Includes SPOILERS for Landman season 1, episode 10!

Landman’s season 1 finale ends with yet another sequence of Tommy watching a coyote from his backyard, raising questions about its relevance. Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows, be it Yellowstone, Tulsa King, or Landman, are often centered around deeply American concepts and ways of life, examining regions or industries in the country and what they represent. That’s why the season finale begins with a clip discussing the effects of the oil industry on the world economy and politics. There’s far more at stake in the series than just oil.

Billy Bob Thornton leads Landman’s cast as Tommy Norris, the crisis management executive for M-Tex, a fictional private oil company. Tommy’s boss, Monty, passed away from heart failure in the season 1 finale, leaving Tommy as the company’s president and with control of his estate for the time being. In the previous episode, Tommy witnessed a coyote being shot outside in his backyard, and Landman’s season 1 ending shows a new coyote appearing to examine the body of the previous one.

Tommy Seeing Another Coyote Confirms He Can’t Break Free

Tommy Is Trapped In The Oil Industry, Doomed To Monty’s Fate

The most important detail in this scene is that Tommy tells the coyote to run away, saying that people kill coyotes around here. The coyote serves as symbolism for Tommy’s freedom, with him taking a bigger role in the company representing entrapment. Landman is a series that explores the balance between family and the pursuit of wealth, with Monty being the epitome of a man who abandoned the true love of his family for his endless journey toward legacy.

The coyote in episode 9 was killed, representing the idea that Tommy has essentially been doomed to the same fate as Monty.

Monty’s season 1 fate means Tommy, who’s become more conflicted throughout the episodes about the time he spends away from family, will have to step into a role with even more pressure than before. The coyote in episode 9 was killed, representing the idea that Tommy has essentially been doomed to the same fate as Monty. Angela, Ainsley, and Cooper are all within his grasp, but if he continues to prioritize oil over them, he will die alone and unhappy.

The Coyote Not Being Killed May Offer Hope For Tommy

It’s Not Too Late For Tommy To Turn Things Around

The coyote in season 1’s finale isn’t killed, meaning after everything he’s just been through with Monty and the Cartel, there’s still hope for him. This coyote surviving means there’s a glimmer of hope for Landman’s protagonist. Tommy even admits that while he was being tortured by the Cartel, he saw his life flash before him, and he saw Angela. He knows what he needs to be happy in life, but the challenge now will be finding the right time to turn away from oil, or to see if he even can.