America is a machine that runs on oil. It’s in our country’s blood. The only problem, of course, is that there is only a finite amount of oil and it takes millions of years to form. Oh, and you know, the US buys oil from private companies and then we help destroy our planet’s climate by burning it as fuel. So, there is a lot actually of problems. As Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thorton) reminds us Countryman Finale: “Our great-grandparents built a world based on this shit. And until it runs on something else, we have to feed it, otherwise the world will stand still.”

Much like the last episode of Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), the decision kills us. Tommy’s boss needs a heart transplant or he’ll die. So Tommy takes over running the company while Monty undergoes surgery. He suggests that Cami (Demi Moore) sell M-Tex, but Cami is worried that no one will remember Monty if they don’t do something with his money. “I don’t know what to tell you,” Tommy replies callously. “Build a hell of a high school football stadium.” Hell, maybe Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) from Yellowstone is looking to add a Texas oil field to its growing list of properties.

The criminally underused Demi Moore finally has a few scenes to chew on in the finale.

Cooper (Jacob Lofland) remains the beating heart of the series – even in the finale. I don’t care how many times someone on the show tells the press that Angela (Ali Larter) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) are “definitely real people who exist.” Maybe that’s true, but it’s still hard to justify how often they prance around in bikinis for “comedic effect.” Cooper and Ariana (Paulina Chavez), along with Mr. Landman, are the only two characters dealing with the drama of oil field disasters. Her struggle with grief is the best part of it Countryman because it’s one of the few aspects of the series that actually involves real emotion.

So it’s a shame that there isn’t much for Cooper to do in the finale. He’s truly one of the few multi-dimensional characters in the entire series. Despite experiencing the worst the oil business has to offer, he still believes he can be right kind one day the owner of an oil company. That’s why he takes care of Ariana after her husband dies. He’s a good boy who just wants to do the right thing. Ironically, he fails to see that the problem is the oil itself – and not just the people who benefit from it. The next generation cannot simply limit themselves to better business practices. Some industries must fall.

More Cooper in Season 2, please!

Instead, the finale focuses on Tommy’s battle with the local Mexican cartels. I know Jimenez (Alex Meraz) lost $30 million in the failed drug deal in the premiere, but what is her plan now? Did they really have 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 close out the first season. There’s no way Taylor Sheridan can kill old Landman here.

Someone has to save Tommy, so his help comes when the real cartel leader intervenes. It turns out Jimenez lied when he said he was the boss. Andy Garcia is the boss – and he makes a new deal with Tommy after killing Jimenez. Although his name is never stated, Garcia’s character is eventually referred to as Galino. “We’ll never be friends,” Tommy tells him. As Garcia Galino explains, “We have to coexist.” Season 2? You have your villain.

Tommy returns home almost defeated. We see Monty’s family crying over his hospital bed, but it is unclear what condition he is in. Her silent lamentation makes me think he’s dead – especially because I couldn’t imagine Jon Hamm wanting to do a second season of this show – but Sheridan is leaving his family condition indefinitely.

At 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 if your wife cooks you a meal now, Tommy. Twice in Season 1, she cooked him dinner, but he was late and complained about it. This morning the dawn of a new day breaks. Tommy sees a coyote in front of his yard. He tells him to “run, buddy,” even though it’s clear he’s talking to himself. “They kill coyotes out here,” he says before the credits. Something tells me our countryman won’t heed his own advice.