So the sophomore season of Landman was packed with all sorts of drama, but I think what I ended up missing the most in the second season was Taylor Sheridan’s classic metaphors that he often brings on-screen through the use of wild animals. I mean, who could forget the fierce grey wolf Kayce constantly saw in Yellowstone, and that gloomy brown bear near Mike McLusky’s cabin in Mayor of Kingstown? And if you remember the first season of Landman, then you might be able to recall the lonely coyote that often appeared outside Tommy Norris’ house. One of Tommy’s neighbors had shot down a coyote, and since then, the sight of that animal had become a bad omen for Tommy. The last time this canine paid Tommy a visit was during the finale of season 1, when Tommy warned the coyote not to roam around these lands, as people in these parts tend to kill their kind. Obviously, as the audience, we knew what the sight of a coyote really meant. Tommy’s longtime friend and employer, Monty Miller, had died, and this coyote instantly became associated with that tragedy. A bad omen for Tommy, to be precise. Now, we didn’t see this animal again in the show, mostly because the entirety of season 2 was all sunshine and rainbows, which is probably one of the reasons why not many of you liked the sophomore season. But I think Sheridan heard your prayers and brought the animal back on-screen again, just to hint to his audience that the third season is going to be a hell of a ride for Tommy Norris and his family. But what does the sight of a coyote really mean? Is Tommy really going to die? Well, with a spoiler warning, allow me to discuss it further.
I believe the coyote’s appearance is more of a warning for our old pal. The animal crossed paths with Tommy in the season 2 finale when our landman was on the brink of starting a new chapter in his life as an oil producer. If you remember, he had failed once. So the coyote is just here to remind Tommy of his own words, “You better run, buddy. They kill coyotes around here.” In this context, the coyote’s an oil producer. And irrespective of Tommy’s immense knowledge or experience, he’s bound to meet the same fate as Monty. But this isn’t news to Tommy. He already knows that the path he has chosen to walk down is going to be the end of him, or his family, yet he wants to risk it all, because this is the only thing Tommy Norris is good at. In the season 2 finale, he expressed the same sentiment to his wife, Angela, when he said, “Time’s coming when tragedy’s going to dominate our days.” Okay, one thing here. Many of you in the comments stated that Tommy has cancer, because he mentioned cancer to Angela and didn’t smoke a single cigarette in the finale, but honestly, I don’t think that’s the case. Tommy said a lot of other things to Angela. He even mentioned old age and dementia. So it doesn’t mean that God will send all the deadly diseases at him in waves just because he decides to become an oil man. Tommy was just trying to tell Angela that things are going to be hard, but he won’t lose this time. He had already given up in the past, which shattered his dreams, but not again. Not today. Because this time, Tommy Norris is going to win.
When the coyote appeared before his eyes, he told the animal the same thing, “You can’t have today, bud. Today is mine,” which means all the bad omens and tragedies in the world can wait, because today is the day when Tommy Norris is going to win. You know, Tommy’s words are very reminiscent of the “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” soliloquy in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” Macbeth didn’t want to hear the bad news, because he had a battle to win, and the moment he found out about Lady Macbeth’s death, he was completely shattered. That lad lost his mind after that. And I hope I am not reaching too far, but you might have heard that Tommy mentioned a similar thing in the season 2 finale. He insinuated that Angela might die in a car crash, which I think is a possibility for the next season.
One last question that I really want to bring up is whether Tommy will continue being an oilman even after he has succeeded in all his endeavors and saved up enough money for his retirement? Honestly, this is tricky. On the one hand, Tommy doesn’t know any other life. He has been an oilman and a landman for as long as he can remember, and whatever life is left in him, he wants to spend it on the oilfield. However, on the other hand, Tommy knows that the longer you stay in this business, the more life it sucks out of you. And in the end, you find yourself in a hospital bed, leaving behind a huge debt for your family to shoulder. And Tommy wouldn’t do that to his son or his family. It’s apparent that Tommy’s going to guide Cooper so he can take the company to new heights, turn it into another M-Tex, or maybe even better, but when his ambitions are fulfilled, he’ll make sure that Cooper walks out of it so he has a life and a family to look forward to. It’s true that Tommy is going to jump into the abyss, but he’ll make sure that he has a safe landing, so he doesn’t turn out to be another Monty Miller. I really feel bad for Cami Miller, but when someone mixes their ambition with greed, there’s nothing one can do to save them from themselves. Now, these are all my thoughts on the season 2 finale of Landman, but if you have anything to add, I’d love to hear that. Feel free to drop a comment below.
