Taylor Sheridan’s Landman re-uses elements of symbolism from the creator’s other major series, Yellowstone, showing just how similar these shows really are. Though the new series may be set in West Texas and focused on the oil industry rather than ranchers, cowboys, and cattle, Landman’s similarities to Yellowstone are numerous, with many referring to it as the true successor after Yellowstone’s ending in late 2024. Especially now, with the action-packed crime drama in the season 1 finale, Landman feels more akin to Sheridan’s longest show than ever.

From the outside looking in, it would be easy to identify the apparent similarities between the two shows. Billy Bob Thornton leads Landman’s cast as Tommy Norris, a character who feels like a slightly modified variant of John Dutton. The show’s setting and general feel make it seem like a companion piece as a neo-Western that explores the thin line between industry and crime in more remote parts of contemporary America. Beyond that, these shows have more subtle details in common, one of them involving Landman’s coyote.

Landman Uses Coyotes To Add Depth To Tommy’s Story
The Coyote Is Used To Symbolize Tommy Norris

The coyote has been used twice in Landman, primarily as a representative of Tommy Norris, though it can be interpreted in multiple ways, reflecting how different viewers experience the show. The first coyote he sees at the end of episode 9 dies, but another coyote returns in episode 10, with Tommy warning it to run away, saying they kill coyotes here. This could refer to the sheer danger of the Permian Basin, and how even tough animals like coyotes can be killed there, referring to someone like Monty.

The use of an animal is crucial to Landman’s themes about the American Dream

Tying the symbolism closer to Tommy, the coyote could represent his freedom and how he’s going to be sucked into the oil industry until it kills him, just like Monty. Now that Monty has died, Tommy is going to be drawn deeper into this world, and though it allows him to provide for his family, it rids him of being able to spend time with them or truly be happy. The use of an animal is crucial to Landman’s themes about the American Dream, drawing similarities to Yellowstone.

Landman’s Coyotes Are Similar To Yellowstone’s Wolves
Yellowstone Used Wolves Instead Of Coyotes

In Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan uses wolves instead of coyotes to demonstrate his symbolism. Aside from these two being similar species, they’re both often used in a symbolic sense to represent aspects of the American Frontier, something Sheridan has explored in shows like 1883. Wolf symbolism is used in Yellowstone to examine Kayce Dutton as a character, and season 5 sees two wolves shot and killed on the ranch’s territory, sparking a controversy. Taylor Sheridan’s symbolic use in Landman is equally as crucial.