Critic’s Ranking: 4.05 / 5.0
4.05
If there’s one factor Landman (to not point out numerous actuality TV exhibits) has confirmed, it’s that messy folks and messy lives make for excellent TV.
Landman Season 1 Episode 4, “The Sting of Second Possibilities,” retains leaning into that chaos, and I’m consuming it up.
Certain, the oil trade is the backdrop, however this present is all in regards to the folks — flawed, humorous, irritating, and one way or the other relatable even after they’re making horrible choices.
Let’s begin with Angela and Ainsley, who open the episode doing aerobics of their underwear in Nate’s lounge.
Poor Nate. Think about attempting to do lawyer issues with two human hurricanes turning your home right into a legal responsibility ready to occur.
Angela’s the form of one who thrives on chaos, and Ainsley is her good sidekick. They’re loud, daring, and never in the least sorry about it — and I respect the hell out of that.
Critics would possibly name it ridiculous, however let’s be sincere: actual individuals are ridiculous. That’s what makes them enjoyable.
Angela and Ainsley aren’t the form of characters you see daily, and possibly that’s why they’ve ruffled some feathers.
Angela is unapologetically brash, whereas Ainsley — her mini-me — is determining the right way to channel her mom’s boldness. They don’t match right into a neat mould, and why ought to they?
Not everyone seems to be constructed for quiet reflection and soft-spoken moments.
Angela could also be loud, and Ainsley could also be a handful, however collectively, they carry humor, power, and, let’s be actual, a bit of chaos to a world that’s in any other case tough and chilly.
However Angela isn’t simply right here for laughs. Her tearful story about dropping the whole lot after the oil market crash is a intestine punch, and it reminds us that the characters on Landman are grappling with very actual stakes.
She may be dramatic, however there’s depth below all that bravado.
And her difficult relationship with Tommy?
That’s the form of messy love we don’t speak about a lot anymore — the sort the place ardour and dysfunction stroll hand in hand. Certain, it’s flawed, nevertheless it’s actual. Individuals like Angela and Tommy don’t make sense on paper, however they make sense to one another.
Tommy’s relationship with Ainsley, alternatively, strikes a unique chord. Some critics have gone as far as to name it inappropriate, which frankly seems like they’re lacking the purpose.
This isn’t some shadowy, sinister dynamic; it’s a father and daughter looking for their means again to one another. Ainsley idolizes Tommy, even when she’s nonetheless determining what which means.
And Tommy? He’s attempting, in his gruff, awkward means, to be the dad she wants. He’s not good — he’s removed from it — however his love for her is evident.
They’re each navigating uncharted waters, and the honesty of that wrestle is what makes their relationship compelling.
After which there’s Rebecca, who’s coming into her personal as a personality. Watching her dismantle these attorneys within the deposition was immensely satisfying, and her dynamic with Tommy continues to evolve in surprising methods.
You may nearly see her reassessing him after assembly Angela and Ainsley — possibly realizing that the grumpy, chain-smoking oilman has extra layers than she thought.
Rebecca should cling to her idealism, however you’ll be able to inform she’s beginning to perceive that life — and other people — are much more difficult than she’d wish to consider.
In the meantime, Cooper’s arc continues to shine within the background. His transition from greenhorn to succesful employee is unfolding in a means that feels earned.
The rig scenes this hour, with their intense give attention to the physicality and hazard of the job, are basic Taylor Sheridan. They don’t simply look cool — they make you are feeling the burden of the work.
When a coworker’s arm is mangled, Cooper steps up with out hesitation. It’s a giant second for him, not simply as a employee however as somebody proving his value in a brutal atmosphere.
Monty’s backstory provides one other layer to the episode, displaying us why he’s so good at thriving in chaos. His potential to make a fortune in busts fairly than booms mirrors the resilience we see in characters like Tommy and Cooper.
Their dialog in regards to the revamped properly producing 250 barrels a day is a small however important second, a reminder that, on this world, survival usually relies on discovering success within the darkest instances.
However let’s get again to what makes Landman stand out: its unapologetically messy portrayal of affection and household.
Angela, Ainsley, and Tommy don’t match into anybody’s idealized imaginative and prescient of how households ought to behave, and that’s okay.
Angela’s wild, Ainsley’s headstrong, and Tommy’s simply attempting to carry all of it collectively. It’s not good — it’s not even shut — nevertheless it’s theirs.
The critics who see one thing darker or extra insidious in Tommy and Ainsley’s relationship appear to have forgotten what actual household love seems like. It’s imperfect, awkward, and stuffed with missteps, nevertheless it’s real.
Perhaps it’s simpler to critique than to confess that not all bonds match into neat, shiny packages.
“The Sting of Second Possibilities” is Landman at its finest — messy, difficult, and deeply human.
The characters aren’t good, and their decisions gained’t all the time make you cheer, however that’s what makes them really feel actual.
Whether or not it’s Tommy navigating his private chaos, Cooper proving himself within the subject, or Rebecca studying to roll with the punches, this present thrives on the humanity of its characters.
Life is messy. Love is messy. And that’s what retains Landman so compelling.
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