In these tumultuous times, it seems all we want is for Angela Norris to become our next-door neighbor and invite us over for lively dinners. In the show Landman, Angela, portrayed by Ali Larter, embodies the heart and soul of the series. As the mother of Ainsley and Cooper and Tommy’s sometimes-official partner, Angela is the vibrant force that keeps the M-Tex corporate bunkhouse in Midland buzzing with delightful chaos. As Tommy learns from Gallino in Season 2, Episode 6, Angela possesses the remarkable ability to strip away people’s inhibitions. Her spirited line, “My grip is firmly around the scrotum of life, and I will never let go,” captures her essence perfectly. We can only hope for more of her captivating presence.

Angela’s infectious energy is something TL Norris is no stranger to. This episode brings another intriguing development as TL finds himself alongside Tommy, sharing the ride in his work vehicle. This means more fiery exchanges between Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton, and a deeper insight into TL’s seasoned perspective on his son’s daily life. TL advises Tommy to make things official with Angela once more, and to do it swiftly. Drawing from his own experiences and the loss of the joyful woman he once married, Tommy’s mother, TL imparts a poignant piece of wisdom: make memories while there is still time. “Living off memories ain’t no living at all,” he reminds us, urging action over mere recollection.

As TL accompanies Tommy to a horse auction to meet with Gallino and Cami, the narrative unfolds further. The bailout that M-Tex’s leader authorized in the previous episode is now cemented. Despite Tommy’s apprehensions about Gallino’s intentions, the financier’s dual roles as both a legitimate businessman and a cartel operative continue to blur. With the terms for financing a Gulf gas well in play, Gallino and his wife join Tommy, Cami, Angela, Ainsley, and TL for a night of tequila shots and dancing at Cattlemen’s.

Gallino’s charm is undeniably persuasive, enough to sway Cami and almost the viewers as well. As he and Tommy sit at the bar, they seem like two friends watching the night unfold in front of them. Yet, Tommy cannot shake the memory of witnessing a murder in Odessa, casting a shadow over Gallino’s dealings. The future of this partnership feels precarious, with potential for chaos.

Meanwhile, Rebecca is tasked with resolving the intricacies surrounding the hefty $400 million gas well investment. Realizing that traditional methods won’t suffice, she seeks answers from M-Tex’s chief geologist. The twist? The expert is none other than Charlie, whom Rebecca met in Episode 4, complete with his distinctive new wave haircut and a penchant for carrying booze in a thermos.

“Can you find the right…spot?” The double-entredres are flying as lawyer meets geologist, and Rebecca has to admit it: she really likes this guy. And Charlie, promising to make her dinner, also remains a real charmer. “Watching your internal struggle to let yourself feel good…it’s fascinating.” Rebecca finally decides work won’t care if she does a little more fraternizing. These two look great together; maybe they’ll come to the next pirate dinner together. 

Angela isn’t just the world’s best theme dinner planner. In her official capacity as soul of this show, she gets all the feels when Cooper says it was Tommy who told him to call his mother for engagement ring advice. Her little “squishy bug”’s officially gonna ask for Ariana’s hand in marriage! And it just won’t do for him to start out in debt, like Tommy did when they were official, so Angela says she’ll give Cooper her engagement ring. Keep the love in the family.

Yep, Cooper met Ariana’s father, and he’s gonna pop the question. With her late husband Elvio’s mother Isabel (Rosemary Dominquez), little Miguel’s abuela, Ariana calls Coop her “skinny stray-dog-looking white boy” – and it’s for all those reasons she knows their love is real. When Cooper gets home from Corpus, he takes Miguel in his carrier over to Isabel’s as Ariana leaves for her shift at the Patch. The woman did not accept Ariana’s reasoning outright. If this skin-and-bones hangdog kid in a greasy Texas Tech ballcap is going to marry a young widow who is the mother of her grandchild, well, Isabel’s gotta look for herself into his eyes. 

Maybe Isabel saw a little bit of Angela’s fire in there. She certainly believes Cooper when he reiterates that Ariana is all he ever thinks about. And she accepts him, because Ariana deserves it. “You can love a memory, but it can’t love you back.” 

Landmania for Season 2 Episode 6 of Landman (“Dark Night of the Soul”)”: 

• When Dale and Boss visit an oil business trade show, they are floored, and a little scared. There are good old boys everywhere in there selling the future of their vocation, and it’s fully automated – the working people who make it happen, who risk their lives doing it, aren’t in the picture.

• And not only is Gallino solidifying his position with Cami, Tommy, and M-Tex, he’s already in good with a fixture on the local horse auction scene. Taylor Sheridan does that thing in Ep 6 of Landman’s second season where he seeds his TV waters with real-life Texans. Not Jerry Jones at Monty’s death bed, but Kit Moncreif, Fort Worth-area philanthropist and “Queen of the Cowgirls,” who Gallino introduces to Cami Miller.

Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.