AMC's "Hell on Wheels"

So, two episodes in and I really like this show. Yes, the first episode had a lot of exposition in it, especially from Colm Meaney’s character, but then keep in mind that this is television, and you have to write for an audience that you assume has little knowledge of the background behind your setting. Having Meaney do his bits helped those that never paid attention in American History class grasp why he would want a meandering railroad line and why he is playing boths ends against the middle the way he is. It also helps illustrate his character as less “evil bad guy” and more “amoral opportunist”.

There was a lot less of this in the second episode, and it was better for it. While the sequence of events behind Cullen’s tranformation from murder suspect and prisoner to railroad foreman was a little difficult to believe it did serve to illustrate a lot of what was going on at the railroad camp and helped develop The Sweede a lot more. The inclusion of his history at Andersonville was a nice touch.

So far I like the look, feel and tone of this show. It’s not Deadwood (cocksuckers!), but it doesn’t need to be. While there is room in Hell on Wheels for strong character development in the same vein as Deadwood, in this show the history and the setting are practically characters in themselves, and that allows for a lot more opportunity for interesting moments in the scripting and cinematography. My wife and I are enjoying it, and will continue to watch regularly.

Yeah, I really enjoyed the second episode, and the continuation of badass surveyor wife as well. She’s one tough cookie, using a stay to sew her wound shut. She should talk to Daryl on The Walking Dead.

I had a First Blood flashback.

I agree that the show is shaping up nicely.

I like just about everyone on the show except Colm Meandering Expository Soliloquy. Do we really need him to explain precisely why he wants to stir up fear and anger at the natives? Can’t the dude keep any of his schemes secret for even 10 seconds? Worst supervillain ever. “This may look like a slightly improved communications satellite, but it’s actually a directional EMP!”

Similarly, the weakest part of Cullen’s story in this episode was when he talked to Colm. It’s unfortunate that there’s virtually no chance of him dying, ever.

It’s bizarre how all the villains in this show get to tell you exactly how and why they are so villainous nary a moment after being introduced.

I don’t think he’s a bad guy, he’s just a man trying to build a railroad. What makes you think he’s a bad guy?

Well, he’s defrauding taxpayers and he was a war profiteer. But he’s no worse than any Wall Street banker, and who could possibly be upset with them?

Exactly. I think part of the point of that character’s frequent expositions is to underline the fact that he’s not a villain in the normal sense of the word. He’s an amoral, conniving and ruthless businessman who is willing to do just about anything to make a fortune off this venture, but he’s not neccesarily evil. He seemed genuinely greived by the death of the surveyor (and even moreso over the loss of the maps), and his little speech in the first episode showed that he is perfectly aware of how history will view him, and that it bothers him (though he seems to be accepting of the fact).

This is a show about a murderer who tracks down other murderers and rapists for revenge. Other characters include a freed slave with a grudge who’s not afraid to kill if he feels justified, a former prisoner of war who’s experience turned him into some kind of OCD crime boss, a reverend who seems to be hiding some dark secret and an Indian who used to kill and scalp white men who now works for them. EVERYONE in this show is a bad guy in one form or another!

That’s like saying Nucky Thompson on Boardwalk Empire is evil because he’s been fixing elections and defrauding taxpayers, plus breaking laws and covering up murders. I have a feeling that this is one of those shows that is like Boardwalk Empire, where there is a pretty blurry line between what is good and what is evil.

My disagreement was in the assessment of him being some sort of moustachioed twirling supervillain.

I can’t decide whether I am a terrible racist or if I just watched too much of The Muppet Show, because all I can think as I watch this episode is, “Chicken in the basket - two points!”

I don’t see any of the subtlety you people are referring to. A violent ultra-capitalist rambling about manifest destiny and making money and a weirdly accented psycho who makes references to cannibalism and blesses his crackers seem pretty cartoony to me.

Man, I am loving the gritty feel of this show and the frequent nods to history, but the pacing is just glacial. I’m afraid this will be the show’s undoing if things don’t begin to pick up steam (pun!) in the next couple of episodes. I also wasn’t sold on Anson Mount as the lead character until these past couple of episodes. His drunken scenes with the Swede and the preacher were excellent. It’s a difficult acting job to remain both sympathetic and meanacing while also falling down drunk, and yet somehow he pulled it off admirably.

I am confused… I wasn’t entirely paying attention when watching the epi last night… I thought the blonde lady had the maps after her husband was killed by the Natives… why is she telling Colm Meaney that she doesn’t have the maps? I thought she did.

The main character is pretty bad ass. Great show.

Not totally sure, maybe she’s just screwing him because he’s such a douchebag, maybe she’s going to try to use them as leverage. She definitely had them strapped to her saddle when she was riding back toward camp.

She still has them, as they made sure to show the scene during the “previously on” segment that showed the main character handing them back to her. I suspect she buried them at her husbands grave and is trying to determine how she can leverage them best or even if the railroad baron is worthy of them. Technically they’re all she has left of her husband, so I’d imagine she considers them pretty valuable in a totally different way than the railroad guy.

Jonah Hex needs to do some more things, because he’s a pretty boring drunk. Also, the scenes from next week make it look like the explosion of the black powder is basically going to be a non-event, though that could just be bad cutting. That would be unfortunate, because the earthshattering kaboom was somebody’s fault. I’ll be satisfied if we can just avoid a joke about comparative dick size.

Also, why the hell didn’t the Irish guy ask the whores first and cut a deal. They’re totally whores. I’m pretty sure that it’s in all the role names. They’d probably be cool with dudes scoping their junk if they got a cut.

Yeah, I just assumed he did right up until the whore busted them, because that’s business. If you don’t have a deal with the whores, then why the hell are people paying? You can sneak a peak and get busted just as easily without paying.

The peepshow bit just seemed so trite and tacked on. Like none of the 200 other horny men had ever thought to mosey over and steal a quick glance through a knothole until our brazen young irishman?

So what does anybody think of Common? I think he’s doing well but his part is just so cliche. He does sink his teeth into it when the opportunity presents itself. I wouldn’t have any idea who he was except for the kerfluffle a few years ago when he stumped for Obama and I guess Fox was taking him to task for some of his rap lyrics - e.g. twisting around how his anti-violence rap was full of violent imagery and he was a scary black man.

I think Common is one of the better parts of the show. As you say, he’s not given the best of parts to work with, however the past couple of episodes have featured a little more depth to his character which he’s capitalized on well. I’m looking forward to his eventual alliance with Bohannan to take down whomever the common threat winds up being, as they are two sides of the same badass coin.

I said earlier when it premiered that I loves me some Common and his performance has confirmed that. He seems to be playing the role fairly effortlessly. I do like the burgeoning relationship between the lady of the evening and him. I wonder how long until they are found out. Face tattoos are hot.