What Happened to Tommy and the Cartel? Landman’s Season 1 Finale Finally Explained

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Landman season 1, episode 10.

The finale of Landman season 1 had quite a few plot twists for Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and the cartel, and his entire abduction and surprising rescue was a bit of a blur. The trouble between Tommy and the cartel had been brewing throughout Landman season 1, and it came to a head at the end of the season. At the end of Landman season 1, Jimenez (Alex Meraz) kidnapped Tommy and took him out to an oil well, only to blow the well up. Then, he took Tommy back to his bar and began torturing him, and he clearly intended to execute him.

While the cartel did bring plenty of action to the finale of Landman season 1, its storyline wasn’t always easy to follow. In a single moment, Jimenez went from killing Tommy to dead himself, and Landman introduced an entirely new character. In just a few more minutes, that new character had saved Tommy and simultaneously roped him into a business deal without telling him any details about the deal. There were a lot of big developments in Landman‘s cartel story, and they warrant a bit of explanation.

Why Jimenez Went Against His Boss And Attacked Tommy

Jimenez Treated M-Tex Like A Rival Gang & Tried To Use Tommy As A Message

In the most serious of their game of power plays, Jimenez kidnapped Tommy and took him out to one of M-Tex’s oil wells. After beating him up, Jimenez had his men blow up the entire site, including the pumpjack, tanker, and well. That turned out to be a massive mistake, however, as Tommy explained that the government would soon investigate the explosion and learn that the cartel was behind it, causing all sorts of trouble. Tommy even sussed out that Jimenez had blown up the well without his boss’ permission, but it’s not entirely clear why Jimenez went over his boss’ head.

Before blowing up the well, Jimenez told Tommy that the cartel was bigger and more powerful than the oil companies. That’s the reason Jimenez blew up the oil well without his boss’ permission: he viewed Tommy and M-Tex as essentially a rival gang, and he tried to muscle them out like he would a rival gang. Tommy had some of his men and product blown up, so Jimenez retaliated as if he had been hit by a competing cartel. To Jimenez, Tommy was just competition to be wiped away, but his boss had a much better grasp of the big picture.

Who Is The Boss Who Saved Tommy?

Andy Garcia Plays Gallino, The Boss Of Jimenez’s Cartel

Near the ending of Landman season 1, just before Jimenez executes Tommy, a mysterious group saved Tommy. The leader of that group was Gallino (Andy Garcia), the boss of Jimenez’s cartel. It’s not entirely clear where Gallino’s cartel is based. Jimenez said in Spanish that he was the boss “on this side of the river,” which likely refers to the Rio Grande, which forms the border between Texas and Mexico. However, Gallino’s cartel could be based in a different Latin American country, like Colombia. In any case, Gallino crossed international borders to speak with Tommy face to face.

While it’s not entirely clear where Gallino comes from, it is clear what he’s capable of. Gallino is incredibly powerful: his men easily killed Jimenez and all of his men, and he claimed to have just as many connections as Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) did. Gallino also proved himself to be a shrewd negotiator: he convinced Tommy to work with him just minutes after Tommy had been tortured and shouted that the oil industry would chew up and spit out the cartels. He’s essentially the most powerful person in the cast of Landman, now that Monty is incapacitated.

Why The Cartel Boss Saved Tommy

Gallino Knew Tommy Was More Valuable Working With The Cartel Than Dead

Since Gallino is so powerful and influential, it’s a bit surprising that he would take the time, effort, and risk to save Tommy personally. Gallino had to cross the U.S. border, put himself in front of gunfire, and risk being caught by the police just to talk to Tommy in person, so he must have had a good reason for it. Gallino likely saved Tommy because he had a chance to start a very lucrative business arrangement with Tommy and M-Tex. Jimenez viewed Tommy and M-Tex as a problem to be solved, but Gallino saw them as an opportunity waiting to be seized.

Jimenez viewed Tommy and M-Tex as a problem to be solved, but Gallino saw them as an opportunity waiting to be seized.

Just after he saved Tommy, Gallino said that he wanted to be friends with him, and he asked Tommy about the value of his cartel’s land holdings. It seems that Gallino wants to expand his cartel’s earnings beyond drugs alone and start getting into the oil industry with Tommy’s help. He obviously couldn’t have used Tommy if Jimenez had killed him, so Gallino stopped his execution and introduced himself to Tommy in one fell swoop. What Tommy saw as a rescue, Gallino saw as a business meeting.

How Tommy & The Cartel Will Work Together In Landman Season 2

Gallino Could Become Tommy’s New “Boss” As He Expands Into The Oil Industry

It’s clear that Gallino’s rescue set up a partnership between him and Tommy in Landman season 2, but the exact details of their relationship are more open to speculation. Gallino mentioned that he was interested in expanding his cartel’s business to include the oil industry, and he could start inserting himself into Tommy’s work as M-Tex’s president. With the full force of a cartel behind him, Gallino could force Tommy to drill on the cartel’s land and agree to a lease that heavily favors him. Gallino seems more interested in a mutually beneficial relationship than a coercive one, however, so he could be a more benevolent partner.

With Monty either dead or dying, Gallino could easily take his place as the “boss” Tommy has to report to in the future.

Even if Gallino does treat Tommy fairly, however, he’s going to complicate M-Tex much more than it already is. M-Tex and the cartel have always had a sort of Laissez-faire relationship that was ambiguously legal, but working together directly would make Tommy an accomplice to an international crime syndicate. Gallino will also almost certainly have some illicit requests to make of Tommy, which could put him in even more legal trouble in the future. While Gallino could open up new sources of funding and land to drill, he’ll also make Tommy’s job as acting president much more stressful than it already is.

Aside from the ethical and legal implications of Gallino’s interest in M-Tex, the new character also opens up a new dynamic for Landman season 2. With Monty either dead or dying, Gallino could easily take his place as the “boss” Tommy has to report to in the future. Even though Tommy runs M-Tex, Gallino will still be able to exert quite a bit of influence on him either by force or through finances. No matter what Gallino ends up doing, though, he’s going to be a big part of the future of Landman.