Taylor Sheridan's Landman has never shied away from showing the dangers of working in the oil patch. But one of the show's most intense scenes turns out to be rooted in a problem that's still putting Texans at risk today.
A new video from The Examination revisits its 2024 investigation with the Houston Chronicle into the hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) danger dramatized in the series, which some Texas lawmakers and advocates say remains a problem.
"These oil workers are running from a dangerous gas called hydrogen sulfide, or H2S for short," the video explains, referring to one of the series' most memorable sequences. "These fictional characters are actually running from a real-world problem."
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, highly toxic gas naturally found in oil and gas formations such as the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale. At high concentrations, exposure can become fatal within minutes by shutting down the body's ability to breathe. Even lower levels have been linked to long-term health issues, including neurological problems.
The investigation found that the threat extends well beyond oil workers.
Working alongside the Houston Chronicle, reporters identified wells containing dangerously high concentrations of H₂S—levels that would be "immediately dangerous to life or health" if released into the surrounding area.
The findings were striking. "What we found was that roughly 78,000 people lived within a half-mile of those wells," the report states. "At least 33,600 students attended schools in that footprint."
Researchers also pointed to mounting evidence that chronic exposure can affect nearby communities even when leaks aren't catastrophic.
"People living near leaking facilities report nausea, headaches, coughing, rashes, and asthma," the investigation notes, while adding that studies have connected long-term, low-level exposure to broader neurological and health problems.
Those findings echo one of Landman's defining strengths: grounding its drama in real-world issues. Throughout its first two seasons, Sheridan's series has used Tommy Norris and the West Texas oil industry to explore everything from cartel violence and drilling accidents to boom-and-bust economics.
One storyline that recently resonated with viewers centered on soaring fuel prices.
As global oil prices climbed amid instability affecting key shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz, an older scene featuring Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris unexpectedly went viral online. In it, Tommy explains why oil prices matter far beyond the gas pump.
"You want oil to live above $60, but below $90," Tommy says in the episode. "If it's $100, every product in America has to readjust its price."
The explanation mirrored what many Americans were experiencing as higher crude prices contributed to rising gasoline costs and broader inflation.
