Editor's note: This post contains spoilers from the Oct. 11, episode of Blood and Oil.
It was obvious from the start of ABC’s new drama, Blood & Oil, that Hap Briggs (the “Baron of the Bakken”) would turn out to be ruthless and conniving, no matter how charming he might seem. After all, he’s an oil man and the media just love (to hate) them.
In prior episodes Briggs appeared to admire Billy LeFever’s tenacity and mind for the oil business. He even seemed to have taken Billy “under his wing,” but the latest episode proved much of that may have been an act. Or that Briggs is willing to backstab even the people he likes and even a man who saved his life.
Just like the liberal news media, Hollywood loves to portray businesses and especially the oil industry as villains. Even the Muppets have used a rich oil executive as the bad guy.
In the Oct. 11, episode called “Hustle and Flow,” Briggs tricks Billy into giving up his 5 percent stake in the McCutching oil play in order to invest in another play that’s about to strike oil: Koala 1.
Briggs knew that stake was worth far more and that Koala might actually be dry, but he allowed Billy to cut the bad deal anyway. Billy thought it was a “fair trade,” because Briggs hadn’t told him McCutching contains a $1 trillion worth of oil and that his stake would be worth $50 million.
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Briggs made Billy feel like he missed out a different venture and minimized downside risks of oil investments saying, “that’s the funny thing about a boom. What goes up, just keeps on going.” He even pats Billy’s shoulder and says, “Don’t worry son, you’ll get yours.”
Billy wants in on Koala one and offers to invest all he’s got left: $250,000. Briggs tells him the “minimum buy in is $500,000.” So Billy offers a trade,” $250,000 and his 5 percent stake in McCutching for a share in Koala 1. Billy calls it “fair” and points out that his McCutching stake should be worth “10 times that” ($2.5 million).
“You want to go all in on Koala 1?” Briggs says with a grin. “I’m all in,” Billy replies.
When Koala 1 strikes oil it stops flowing almost immediately because it was a not a real hit. Briggs tells Billy it’s a “tough break.”
"Damn it. You knew this well was a dud, didn't you?” Billy says. “All that B.S. about Wick and the investors. You played me." Briggs gives him a speech about the reality that “sometimes you drill a dry hole” and admits nothing.
But later when Wick confronted his father and complained he had “used” him, Hap Briggs admitted the truth to his son.
"[Koala 1] was our well. Then about six weeks ago I discovered that it might be dry. I wasn't for certain until today,” Briggs says. “Damn right I used you. I needed to get McCutching back. That's the prize. A trillion worth of oil. Billy had no business having that in his hands in the first place.”
Billy should have listened to the old codger who warned him by partnering with Hap Briggs he was dealing with the “devil.”
