom scheming and family brawls that come with it, Landman just handed over its most bruising hour yet. Keep your eyes peeled and your guard up. In this town, the second beating is always around the corner.
Story Retold brings you week-to-week deep dives on Landman and other shows. Stay with us on this wild ride through Texas dirt and drama.
