Landman Season 2’s Finale Quietly Erases Season 1’s Ending: The Coyote’s Meaning Explained

The final moment of Landman Season 2’s finale ushers in significant changes for Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and his family, quietly erasing the landman and oil executive’s conclusion from Season 1. Landman Season 2’s finale premiered on Paramount+ on Sunday, January 18, bringing a divisive chapter for fans of the oil drama to a resolute ending. However, the conclusion of Landman Season 2 is just the beginning for Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan’s oil drama, which Paramount+ has already renewed for a third season. When the series returns for its next chapter, it will feel like a completely different show after Tommy establishes his own company, leading to a tonal shift for Landman Season 3.

The Coyote’s Meaning In Landman Season 1 And Season 2’s Finales Explained

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In the finale of Landman Season 2, Tommy turns his unfortunate circumstances into a silver lining. After Cami Miller fires Tommy in the penultimate episode of Landman Season 2, Norris establishes his own oil company in the last episode, overtaking the six oil wells that his son, Cooper (Jacob Lofland), established and launching CTT Oil Exploration and Cattle. In Landman Season 2’s final scene, Tommy stares out into the field behind his house and sees a coyote. Norris smirks, telling the coyote, “No. You can’t have today, bud. Today is mine.” The scene is a symbolic moment for Tommy, connecting to the ending of Landman Season 1, which includes the same imagery but has a gravely different tone.

In the finale of Landman Season 1, Tommy is beaten down, physically and mentally, after a season full of disasters. The season ends with the cartel underling Jimenez (Alex Meraz) nearly burning Norris alive. However, Gallino (also known as Danny Morrell) saves Tommy’s life. Still, in the end, Tommy is defeated, and the season’s closing scene reflects that. In the ending scene of Landman Season 1, Tommy also sees a coyote in the field behind his house, telling it, “You better run, buddy. They kill coyotes around here.” The statement is a warning to the coyote, referencing how people kill pests when they get too close, underscoring the foreboding circumstances surrounding Norris in West Texas.

Landman Season 2’s Finale Evolves Tommy’s Ending From Landman Season 1

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Landman Season 2 walks back Tommy’s defeat, with Norris experiencing a victory within the oil industry that delivers so many highs and lows. In both finales, Tommy speaks to the coyote in his yard. However, in Season 1, Tommy gives a grave warning that reflects his own circumstances. Season 2 allows Norris a victory, if only for a moment. The coyote isn’t a random animal. It’s a motif that embodies the story’s larger themes. In the first season, the coyote and Tommy’s message to it is a subtle acknowledgment of the danger and death that surround Norris, underlined by the torture he endures from the cartel and Monty Miller’s death in Landman Season 1’s finale.

Like when Monty is gone in an instant, or when Tommy sees a neighbor shoot a coyote unexpectedly in an earlier episode of Landman Season 1, the coyote reflects the prevalence and immediacy of the threats to Tommy’s life. However, when the coyote returns in Landman Season 2, its presence takes on new meaning, reflecting Tommy’s evolution. Rather than Tommy’s potential doom, the coyote in Landman Season 2’s finale represents his survival and defiance. Instead of being wary of the coyote, Norris tells the animal that the day “belongs to him,” showing a shift in Tommy’s tone. Norris is no longer trying to flee peril. He’s surviving it and carving out a path through it. The coyote in Landman Season 2 appears during a time of triumph, yet it still represents the persistent risk of turmoil Tommy faces. Norris has asserted himself, but danger still waits out of sight. Therefore, the coyote symbolizes survival, suggesting that there will still be threats, but Tommy can take a moment to revel in the day.

What To Expect From Landman Season 3

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Therefore, while the coyote in the finale scene of Landman Season 2, on some levels, represents a change in the tide for Norris, it’s also a representation of the constant uncertainty he will face in Landman Season 3. Even though Tommy is in control after his Season 2 triumph, there will be new challenges when Landman returns. However, Tommy will not face his challenges alone now that he has appointed Cooper as president of CTT Oil Exploration. Tommy will have his family, including his father, T.L. (Sam Elliott), at his side during his next chapter, which will follow the Norris family company rather than the one the Millers formed, ending an era for Landman. Regardless of what’s in store, the show will undoubtedly carry a different tone and feel when anchored by Tommy and his new endeavor, his triumph reflected in the Season 2 closing scene. For observant fans of the series, the coyote served as a reminder of the risks Tommy faces, while acknowledging that Norris has started anew.