Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Landman episode 6.Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and Ainsley Norris (Michelle Randolph) hate each other in Landman, but Taylor Sheridan’s show hasn’t outright explained why. There are quite a few growing fights between the characters of Landman. Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) and Monty (Jon Hamm) are constantly fighting the daily challenges of the oil industry, while the ending of Landman episode 6 gave Tommy a new fight with Manuel (J.R. Villareal). One of the most confusing fights in the show, however, is the one between Ainsley and Cooper Norris.
Siblings fight all the time, but Cooper and Ainsley seem to outright hate each other in a way that far surpasses a spat between brother and sister. At the family dinner, Ainsley was so disgusted by Cooper that she had to be forced into holding his hand at grace. Later, when Cooper was in the hospital, the siblings only had more venom for each other. Ainsley was more upset about missing the patch party than Cooper’s injuries, and Cooper told her “there’ll be plenty of chlamydia at the next one.” Cooper and Ainsley are closer to enemies than siblings, and Landman hasn’t explained why.
What Landman Has Hinted About Cooper & Ainsley’s Backstory & Relationship
Ainsley & Cooper Are Very Different People Who Likely Suffered From Tommy & Angela’s Divorce
There isn’t an official answer about why Cooper and Ainsley hate each other, but Landman has made a few hints about it. Probably the biggest reason is because Ainsley and Cooper are fundamentally different people. Ainsley is more like Angela – a party girl – and Cooper is more like Tommy – a workhorse. Tommy and Angela clearly have their own relationship problems, so it’s fairly easy to see why Cooper and Ainsley get along just as poorly. They also disagree about their parents. Ainsley wanted to get Tommy and Angela back together again, while Cooper didn’t, which is a sign of how different their priorities are.
Some of the vitriol between Ainsley and Cooper can also be explained by their respective ages. As a 17-year-old, Ainsley’s priorities seem shallow and short-sighted, and her comments at the hospital can be attributed to the importance she places on her social life.
Aside from those general differences, Landman hasn’t explained why Cooper and Ainsley hate each other. It’s entirely possible that something happened between them long before the show started, and that they’ve never been able to move past it. Ainsley and Cooper also may have drifted apart because of Tommy and Angela’s divorce, especially since Cooper went to college while Ainsley was in high school. However, until Landman reveals what that event may have been, there’s no definitive reason why the siblings can’t get along.
Even Landman’s Cast Don’t Know Why Cooper & Ainsley Hate Each Other So Much
Neither Lofland Nor Randolph Know Why Their Characters Hate Each Other In Landman
The origin of Cooper and Ainsley’s feud isn’t just a mystery to viewers, however, it’s also a mystery to the cast of Landman. In Jacob Lofland’s interview with Screen Rant, he mentioned that it’s actually a running joke between him and Michelle Randolph that their characters hate each other, and that it’s never even been written.
That’s kind of a running joke that Michelle and I have is we don’t know why we dislike each other, and that has not been written. We never got that backstory, so what we’re expecting is that’s going to come out as we go, and we’ll find out what actually went on with this family, to put us in the position where we started, and that’s got to be why they don’t like each other. So, we’re not sure, we’re still going to have to live that and figure it out, and the audience will learn with us, just like we are.
Based on Lofland’s comments, it doesn’t seem like viewers will find out what caused such a rift between Cooper and Ainsley until at least Landman season 2. However, there are also still quite a few other priorities Landman will have before revisiting Cooper and Ainsley’s relationship. For instance, Tommy’s relationship with Angela is likely going to take precedent, and the trouble with the cartels visiting the oil fields is almost certainly going to take up quite a bit of screen time. It may be a while yet before Landman fully explains why Cooper and Ainsley hate each other.
