Landman Season 1 Episode 10 Review: The Crumbs of Hope

Landman Season 1 Episode 10, “The Crumbs of Hope,” wraps up a series that had its fair share of highs and lows with an episode that’s both tense and a bit frustrating. “The Crumbs of Hope” runs for 1 hour and 20 minutes, but the pacing and tonal shifts hold it back from being its best. Still, it does have some touching scenes and interesting character growth, especially for Tommy, Cami, and Cooper.

This episode puts Tommy in the most prominent position of his career. With Monty out of commission and eventually passing away in the hospital, Tommy steps up to become the president of M-Tex and the executor of Monty’s estate.

This new role brings a lot of responsibility since Tommy has to help Cami decide whether to sell off the company or take a risky chance on oil drilling. He is hesitant to dive deeper into the oil business because he saw how Monty’s health took a hit from all the stress.

 

Thornton grounds the episode, showing Tommy as a guy dealing with the heavy burden of leadership and the tricky moral issues of the oil industry. His choice to work with Rebecca, despite their rough history, shows he’s willing to adapt, even though he’s cautious about her cutthroat ways.

Demi Moore is back in the limelight as Cami, Monty’s widow, and she nails it with a performance that shows the struggles of dealing with grief and finding strength. While Tommy tells her to sell the company for her family’s security, Cami decides to go all in on the oil business, proving just how tough and driven she is. Her choice highlights a major theme in Landman: the tug-of-war between maintaining a legacy and taking risks to achieve success.

Cooper stands out as a ray of hope in all the chaos. Even though he takes a subtle backseat in the finale, his dreams of starting a business and his constant support for Ariana bring a lot of emotion to the story.

There’s a touching moment where he comforts her while she deals with her husband’s loss, showing how much he’s grown from a reckless kid to a caring partner. His plan to build an oil empire might be risky, but it shows how determined he is to give Ariana and her son a better life.

The cartel storyline finally kicks into gear, but the ending feels rushed and not fully fleshed out. The tension between Tommy and the cartel had been building throughout Season 1 of Landman, and it all came to a head at the finale.

By the end, Jimenez had kidnapped Tommy and taken him to an oil well that he blew up. After that, he brought Tommy back to his bar, where he started torturing him, clearly set on executing him.

Things took a wild turn when Jimenez went from trying to kill Tommy to being killed himself, thanks to the introduction of a new character. Jimenez’s abrupt end came at the hands of Gallino, the true cartel boss, played by Andy Garcia in a surprise cameo.

While having Garcia show up adds a punch to the scene, bringing in such a big character at the last minute takes away from all the tension built up during the season. Gallino’s dramatic entrance and quick actions saved Tommy and, at the same time, pulled him into a shady business deal, although we don’t know what that involves yet.

Gallino’s offer opens up some interesting ideas for future seasons, but overall, it feels too late for this finale.

The episode ends with Tommy, bruised and worn out, watching a coyote outside his yard. He quietly says, “Run, buddy. They kill coyotes out here,” which hits home for him.

It’s a heavy moment as Tommy considers the tough choices he’s faced and the risks of being in the oil game. The coyote symbolizes freedom and survival, showing just how different that is from the weight Tommy has to carry.

“The Crumbs of Hope” has some great performances and emotional moments, but the pacing is all over the place, and a lot of filler weakens the finale. The mix of tones, especially the comedic subplot with Ainsley and Angela, takes away from the intense drama of Tommy’s issues with the cartel and the seriousness of Monty’s death.

If Landman had tightened the storytelling and stayed focused on the main themes, the first season could have wrapped up on a much stronger note.

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Landman airs Sundays on Paramount+.

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