Landman Drops a Bombshell: Tommy’s Days as M-Tex President Are Numbered

Tommy Norris’ (Billy Bob Thornton) days as the president of M-Tex in Landman are numbered, and this week’s episode explained why he isn’t long for an executive position. Since Monty’s death at the end of Landman season 1, Tommy has been acting as M-Tex’s president while Cami has taken over as principal owner. That arrangement has already caused problems, and a rift is growing in M-Tex as of Landman season 2, episode 6.

As president, Tommy has had to deal with Gallino’s efforts to manipulate him, the debacle with Monty’s secret offshore gas rig, and much more. His new role is also interfering with how well he can influence M-Tex’s on the ground operations, like the truck crash or the H2S leak. Now, it looks like Tommy might stop being M-Tex’s president and go back to being a landman after all, and the show has already laid the groundwork for it.

Tommy Explains Why Cami Doesn’t Trust Him As M-Tex President

Emerson Miller/Paramount+

In Landman season 2, episode 6, Tommy told Gallino that Cami essentially doesn’t trust him to be M-Tex’s president. As he explained, Tommy and Monty got into the oil industry at the same time. Tommy’s business, however, went under during the 2008 financial crash because he didn’t hedge his bets well enough, which we learned in season 1. Tommy lost his entire fortune, but Monty obviously remained in charge of M-Tex.

Because he lost big during the 2008 crash, Cami views Tommy as a “loser” who isn’t fit to run M-Tex. She has already stated that she only wants to protect M-Tex and Monty’s memory, and she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn’t lose the company. Based on her view of Tommy as a loser and that desire to keep M-Tex afloat, Cami may be gearing up to fire Tommy as president and replace him with someone she views as a winner.

There’s another reason Cami may be thinking of replacing Tommy. Cami and Tommy have been growing apart over Gallino, aka Dan Morrell. Cami thinks Gallino’s money is a lifeline for M-Tex and the only way to save them from going bankrupt over the offshore rig, while Tommy thinks Gallino isn’t to be trusted. Tommy is standing in the way of what Cami thinks is a very simple way to keep Monty’s legacy safe, and she may be willing to fire him for that alone.

Tommy’s Best Insurance To Stay M-Tex President Is Gallino

via MovieStillsDB

The future of Tommy’s term as M-Tex’s president doesn’t look great, but he still has one supporter in his corner. Surprisingly enough, Tommy’s best bet to stay president of M-Tex lies in Gallino of all people. Cami doesn’t like Tommy, but Cami does listen to Gallino, and right now, Gallino is one of Tommy’s only supporters in M-Tex. He’s also uniquely poised to influence Cami.

Cami is already dependent upon Gallino for his bailout money, and she has consistently sided with him over Tommy. If he tells her that Tommy is worth more as president than just a landman, she’ll likely listen to him. Gallino also has plenty of reason to do exactly that: he likes and respects Tommy, they have a shared history together, and Gallino wants to keep manipulating and toying with him. It benefits him for Tommy to stay on as president.