Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Landman episode 5.Cooper Norris (Jacob Lofland) had an uncertain fate in true story Landman is based on. As important as he is, Cooper was the victim of a major plot twist in Landman episode 5, and it's not entirely clear what comes after his cliffhanger ending.

Cooper was attacked by Manuel (J.R. Villarreal) and Antonio (Octavio Rodriguez) and some of their friends. Earlier in the episode, Manuel had threatened Cooper's life for the second time, and he warned him to stay away from Ariana (Paulina Chávez). Cooper obviously didn't listen, so to get their point across more effectively, Manuel and Antonio ambushed him in his apartment. By the end of the episode, Cooper hadn't gotten up from the floor, and no one else knew he had been attacked. It was a precarious place to leave him in, and it's not entirely clear what will happen to Cooper in Landman.

Is Cooper Dead In Landman?

Cooper Likely Didn't Die, As He's Still An Important Part Of Landman

Manuel and Antonio's attack left Cooper unconscious on the floor of his apartment well through the night and all the way to the time Boss (Mustafa Speaks) picked them up in the morning. Though his condition doesn't look good, Cooper probably isn't dead in Landman. The biggest indicator that Cooper isn't dead is his importance to the show. Through Cooper, Landman gets to explore the day-to-day dealings of a crew of roughnecks, and it also gets to explore his father-son dynamic with Tommy. Both of those functions are incredibly valuable, and it doesn't seem like Landman would throw them away just for some shock value.

In short, though Cooper is probably going to survive, this attack has major implications for Landman.

Though he's likely alive, Cooper is far from out of the woods. He was unconscious for a very long time, which could be an indication of brain damage. Manuel and Antonio also got to work roughing up his body with kicks and punches, and he could very easily have broken bones or internal damage. The fact that Boss left without checking on him also isn't a good sign for Cooper, as every minute he spends not in a hospital is another minute his condition could get worse. In short, though Cooper is probably going to survive, this attack has major implications for Landman.

What Cooper's Fate Means For Landman

Cooper's Attack Could Put More Strain On His Dream & Relationship With Tommy

Manuel and Antonio's attack could change not only Landman, but also Cooper as a character. Jacob Lofland spoke about Cooper's attack with Screen Rant, and he indicated that it will change Cooper's dreams of learning about every part of the oil business and his relationship with his family.

There'll definitely be a path change for the direction — maybe not the direction he's going. He's still going to have the same go, but there's going to be some shortcuts, or long roads to get there now. It's not going to be the straight path that it was before, it kind of changes the dynamic of what he's wanting to do. So, there'll be some hurdles there for him. As far as the family, it would be just like if it happened to your family. It's definitely going to take a hit. But at the end of the day, I think everything's going to work out. We're going to come back around, and it'll all even the scales, eventually.

As Lofland mentioned, Cooper's dreams for his oil career are probably going to radically change. The youthful, bright-eyed optimism he's had about being a roughneck so far is probably going to mostly disappear. It's not entirely clear yet how he's going to change his dream of wanting to own an oil company someday, but he'll likely take a very different approach to his work as a roughneck now. Lofland also mentioned that Cooper's family is also going to struggle with his attack. Angela (Ali Larter) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) are likely going to be distraught, but Tommy is another story.

As both Cooper's father and the landman of M-Tex Oil, Tommy quite simply will not let Manuel and Antonio off the hook for attacking him. Tommy is almost certainly going to seek retribution in some way: at the very least, he's going to fire Manuel and Antonio, and he may even attack them himself. Tommy has a temper, and there's no telling how badly his rage will boil over. Regardless of what Tommy does, however, Manuel and Antonio are going to continue to be a problem in Landman.

Cooper Is Still At Risk In Landman, Even If He's Alive

Even If Cooper Survives, Manuel & Antonio Will Still Be Gunning For Him

The injuries Cooper sustained from the attack will put him in danger in the future of Landman, but he'll still be at risk from another source: Manuel and Antonio. If Tommy doesn't kill them, they'll still be around to police his visits to Ariana. Cooper and Ariana are both too stubborn to give up on each other after the attack, so there's a very good chance that Cooper's going to have yet another face-off with his (soon to be former) crewmates. Once he's out of the hospital, Cooper could be in for a world of hurt.

Manuel and Antonio also aren't the only people Cooper has to worry about in the second half of Landman. In the same episode, Tommy had a run-in with the cartel he leased the land from in the series premiere. After a few threats and a demand for repayment, it seems clear that the cartel could become a problem for Tommy and, by extension, Cooper. If he's out working a rig when the cartel decides to get its payback, Cooper's life could be at risk. As the final half of Landman quickly approaches, there's a very good chance Cooper will be in grave danger.