For the most part, Taylor Sheridan has been a beast when it comes to penning stories, especially Westerns that explore the dying American way of life. While his magnum opus, Yellowstone, had to end with its fifth season as a result of the behind-the-scene hoopla surrounding its lead, it didn’t take Sheridan long to get back to penning Westerns again.
Even though Landman isn’t exactly his best work to date, the Billy Bob Thornton-led show still has a lot going for it, including one scene from the finale that involves the coyote.
Taylor Sheridan once again excels at animal symbolism
Taylor Sheridan is no stranger to using animals for symbolism in his works, most notable being Kayce’s wolf visions in Yellowstone. Although its usage in Landman is a bit on the nose, the underlying message behind it further adds to the Yellowstone showrunner’s chops as a Western storyteller. In contrast to the bombastic finale, in which Tommy barely escapes death, the quiet moment with the Coyote before and after the final confrontation paints Tommy’s current state in the oil industry.
Given that Tommy struggled to maintain a balance between family and the oil industry throughout the series, the scene, in which he locks his eyes with the coyote, seemingly symbolizes his place in the Landman world. Considering he has now additional responsibility following the death of Monty, his words to the Coyote “You better run, buddy. They kill coyotes around here “ serves as a reflection of his own state in the oil business. Elaborating on the coyote scene’s ambiguity, Thornton added (via THR):
I think Tommy looks at that coyote and at the end, it’s like, ‘Here they come. They are coming for me.’ Or, ‘Are they coming for me? Am I the coyote, am I looking myself in the eye? Am I this lone wolf out here, just running across these plains trying to keep from getting killed? Or is the coyote the cartel?
No matter how this symbolism plays out in the future, it’s safe to assume that Tommy isn’t going to have it easy as the oil company’s president.
Billy Bob Thornton’s Landman season 2 still hangs in the balance
Despite the decent reception to the show, Paramount hasn’t rolled the ball on season 2 yet, which is surprising given Sheridan’s history with the platform. While most, including Billy Bob Thornton, are assuming it’s only a matter of time before Paramount greenlit an additional season, as of now, we can only wait.
Usually shows that are this successful, they’d do it again; so, I can only imagine that they would, but I don’t know for sure.
Thornton isn’t the lone star who has been uncertain about Landman‘s future, as Jacob Lofland too previously echoed a similar sentiment.