America is a machine that runs on oil. It’s in our country’s blood. The only problem, of course, is that there’s only a finite amount of oil and it takes millions of years to form. Oh, and you know, the U.S. purchases oil from private companies and then we help destroy our planet’s climate when we burn it for fuel. So, there’s a lot of problems, actually. As Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thorton) reminds us in the Landman finale, “Our great-grandparents built a world that runs on this shit. And until it runs on something else, we gotta feed it or the world stops.”
Much like Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) last episode, the decision is killing us. Tommy’s boss needs a heart transplant, or he will die. So, Tommy assumes control of the company while Monty is in surgery. He suggests to Cami (Demi Moore) that she should sell M-Tex, but Cami is worried that no one will remember Monty if they don’t do anything with his money. “I don’t know what to tell you,” Tommy callously responds. “Build a hell of a high school football stadium.” Hell, maybe Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) from Yellowstone wants to add an oil field in Texas to his growing roster of properties.
The criminally underused Demi Moore finally has some scenes to chew on in the finale.
Cooper (Jacob Lofland) remains the beating heart of the series—even in the finale. I couldn’t care less how many times someone from the series explains to the press that Angela (Ali Larter) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) are “definitely real people that exist.” Maybe that’s true, but it’s still tough to justify how often they’re prancing around in bikinis for “comedic effect.” Cooper and Ariana (Paulina Chavez) are the only two characters outside of Mr. Landman who deal with the drama of oil patch disasters. Their struggle with grief is the best part of Landman because it’s one of the only aspects of the series that actually deals with real emotions.
So, it’s a shame that there isn’t much for Cooper to do in the finale. He’s truly one of the only multi-dimensional characters in the entire series. Though he experiences the worst that the oil business has to offer, he still believes that he can be the right kind of oil company owner someday. That’s why he also steps in to take care of Ariana after her husband passes away. He’s a good kid who just wants to do the right thing. Ironically, he can’t see that the problem is the oil itself—not just the people who profit from it. The next generation can’t just stop at better business practices. Some industries need to fall.
Emerson Miller//Paramount
More Cooper in season 2, please!
Instead, the finale focuses on Tommy’s battle with the local Mexican cartels. I know that Jimenez (Alex Meraz) lost $30 million in the busted drug deal from the premiere, but what’s their plan now? Did they really need to drag this out for ten episodes? It seems that Jimenez would rather torture Tommy than take the money at this point. Now, he just wants to kill him to send a message. It just doesn’t feel like the right kind of tension to cap off season 1. There’s no way in hell that Taylor Sheridan kills ol’ Landman here.
Someone must save Tommy, so his help arrives when the true cartel leader steps in. As it turns out, Jimenez was lying when he said he was the boss. Andy Garcia is the head honcho—and he forms a new deal with Tommy after killing Jimenez. Though his name is never spoken, Garcia’s character is eventually credited as Galino. “We ain’t ever gonna be friends,” Tommy tells him. As Garcia Galino explains, “We must coexist.” Season 2? You have your villain.
Tommy returns home beaten within an inch of his life. We see Monty’s family crying over his hospital bed, but it’s unclear what state he’s in. Their silent wailing makes me believe he’s dead—especially since I couldn’t imagine Jon Hamm wanting to do a second season of this show—but Sheridan leaves his condition open-ended.
Back home, Tommy has an epiphany: He should treat his wife better. “My whole life passed before my eyes, and all I saw was you,” he tells Angela. Maybe you’ll appreciate it when your wife cooks you a meal now, Tommy. Twice in season 1, she’s cooked him dinner, only for him to show up late and complain about it. This morning, the dawn rises on a new day. Tommy sees a coyote outside his yard. He tells him to “run, buddy,” though it’s clear he’s talking to himself. “They kill coyotes out here,” he says before the credits roll. Something tells me that our landman won’t be taking his own advice.
