In Paramount+’s Landman Season 2, Cooper Norris has matured rapidly. Portrayed by Jacob Lofland, Cooper has demonstrated a knack for striking oil, matching, if not surpassing, the intuition of his father, Tommy, played by Billy Bob Thornton. Despite this success, Cooper’s grasp on the oil industry remains shaky, as evidenced by a poor financing decision with Fort Worth businessman Gallino, portrayed by Andy Garcia, who also has ties to a cartel. After a dramatic incident where Cooper killed a man attacking his fiancé, Ariana, played by Paulina Chávez, in an alley, he desperately needed a victory.

That victory materialized with the launch of the Norris family’s new venture, CTT Oil Exploration & Cattle. After Tommy’s dismissal from M-Tex by Cami Miller, played by Demi Moore, he revived Cooper’s initial financing arrangement with Gallino. In a surprising twist, Tommy appointed Cooper as President, taking the position of Senior Vice President himself. Lofland commented on Cooper’s reaction, stating, “I think Cooper was pretty ecstatic and surprised by Tommy’s choice.” But is Cooper ready for this leadership challenge? Lofland added, “As we’ve seen throughout the seasons, Cooper is still learning the business. Hopefully, Tommy will guide him every step of the way to teach him how to run a successful company.”

As Season 3 looms, Lofland, like the audience, is eagerly anticipating Cooper’s next steps. “I really can’t wait because I have no idea where this all is headed for the Norris family,” Lofland shared. Fortunately, series creator Taylor Sheridan is already crafting the upcoming chapter for the Norris family. “I just trust Taylor,” Lofland expressed. “He has a better plan for Cooper than anything I could come up with. I’m just excited to get those Season 3 scripts and see where we go.”

In a Zoom interview with Decider, Lofland discussed the intense Season 2 finale, his collaboration with Sheridan, and revealed which potential Landman prequel he would personally enjoy watching.

DECIDER: After the events of last week’s episode, I was deeply concerned for both Cooper and Ariana. Ariana endured a traumatic ordeal, and Cooper did as well. How do you think this will impact him moving forward?

JACOB LOFLAND: It’s something he’s going to carry with him. It’s not a small thing that has happened. It’s going to bring him and Arianna closer. There’s something about trauma bonding these two [laughs].

I spoke to your co-star Paulina Chávez last week, and she said Ariana won’t let this violation “define” her. Does Cooper feel the same?

I think so. And if that’s how Ariana feels, then Cooper is going to follow her lead. Cooper is there for her. He’s going to nurse her back to health the same way that she has nursed him twice now.

Cooper’s and Ariana’s love has been tested over and over again. Now, I’m ready for the wedding. How do you picture Cooper’s and Ariana’s eventual ceremony?

Yeah, I’ve thought about it a few times. It really depends on who’s in charge of planning [laughs]. If Angela and Ainsley plan the wedding, it’s going to be an all-out event. If Ariana’s family plans it, I would not know what to expect.

Do you think Ariana could be the one to bridge the gap between Cooper and his sister, Ainsley?

Ariana could definitely lessen the tension between the two . Maybe even help them find that sibling bond again, if they ever had it. I honestly have no idea. I can’t wait to get the scripts and see where we’re going in Season 3. I’m looking forward to it.

I want to get into the finale now. Honestly, I am in awe of Kayla Wallace and her performance as Rebecca. Did you all applaud after those interrogation room scenes with Rebecca representing Cooper while he’s being questioned by police?

I had so much fun. As soon as I opened the script and got to that part, I was like, “this is what I’ve been waiting for with Kayla.” I’m so glad I get to share a room with Kayla and watch her work. It’s incredible to watch her go from the sweetest person off-camera and transform into this bulldog who just owns these detectives on-screen. She does it so well. I had such a great time that day.

I loved when she said to them, “I am a life ruiner.” What a monologue!

Me too! I love that line. Taylor wrote some amazing stuff for her. Kayla’s delivery is so good. Plus, her understanding of her character is amazing.

The biggest surprise of the finale is the formation of CTT Oil Exploration & Cattle! How excited were you to see Cooper’s dreams of being an oil man come to life?

Oh, incredibly excited. The fact that he gets to do it with his family makes it that much better for Cooper. As we’ve seen throughout the seasons, Cooper is still learning the business. Hopefully, Tommy will be there to work with him through every step and teach him from the ground up what it takes to run a successful company.

I have to say I was a little surprised that Tommy made Cooper President and himself Senior Vice President.

I think Cooper was pretty ecstatic and surprised by Tommy’s choice. We’re going to run with it.Hopefully, it goes well.

Can Tommy sit back and let his son be the ultimate decider?

That’s a great question. I can’t wait to see [laughs].

The name CTT (Cooper, Tommy, Thomas) was much more sentimental than I thought Tommy was capable of! Do you think this company will help bring these three generations of Norris men together?

I hope so. I bet we’re going to learn a lot more about all three of them going forward. It’s going to be interesting to see them work together in this wild, new environment. I have no idea where this all is headed for the Norris family [laughs]. I just trust Taylor. I can’t wait to get the scripts and find out for myself.

At the beginning of the series, Cooper wanted to forge his path separately from his father, but at the same time, follow in his footsteps. Why this change of heart?

I don’t know if Cooper wanted to separate himself from his father as much as he just wanted to succeed on his own. He wanted to show Tommy that he had what it takes, and I think he’s proven that. Now, Tommy is looking at Cooper and going: “You’re serious about it, and you are pretty good at this side of the business. Let’s use that to our advantage and set this thing up.” We still don’t know if this endeavor is going to work, but I am really rooting for them.

You said you haven’t received the Season 3 scripts yet, but what are your hopes for Cooper going forward?

I hope CTT Oil Exploration & Cattle survives and is a success. Maybe it’s bad that I don’t have a bunch of ideas for Cooper and his future, but that is just because I can’t imagine having better ideas for Cooper than Taylor does. He has a better plan for Cooper than anything I could come up with. I am excited to get those Season 3 scripts and see where we go. It’s a waiting game now.

Is Taylor the type of creator who invites conversations between himself and his cast?

Taylor and I haven’t really had that many conversations about the character of Cooper. We haven’t needed to because it’s all on the page. I know he’s there when people want to ask him things, but for me, Taylor writes in such a way that the script almost explains itself. I never had any questions as far as my character goes. Maybe in Season 3, I’ll feel differently. We’ll see what happens.

It is rare when a series has a single director like Stephen Kay who really understand Sheridan’s world. What was it like working with him on Landman Season 2?

Absolutely amazing. Stephen is one of my favorite directors to work with. What a load to do all ten episodes, but he kept it together and did an amazing job. He kept everybody focused and happy. I can’t imagine what that pressure must have been like on him. I just love working with Stephen; he really is the best.

We know Sheridan loves prequel series. Would you rather see a series based on T.L’s days as an oil-worker or Tommy’s rise and fall as an oil man?

That’s a really good question. At this point, I’d like to see a prequel series about the rise and fall of Tommy’s career. It would be great to know what Cooper should not do [laughs]. That would be interesting.

Tommy and Angela allude to that difficult time in many of their conversations. I’m curious!

Yes, me too! Maybe Taylor should look at that portion of Tommy’s life and then do T.L.’s story after. We just backtrack all the way and see how it all happened.