‘Landman’ New Villain Explained – What Andy Garcia’s Character Really Wants

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I’ve been a fan of Andy Garcia for years – he’s been in so many great things! But I’ll always remember him as Vincent Mancini in The Godfather: Part III; he was incredible and even got an Oscar nomination for it. Now, he’s back and still got that amazing charisma in Landman, playing this really interesting character named Gallino, who also goes by Danny Morell. He’s a cartel boss, but he’s trying to clean up his image by pretending to be a legitimate businessman. He’s got an investment firm and is funneling money into the oil industry – it’s a really clever and shady role for him!

Gallino initially seemed like a savior to Tommy, rescuing him from a dangerous cartel leader in the first season’s finale. However, he’s now become Tommy’s biggest problem. In the second season, Gallino starts manipulating events by secretly funding a rival oil company run by Cooper, a landman’s son. He also influences Cami, convincing her to accept his investment offer, which drives a wedge between her and Tommy, who knows Gallino isn’t who he appears to be. The big questions are: who exactly is Gallino, and what are his ultimate goals?

Gallino’s First Move: Use the Tadpole To Attract the Frog


Paramount+

Gallino uses the alias Danny Morrell to present himself as a respectable businessman. We learn in Season 2, Episode 4, that he’s married to an Italian woman named Bella. Tommy, Angela, and Cami meet her at the clubhouse. Bella believes Danny is from Cuba and unable to return due to political issues. She thinks he’s a successful businessman and doesn’t realize he’s actually a cartel leader.

Gallino created a financial company called Sonrisa in Odessa, operating under the name Danny Morrell. Tommy discovers this through his son, Cooper, who secretly secured funding from Sonrisa to drill six oil wells. Remarkably, all six wells struck oil, setting Cooper up for significant wealth. This raises the question of where Cooper obtained the necessary investment capital – the answer is Sonrisa.

Sonrisa provided all the funding – $48 million – for the drilling project. Cooper explained that he and Sonrisa would share the profits equally until the initial investment was recovered, after which Sonrisa’s share would decrease to 18%. Tommy was shocked by these terms, believing no company would offer such a favorable deal to someone new to oil exploration. He suspected something wasn’t right and asked Nathan to investigate Sonrisa.

Nathan’s investigation revealed something significant: the Odessa company Cooper is working with isn’t the source of the funds. The money actually comes from a financial fund in Dallas, and it’s owned by Gallino. Nathan also informed Tommy that the cartel possesses land in Texas that could be used for oil drilling, offering a way to earn money legally through oil, rather than relying solely on drug trafficking.

Tommy is desperate to protect his son and avoid a confrontation with Gallino, so he carefully considers his options. He learns that Gallino never received payment for his loan to Cooper, and uses M-Tex to offer to buy out Cooper’s leases and cover any related expenses, effectively freeing Cooper from Gallino’s control. Tommy tells Gallino about the offer, but the drug lord isn’t worried – he’s just received a loan request from Cami.

Gallino’s Second Move: Position Himself as the Only Source of Water


Paramount+

Gallino lured the frog with a tadpole, and now he’s claiming they all need his water to live – which really means his money. But how did things come to this?

Let’s go back to what Cami, Rebecca, and Nate found out. When Monty was in charge, the insurance company paid M-Tex around $400 million after an oil well in Louisiana had a major accident. This money was meant to cover the cost of drilling a new well to replace the damaged one. However, Monty moved the funds to a different company he created, M Miller Insurance and Casualty, to avoid paying taxes. He then invested that money in several private equity funds.

As expected, the insurance company discovered the deception and is now insisting on a swift drilling of the replacement well. Otherwise, M-Tex faces a potentially devastating lawsuit that could bankrupt the company. M-Tex also can’t afford to pay back the $400 right now, as the funds are currently unavailable without incurring significant losses and penalties.

M-Tex is facing a difficult situation: either declare bankruptcy or accept a high-risk loan. During a meeting, Cami learned that Gallino was an experienced investor and asked him for the loan. Tommy strongly opposed the idea, fearing it was a dangerous deal with potentially devastating consequences. However, Cami believed they had no other options and was determined to save her late husband’s company. She also felt she could convincingly deny any knowledge of Gallino’s potentially unethical practices. Ultimately, Cami agreed to the risky deal, allowing Gallino to become the company’s major investor.

Does Gallino Want To Get Rid of Tommy?


Paramount+

As a big fan of the show, what really grabbed me in Season 2 was trying to figure out Gallino’s true motives. It’s clear he’s not trying to get rid of Tommy; he wants to make a ton of money, but he’s desperate to do it legitimately – or at least without being labeled a drug kingpin. You could really see how much that ‘drug lord’ comment bothered him. He wants respect, the kind that gets you in Forbes, not on a wanted list! He doesn’t really feel one way or another about Tommy, but he’s definitely driven and gets what he wants. Every conversation with Tommy feels like a subtle threat, like he’s giving him the ‘I am inevitable’ speech. Gallino’s going to achieve his goals, with or without Tommy’s cooperation, so it’s up to Tommy to either fall in line or risk getting steamrolled.

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Gallino gets why Tommy is doubtful, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t gain anything if M-Tex stays out of trouble; he only profits when the company pays him. He sees himself as the smartest one in the situation and wants the experienced professionals to acknowledge his superiority. Even though Cami was married to a powerful oil magnate and Tommy knows the oil fields inside and out, Gallino believes they should all be working for him because he considers himself above them.

In the sixth episode, Gallino sees the friction between Tommy and Cami and warns Tommy about it. He explains that if other members of the M-Tex organization sense Tommy and Cami’s conflict, they’ll try to turn Cami against him. Gallino presents himself as a concerned friend, but his real motivation is keeping M-Tex strong – and that requires Tommy and Cami to work together.

As a film buff, I’m really seeing how this all plays out hinges on what Tommy chooses. If he just accepts things as they are – you know, keeps his head down like a good dog – everything should be okay, aside from maybe some trouble with the law down the line. But if he tries to be a hero and do the right thing, get ready for a showdown! It’ll be him against Cami and Gallino, and honestly? Forget the popcorn, I’m grabbing kale chips for this one. It’s going to be that kind of movie.

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2025-12-28 00:36