Landman Season 2’s Shocking Demi Moore Heel Turn Explained

Cami Miller (Demi Moore) made a shocking decision at the end of Landman season 2, episode 5, and her reasoning wasn’t entirely clear. Andy Garcia’s Gallino, who also goes by Dan Morrell, has been trying to get his hooks into Cami and M-Tex, and he may have succeeded. Dan offered to give Cami a loan to cover the $420 million offshore gas rig rebuild M-Tex is required to complete, and Cami accepted.

Cami, however, didn’t know that Dan Morrell is also the leader of a drug cartel. Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) finally got a chance to tell her that in Landman season 2, episode 5, and he explained that Gallino’s money is dirty. Instead of immediately disavowing Dan/Gallino, however, Cami turned against Tommy and decided to take Gallino’s money. It was a shocking decision, and one that merits a closer look.

Why Cami Miller Sided With Gallino Over Tommy Norris In Landman

Emerson Miller/Paramount+

There were plenty of reasons for Cami not to take Gallino’s money, such as the fact that M-Tex would be in business with a murderer and drug kingpin, but Cami accepted it anyway. The main reason Cami took Gallino’s money is that she simply doesn’t care that he’s a criminal. All Cami cares about is taking care of Monty’s legacy and memory, and the best way to do that is by keeping M-Tex afloat and making sure she stays principal owner.

Gallino’s money is, unfortunately, the only way Cami can achieve that. As Gallino (probably truthfully) explained, Cami can’t get a conventional business loan. The interest rates and terms of the loan would make M-Tex hemorrhage money until the eventually declared bankruptcy and Cami lost the business in a few years’ time. They also can’t finance the rig rebuild on their own; all of Monty’s money is tied up in trusts, investments, and is completely non-liquid.

When faced with either letting M-Tex die and letting Monty’s life’s work crumble to dust under her watch or taking money from a person who Tommy claims is a criminal, the choice was easy for Cami. It doesn’t matter that Gallino is a criminal: his money is the only way to save M-Tex. There’s a chance Cami never faces legal repercussions for working with him, but there’s no chance she can survive without him.

There’s also a chance that Cami is being a bit naive. Right now, she views Dan Morrell as an angel investor who can save M-Tex. Tommy, on the other hand, views Gallino as a manipulative villain who wants to use M-Tex to launder his dirty money and be his newest source of revenue. Even though Cami now knows Gallino is a cartel boss, she may not be thinking clearly enough to realize what the consequences of partnering up with him could really be.

What Cami & Gallino In Business Means For Tommy & M-Tex

Cami really should have thought about the potential consequences of working with Gallino, because there are many very bad ones. There’s a chance that Gallino is being earnest and really does want to do above-board work with M-Tex, but that’s very slim. The much more likely outcome is that by giving M-Tex this loan, Gallino is buying Cami’s compliance with his criminal dealings.

With Cami in his pocket, Gallino can use M-Tex for whatever he wants. He can launder drug money through them, order her to buy land for the cartel, and potentially even use Cami’s name and reputation for any number of illegal activities. Cami may have just sold her soul to the devil, figuratively speaking. There’s no telling what Gallino has planned for her and M-Tex, but there’s very little chance it’s going to be good.

Cami’s decision also threatens to create a rift between her and Tommy. Tommy hates Gallino, for good reason, and Cami went over his head to work with him. Not only that, she belittled Tommy and made a power play against him, making him drive to her for all their future meetings. Cami and Tommy aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, and on an issue as important as this one, that could be a real problem for Landman moving forward.