Ariana & Cooper’s Relationship Status In Landman Episode 7 & Beyond Addressed By Star

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Landman episode 8!Paulina Chávez addressed Ariana and Cooper’s relationship status in Landman episode 7 and beyond, revealing how they’ll both evolve in the episodes to come. Ariana (Chávez) and Cooper (Jacob Lofland) have grown closer ever since he began helping her after her husband, Elvio, died in a tragic accident in episode 1. This culminated in Landman episode 8, when Cooper managed to get her and the other grieving families $1 million each in settlement money. Since then, it appears their relationship is starting to blossom into a genuine romantic connection.

Speaking with ScreenRant, Chávez explained how her and Lofland worked together to craft a convincing progression to Ariana and Cooper’s relationship in Landman, under the guidance of series creator Taylor Sheridan. She also unpacked how genuine the pair’s romantic connection truly is, especially when it comes to how Ariana is still grieving for Elvio. This is made more complex because of Cooper’s clear love for her, and how he has treated her in a way no one else ever has. Check out what Chávez had to say below:

So then, as we see in episodes 7 and 8, Cooper is now living with you while he recovers, and that kiss has now developed into more. I’m curious what that was like watching that relationship evolve, but also building that with Jacob as filming went on.

Paulina Chávez: Yeah, definitely, when we received all the scripts, all of us had a conversation with Taylor about how our characters develop in our arcs and our storylines. Taylor Sheridan wanted to tell Cooper and Ariana’s story correctly and authentically, and I do believe that it is a beautiful flourishing, whatever it is. Relationship, friendship, I think any good relationship starts with a foundation of friendship, and that’s what Ariana and Cooper have. On set, Jacob and I were very, very cautious in wanting to tell the story, right. So, we were always having those discussions like, “Okay, is this coming across the way we want it to come across?” So, it was very interesting. We were always keeping it lighthearted in between takes, but we were just like, “Oh my god, are we doing our job?” I think our first few days on set of doing our scenes, we didn’t really hear any feedback, and it was like, “Okay, so I guess we’re doing a good job.” And then, some producers were like, “We saw some of the scenes, they’re great.” We’re just like, “Okay, we’re doing it.” But yeah, it was an interesting journey, but we wanted to tell the story right, so we were all very cautious about it, but also letting the characters explore what they needed to explore when the cameras were on.

So, in talking about that uncertainty of what their actual relationship is going to be going forward, I love Ariana going off on Tommy at the dinner table and acknowledging that. She’s clearly mature enough to recognize that there’s so much uncertainty, but do you think she kind of knows what she wants from this at this point?

Paulina Chávez: I think she’s open to exploring what it can be. You’ve seen the scene, she’s never experienced anything like it. Taylor made a reference of she thought that Elvio was the love of her life. And when you are with that person, you do, you do believe that that is the love of your life. And then, someone else comes around — albeit from unfortunate circumstances — showing you, “Oh, maybe that wasn’t the love of my life. What we had was beautiful, but it has nothing compared to to what this is, and it’s very interesting.” So, I don’t think she knows what it is, but she is curious, because nobody’s ever treated her the way that Cooper has treated her. There’s also the sense of, “Oh my goodness, Elvio’s family is going to judge me. So many people are going to judge me. But is that something that should stop me from exploring this authentic human connection?”

What Ariana & Cooper’s Relationship Status Means For The Rest Of Landman

More Answers About Their Decision Will Likely Arrive Soon

The end of Landman episode 8 saw Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) arrive at Ariana’s house, stopping by to assess how genuine their relationship is after learning about the settlement money conflict. While there, he makes a snarky comment, which draws the ire of the widow. she ends up confessing nobody has looked at her the way Cooper has, not even Elvio, and that she’ll decide if she truly wants a future with him. However, the pair haven’t made a definitive decision about if they’ll be trying to make their budding romance last.

Because of how quickly a relationship bloomed between the pair, other characters in Landman are understandably worried they aren’t making a well-informed decision by being together. However, Cooper clearly wants to take care of her, from mowing her lawn to conflicting with Rebecca (Kayla Wallace) to get more money from the settlement deal. The final two episodes of season 1 will likely clarify just how deep their feelings truly are, or if it’s an elaborate facade they’re both putting on because of a mixture of guilt and grief.

Episode 7 also strengthened their relationship when Ariana let Cooper live with her while recovering from his injuries.

Our Take On Ariana & Cooper’s Relationship Status In Landman Season 1

Breaking Up The Pair Would Be Too Tragic Now

Despite their relationship status being unclear, Cooper and Ariana’s interactions provide a light that contrasts Landman‘s major conflicts surrounding Tommy and the oilfields. Breaking them up might be too tragic right now, especially when it seems Sheridan has big plans for how their relationship is going to develop in the coming episodes. It seems unlikely the pair will break apart however, since episodes 7 and 8 have proven just how much they truly do care about one another.