Emerson Miller/Paramount+
NEED TO KNOW
Landman season 2, episode 5, "The Pirate Dinner," premiered Dec. 14 on Paramount+
The episode sees Cooper Norris ask Ariana's dad for her hand in marriage
It also reveals Cami Miller's decision regarding a partnership with Gallino
OnLandman, Cooper Norris (Jacob Lofland) has a knack for making impulsive decisions.
In season 2, episode 5, Ariana (Paulina Chávez) pushes Cooper toward marriage, suggesting they stop "shacking up." He doesn't have second thoughts — although perhaps he should, considering Ariana's ongoing grief over her late husband.
"He just wants to make [Ariana] happy. That's all he has wanted from the beginning," Lofland explained during an interview withDeciderin December 2025. "He's got so much respect for her. He's going to do whatever she says."
Later in the episode, Cooper meets with his father, Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), who brings him crashing back to reality with some hard truths about the oil business. Tommy lays out why Cooper's deal with Gallino (Andy Garcia) was a bad move — and then offers a way out that spares him from financial ruin.
"Cooper's learning. He thinks he struck gold; he thinks it's awesome," Lofland told the outlet. "He comes to find out that maybe it isn't so awesome. Now he'll have to start backing up and go, 'Well, maybe we don't need to make these decisions so fast.' "
So, what happened in season 2, episode 5 ofLandman? Here's a breakdown of everything that happens, from Cooper and Ariana's marriage plans to Cami's decision to partner with Gallino.
Why does Tommy hire Cooper?
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
During breakfast at The Patch Cafe, Tommy lays out a hard truth for Cooper: striking oil is only one piece of running a successful business. He points out that Cooper never formed an LLC or brought in an accounting firm to manage debt and payables.
"You don't know how this business works, you think you do, but you don't," Tommy says, before outlining a plan for Cooper to walk away from his partnership with cartel boss Gallino. "M-Tex is going to buy your leases. We'll cancel the note and cover your costs."
Recognizing Cooper's drive to make it in the oil business, Tommy then offers him a job as a landman for M-Tex.
"A landman makes $9,000 a month plus bonus," Tommy continues. "Now, when I show you how this deal works, with your instincts, you make $9,000 a minute, but you gotta know the rules of the game to bend them, and you really gotta know them to break them."
Begrudgingly, Copper accepts the job.
Why does Alan suggest M-Tex file for bankruptcy?
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
Cami Miller (Demi Moore) believed she had avoided a lawsuit with M-Tex's insurance provider, Blanton. However, the company reversed course, issuing a 45-day deadline to begin redrilling the Louisiana offshore well that blew out.
Monty Miller's (Jon Hamm) longtime personal attorney, Alan Thomas (Jim Meskimen), then delivers another blow, revealing that the $400 million insurance settlement paid to Monty in full was funneled into M Miller Insurance and Casualty — a C-corp Monty established to avoid income tax.
Alan further explains that the $400 million is now tied up across several private equity funds, making it nearly impossible to access without major penalties.
"I'd like to present a solution. M-Tex and its subsidiaries file for bankruptcy," he says. "[Cami] files for Chapter 11. The planes go back to the bank. [M Miller Insurance and Casualty] buys them right back again. The debt is wiped completely clean. Then, you're in the insurance business."
But pursuing that option would come at a steep cost: M-Tex would forfeit all of its land leases — and effectively cease to exist.
Does Cami accept Gallino's loan?
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
After the meeting with Alan, Tommy speaks with Cami privately and reveals that M-Tex has ties to a cartel. He explains that the company once purchased mineral rights at auction, only to discover the land belonged to a cartel operating in Mexico.
Tommy tells her that when negotiations unraveled, the situation nearly cost him his life — until the cartel's boss, Gallino, stepped in. He warns Cami against accepting the $400 million Gallino has offered for the Louisiana oil rig.
"Now, the FBI, they might find a way to forgive us for leasing their minerals, but a $400 million loan? We look like the engine of their money laundering machine," Tommy says.
Unwilling to consider bankruptcy — and reasoning that M-Tex is already doing business with Gallino — Cami tells Tommy she plans to move forward with the loan.
"I will not lose the company my husband started in our garage eight weeks after taking it over," she says. "I'm not gonna declare bankruptcy, and I'm not going to let some insurance company sue away from me. The offer that [Gallino] made is a good one, and I'm accepting it."
Are Cooper and Ariana getting married?
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
Ariana raises the idea of marriage with Cooper, explaining that Catholics don't "shack up" with their boyfriends. Cooper is immediately on board, but Ariana tells him there's one condition: He has to ask her father for her hand first.
That sends Cooper on a solo, hours-long drive to Corpus Christi to meet her parents. He's met with skepticism by Ariana's father, who nevertheless invites him inside for a beer.
"I'm in love with your daughter, and she says she's in love with me. I'd like to ask her to marry me, and I'd like your permission," Cooper tells Carlos Barrera (Gabriel Rodriguez).
Ariana's father responds, "She's a grown woman. You don't need my permission. She knows that. She just wanted to see if you'd do it. Guess you passed the test."
The conversation ends with a warning from Mr. Barrera, who tells Cooper that if he ever lays a hand on Ariana, he'll kill him. He then invites Cooper to stay the night, rather than make the long drive back to the Texas Basin.
Read the original article onPeople