‘Landman’ Star Paulina Chavez Breaks Down Ariana and Cooper’s Relationship Shocker

Landman has had its fair share of shocking moments, but fans couldn’t have predicted the show’s latest breakup.

During the Sunday, November 16, episode, Ariana (Paulina Chávez) pulled the plug on her romance with Cooper (Jacob Lofland) after spending hours worrying about his safety when his phone died at work. Still in mourning, Ariana told Cooper — who just hit it big at oil wells — that she can’t go through another loss like the death of her late husband, Elvio.

Heartbroken, Cooper accepted the decision although he later talks with Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), about ways to mend the relationship — hinting that there might be a reconciliation in the future. Chávez, 23, told Us Weekly exclusively that she understands why Ariana decided to end the romance.

“I really think she was, obviously, taken aback. The stakes are so much higher now,” Chávez said about her character’s motivations. “She realizes what’s at stake [with] her partner working in the oil industry and she doesn’t want history to repeat itself. She’s really navigating whether or not this is what she wants. Is he going to work with her?”

Ariana may be focused on her healing, but she’s also considering Cooper’s wants as well, according to Chávez. The actress told Us that Ariana “wants [Cooper] to be happy and do what he wants.”

“[If] that means us breaking up, then that’s what needs to happen,” Chávez said.

While Chávez may understand Ariana’s decision to part ways, she’s hopeful that the fan-favorite couple can work it out. The actress told Us that Cooper and Ariana’s romance is “a relationship that we all want” where two people are “not afraid to speak [their] truths” and “strive for something…better.”

“I’m a hopeless romantic so I’m definitely in it with their relationship,” she said when asked if Ariana and Cooper are end game. “I’m like, ‘Please, they need to end up together,’ so I’m rooting for them, too.”

This season, Chávez has had to dig deeper to portray Ariana, who is “stronger, bolder and more unapologetically herself,” according to the actress. Fans will get a chance “to know her on a deeper level” and see her navigate “a new phase of motherhood” and “learning what she wants for herself for her relationship with Cooper.” Ariana’s new arc has given Chávez the opportunity to explore her own womanhood.

“My approach has just been really being able to fall in love with all aspects of being a woman,” Chávez shared about her performance.

The actress is not a mother, but she channeled her oldest sister’s experience with motherhood when playing Ariana. She told Us that she and her mother have gone to visit her sister regularly since she welcomed her second son in January 2025.

“It’s been like a tradition that I just go out and help [my sister],” Chávez said. “I was on night shift because that kid needs to eat every three hours and there’s a lot of diapers to change. And so, I feel like this [performance] is just a love letter to Latina women [and] mothers. Also women who might be widows and are experiencing new love and it’s really scary and navigating that.”

New episodes of Landman release on Paramount+ Sundays at 3 a.m. ET.