Tv.com News

Hell on Wheels S02E09 & S02E10: "Blood Moon" & "Blood Moon Rising"

AMC's decision to air a two-part conclusion to Hell on Wheels' (mostly excellent) season finale in a single evening allowed for a fuller, more evenly paced story than most of the show's 45-minute installments have been able to provide. "Blood Moon" was pure and steady set-up, building a mood and clearly establishing each character's status so far in their respective journies, while "Blood Moon Rising" had the luxury of extra pages dedicated, basically, to knocking it all down. Both were satisfying for different reasons, and the combination strategically utilized everything great about Hell on Wheels: violence, tragedy, romance, existentialism, grimness, and historical stuff. All these elements wrapped up the loose ends then immediately laid the groundwork for a new, arguably more Hellish, direction for seasons to come (no official word yet on a renewal—fingers crossed).

Right from the get-go, a welcome time-jumping framing device let us know that some terrible, flaming fate had lain waste to the railroad town. Back to his disheveled self, Cullen Bohannon was questioned by a representative of the Senate Committee on Railroads who had received Durant's crooked ledger, as well as a letter from Lily Bell condemning the baron, in the mail. Just what in the heck happened to this place? "The White Spirit," muttered Bohannon, thousand-yard stare and all. If the man most skeptical of the Swede's fatalistic prophecies was quoting the lunatic's nickname, then clearly this all would not end well. Zipping back in time, Durant stumbled through town cuckoo for painkillers, Eva caught guff from the local whores about her baby's daddy, and Sean confronted Ruth about marriage—only to (yawn) be denied because of his Catholicism. So, business as usual in Hell. Also, don't you hate this romance? Ruth might be one of the frontier's first gold-diggers, and I am not talking about the forty-niners. Give us more of the McGinnes Bros. tussling and scheming and pining for their mom (next season)!

In their evil wooden lair, the dubious Durants plotted to coax Bohannon into explaining the wonky numbers to the railroad board, but as Thomas pointed out "Bohannon only thrives on narrow escapes from his own recklessness," and would likely not be receptive. If this was true, the sad outcome at the end of this finale would underline the next fundamental thing Bohannon needs to change about his nature (more on that later). Meanwhile Elam fussed and fretted about being tasked with that mystery murder from last episode (who I guessed was Lily because Bohannon's too valuable to the rails), in exchange for his house. If it was Lily that Durant wanted dead, she appeared to have an out when Hannah offered her a one-way ticket to New York and an introduction to a wealthy family, that she might become a governess (Downton Abbey on Wheels, anyone?). Either way, Lily had "liability" written all over her.

Really, there should be more tension built on things like heroes driving trains across bridges, and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a huge grin on my beer-and-guac-smattered face during this scene. Plus some recognizable CGI, which was kind of a bummer because it took me out of the moment, but necessary because AMC was not going to shell out duckets for some prop bridge, obvs. Also, we got a handful of cool train-camera angles, and some of my favorite Cullen Bohannon facial expressions, mostly the "Oh shit!" one that always serves to ground his formally stoic sharpshooter self. It's okay, bud.

So as most of the town was watching the bridge crossing, Lily tip-toed into Durant's office and ganked the ledger from his safe (ah, that's how it made its way to the authorities...), but then Elam was skulking around too, eyeballing her mad hard. To be a little nit-pickey, it never once felt like Elam would go through with this murder. He's come too far as a mature individual to do something this corrupt and renew a rivalry with Bohannon in such an extreme a way. Anywho, running some more errands in town, Elam popped by Eva and her tent to offer her his home but she didn't want to hitch her wagon to someone who had jerked her around so much in the past and besides Toole was still fulfilling his husbandly duties. Bummer. Down by the bridge Durant offered Bohannon full partnership in the railroad, but Bohannon refused, saying that all his debts "were buried with Doc Whitehead." I took this to mean that without the medical expertise of Bohannon's friend, Durant would have never have made it as far as he did with his health. Good, yes! Cut those ties. Run away with Lily! Speaking of which, Lily rolled up to Toole and Bohannon's fire and wanted to use the ledger to take over the railroad with Bohannon. Bohannon wanted no part of it and even attempted to burn the book in order to save her life. He knew that Durant wanted her dead because that's what Bohannon himself would do if he were a ruthless man. The interaction was cut short by a Sioux scout and Bohannon sent Lily back to town with Toole.

But Lily is straight crafty, and the next day she got Elam to hang on to the book by complimenting the home he built for Eva. It was an awkward interaction mostly because Elam was still undecided about killing her and having a target that vulnerable (and blameless) must tug at the heartstrings. With the help of Joseph, Bohannon scouted over a thousand Sioux at a CGI tribal council, and Black Moon told him that they wanted everyone in town to die. In present times, we learned that the government sent a measly five recruits and a small cannon to aid in defense (classic government). Back in the past, Eva came over to set the record straight with Elam and was impressed and emotionally affected by all the hard work he had put in. Ultimately though, she intended on being Toole's wife and had come to say goodbye. Toole showed up looking for her, got the wrong impression, and killed himself. No! He was just becoming likable. Talk about terrible timing, bro. Meanwhile, Elam had a real "could give a shit" look on his face.

I guess when the competition has repeatedly harassed you with racial slurs, once drunkenly tried to hang you in a bar, and survived a murder attempt before killing himself on your front lawn, it's hard to find tears. In a stirring cross-cut montage, fellow Irishman Mickey administered Toole's funeral, mentioning that this town made people do terrible things, while Ruth baptized Sean, who promptly made things weird by trying to French kiss her. I'm no man of the cloth, but I don't think that's how baptism works. Later that night Ferguson visited Lily after some pressure from Durant, but she got the drop on him with Durant's own pepperbox gun. Smart lady—but there was still an air of frantic desperation to her rapidly dwindling plans. She offered him a deal to become head of security once the Durants were sent to Con College. Way to not die while also practicing savvy business sense! The next day the Swede made one hell of an entrance, all slathered in white with his chest burnt UP. In his trademark creepy way, he recounted being partially lit on fire in the area between his nipples and warned of the coming onslaught that would accompany the "Blood Moon." Bohannon didn't buy it, and insisted someone guard his long ass. Durant reached out to Lily about heading to New York one last time, and when she refused he called her a whore. In Old West speak she was all, "Well, if I'm that, then you're about to be defeated by a whore." The takeaway being that it is an insult to be bested by a prostitute.

Then the Swede got all Michael Myers from Halloween and slit his guard's throat, while the town hunkered down for the Blood Moon. With the women and children shipped out, we were treated to a solid 10 minutes or so of a nighttime battle with the Sioux. It was cool and awesome and rad with whoops and blasts and blood until the town was burnt to the ground. But within that time, Elam got to rescue Eva, and he hopefully made her forget all about Toole with his dauntless heroism. The next day, amid all the charred remains of the town, in the saddest scene in Hell on Wheels history, the Swede quietly surprised Lily and strangled her to death. Bohannon found herl, and carried her through a scorched town full of dead bodies. The scene represented Cullen Bohannon's specific "hell," but one relatable to everyone: losing a loved one to a damaged world. For the first time in a while this railroad town went from being a rough place to a mythically cursed setting. Maybe there is poison gold in the Earth. In the same ambling sequence Bohannon marched the Swede off to the bridge to be hanged. It was chilling how matter-of-fact Bohannon was on the walk to exact justice (like a dad going to retrieve his son's stolen bike or something), and how the Swede happily skipped along, then claimed the two rivals were now "consummated" in Lily's death. I'm guessing this means that since the Swede took away the life of someone so dear to Bohannon, the three were now tied to one another in memory. Unfortunately this final bit of vengeance slipped quite literally between Bohannon's fingers as the Swede leapt from the bridge and died in the river.

When all was said and done, the railroad committee offered Bohannon Durant's former role in continuing the railroad out West—perhaps the last thing he wants to do considering all the heartache and trouble it brought him. Then again if Bohannon maintains his attitude of comparing the railroad to a war, all these losses along the way are to be expected, and forging ahead would honor them as martyrs. Still, it's a cruel joke Bohannon's living out, what with his last two loves being brutally murdered by forces connected to the rise of his own nation. The more this show treats railroad life as an existential metaphor for human existence, the more it succeeds at rising above the limits of its premise. Overall Season 2 was quite satisfying and built off everything great in the previous one. Bohannon is slowly learning lessons and becoming the hero he's built to be, but a man can only handle so much heaping tragedy. With his fate more or less shackled to the rails (via the show's driving narrative), Bohannon's obligation to finish the line resembles every human's march of life: no turning back, unwanted losses along the way, and an end that either comes too soon, or not soon enough.

QUESTIONS:

– What was your favorite moment of this season?

– What was your least favorite moment of this season?

– Who was your favorite character?

– Who was your least favorite character?

– Was it repetitive to kill Lily when Bohannon had already lost a love before, or does that make his world seem that much more hellish?

– How will the loss of Lily and his new appointment affect Bohannon?

– How will Mickey and Sean be affected by Sean's new faith?

– What themes were most present this season?

– How do you want next season to be different?

– What will become of Hannah and Thomas Durant?

– How will Elam and Bohannon's relationship change?

– What does it all mean?

Feel free to use the comments section to remember some of the characters who perished this season, including: The Swede, Reverend Cole, Mr. Toole, Doc Whitehead, Hawkins and his gang, Mr. Schmidt, Bauer the Butcher, some prostitutes, and who could forget, that one train guy who Reverend Cole stabbed with a cavalry sword

View the original article here

Hell on Wheels S02E08: "The Lord's Day"

Dependency was the name of the game in "The Lord's Day," an episode short on action but big on changing up Hell's dynamics. Beneath the surface of any community is a pecking order, and the return of Thomas Durant reminded everyone of the railroad baron's rightful place at the top of the food chain, just when it seemed the whole symbiotic affair would devolve into selfish cannibalism. Durant's homecoming did not mean business as usual, though, as he came back from Chicago joined by wife/seasoned ball-buster Hannah (Virginia Madsen—seriously, she defeated Candyman this one time). Having pledged a few episodes ago to beg her forgiveness, Durant's newfound dependency on his wife (both in recovery and business matters) had a domino effect on everyone in town, examining the fleeting nature of "home" and leaving more than a few in the lurch.

The Swede was fine, actually, but other Hellions certainly had reasons to be wary: Lily especially questioned her value to the railroad now that Hannah had taken on Ms. Bell's former duties—sorry, only room for one blonde on this rail (same rules as Amtrak). Meanwhile, Cullen had to break the uneasy news of the railroad's delayed bridge-building, and both wondered how their secret romance would be received or even acknowledged. Lower down the drama totem pole, Sean scrambled to account for Elam's land money owed to Mr. Durant, along with Ruth's pro bono property, receiving no help from a drunken, gambling Mickey (who at least did his awesome half-breath booze chuckle—that's the best "heh he..."). Sean compared his lout-bro to their rarely mentioned father, who was an apparent embarrassment to the family for his drinking and gambling ways (because I had heard in Ireland you can play a betting version of hot potato). Luckily, Sean's drugged up debtor let lil' bowler hat off easy with an opium-fueled/boring (is that combo possible?) story about how Durant witnessed a picture show in the Windy City starring two men who had trapped a tiger in a barrel, then were subsequently devoured by the animal. Someone hurry up and invent an awards show for magic lantern establishments so this riveting tale can sweep it! This bit of labored weirdness came right after the railroad baron mildly freaked out over seeing a coffin (understandable) and wild white stallion galloping through town (well that's strange), which either meant Durant was suffering from the rootinest, tootinest case of PTSD in the West, or he actually saw "The White Spirit" and there are ghost horses in and around the surrounding prairies. Either way, the odd tiger "tail" seemed to imply that Durant had an inkling about Sean and his brother's enterprising activities and he would not be one to get "trapped under a barrel."

Elam possessed the only chill attitude early on, happily ignorant of Mr. Durant's return and instead working hard down by the river to build his dream home. His American Dream Home. Since it was Sunday (i.e. the Lord's Day), Psalms paid his buddy a visit to get to the bottom of whether Elam really wanted to hang back and join a domestic group full of "saggy-tittied wives, and squawking-ass babies." As mentioned in the comments section last week, Elam has matured from a pie-eyed rabble-rouser into a man with a clear mission. His charm has always been stubbornness in the face of adversity, so to see him finally set his sights on something as constructive as family living—both by physically building such a recognizably wholesome symbol (who doesn't equate frontier houses with peacefulness?) and deciding to protect his loved ones within/from society shows a marked development. Psalms thankfully survived that bloody gut-punching from a few episodes back and it's always welcoming to see the wise chuckler offer Elam the advice and camaraderie of an older brother.

Unfortunately trouble brewed in the tent of Toole and Eva, with the former expressing concern about the color of his wife's baby. Now why lead with those words? Was "Thank you for this beef stew, I am happy you're back" already taken? Too preoccupied for compliments, he blurt-muttered that the dudes in the saloon were betting on whether the child would be "white or something else," to which she calmly suggested they straight-up just leave this place—as inviting a place though it may be. Eva was still buzzing from visiting Chicago and was pretty stoked at Mr. Durant's payment for her services, so for some reason didn't take that much offense to Toole's petty, kind-of-hateful concern. Maybe she feels like she has options outside of Elam and Toole? Sure, her spouse offers stability, but he's totally going to be an ass to that baby. In any case, the framing of this scene alternately placed Eva and her husband in the small mirror's reflection—instead of two equally featured heads, which underlined a growing disconnect within this already tense union. Or something.

In what promised to be a very awkward dinner party, Hannah and Thomas invited Cullen and Lily over for a private meal and an early iteration of the game Scattergories. Throughout the course of the evening, it was discovered that Cullen (who looked uncomfortably dapper in a presentable suit and slick 'do) actually came from some money before the war, and that his deceased wife was the youngest daughter of Leo Tate, some railroad friends of the Durants. Such a cool turn, and a very interesting, organic layer to the onion that is Cullen Bohannon. Fingers crossed we get to see him go to New York. Maybe he will run into Copper. Hannah played Lily Bell like an all-out ding-dong, forcing her to the outskirts of conversation and referencing the impending conclusion of Lily's employment with the railroad. Wow, looks like the Swede (who meanwhile spent time sabotaging the steam engine) has some competition for "Town's Best Manipulator," with Hannah's clever forcing of Thomas's hand against his former lover. Is it too much to ask for a romance between Hannah and Tor? Maybe that's Season 3. But as far as Lily getting sacked goes, this creates some problems for Cullen because a) he's falling for Lily hard, and is in it for the right reasons, plus b) the Durants want to groom Cullen into holding a more powerful position within the railroad. Then again Durant might've been testing the two for evidence of affection—which could further put Lilyhannon at the wrong end of a powerful man's jealous, opium-loosened anger. While entrenching the former farmer/soldier/bandit in the high-stakes world of trains would be great for the series, his allegiance to (ex-mistress) Lily would definitely not make either Durant very happy—and with the presence of the always clever Swede on Team Pacific Union, this romance is already facing some hurdles as big as gorges.

All the way across town (so like four tents over), Sean got rejected by fussy opportunist Ruth in asking her to wear a traditional Claddagh ring, making it public how he'd officially "captured her heart." She assumed the affectionate offer was a part of his deed-giving, but all he wanted was to express his love so of course this stone-cold shutdown plus an already woeful Irish heart resulted in some hurt feelings something fierce. With this defensive gesture, Ruth became even more unlikable, and it's only a matter of time before her world comes crashing down like the totally awesome bridge collapse caused by the Swede.

Ah, so that was his white horse! Sporting a hot new look—leather duster, hairless body, and what appeared to be Reverend Cole's hat (a.k.a. Death-Bringer Casual), Gundersen's plan to humiliate Cullen (again) worked like a charm, and dozens of fallen beams and broken bones later, Cullen was catching guff from the Durants. Man, all the Swede needs now is a Snidely Whiplash mustache, that he might villainously twirl it. The married barons had pressured Cullen to build a rickety bridge in a short amount of time (wink-wink, ching-ching, crash-smash) and their annoyance with the recent setback prompted Cullen to make known his awareness of Thomas's cooked books. The married A-holes were aghast at this especially unfortunate development for Lily, who went from being a useless ex-mistress to being a certified liability. Durant confronted her about sharing business information while "laying" with Cullen, essentially writing her off as yesterday's news and cementing himself as a true enemy to all that is good and true.

If there weren't enough problems bopping around, Toole and Cullen discovered the Swede's penny in the steam engine, confirming what was already known: Gundersen still hates Cullen and will continue to do everything in his power to ruin the ex-rebel's world. Discord must've been catching, because Mickey and Sean got in a fistfight over some remarks Mickey made about Ruth being an "Indian-laying church whore" who was basically taking Sean for a ride. He had a point, and Sean left the encounter with some things to think about.

Reporting to his former employee, Elam updated Durant on his plans to own a house down by the river and whittle and whistle and rock in a chair, to which the the railroad baron responded by tearing up his land deed, which was more heartbreaking than it sounds. Durant basically laid it out for his "eyes and ears": the only way Ferguson was getting out of his contract with the railroad was either death or walking back through native territory. Impressively, Elam stood up to Durant and let his boss know that he wanted his own house and some GD respect. This gave Durant the kind of idea that really should have made him rub his chin considerately.

Continuing her expulsion from the railroad's inner-circle, Lily got the old heave-ho from her train cart courtesy of Hann-"Queen Bee"-ah, who knew all about Durant's unfaithfulness. Here's hoping Lily takes on the already forceful Durant as her own personal nemesis. Naturally Lily ran to Cullen for support (which he gave of freely) and suggested they share a cart. Like a gentleman, Cullen moved his things out and advised her to not "test a man who's jealous or afraid for his livelihood." With a tender kiss, he was off into the night.

Not to be outdone, drunken mega-Romeo Sean creepy-crawled Ruth's quarters, and demanded the "truth" about whether or not she had lain with Joseph (who'd visited earlier with his own new duds and some sweet Cheyenne earrings). Cryptically, Ruth responded "and I thought it was me you wanted," before sending the lovesick Irishman packing. For those who actually care about this relationship (anybody?), her admission might've meant that she sees herself as the opposite of "truth," and this could be her revealing some self-hate. Or it could've been one of those things where a romantically involved partner is all "don't judge my past, love my present." I think lovers say this.

With nightfall, Cullen retaliated against his own nemesis with a matter-of-fact torching of the Swede's empty tent and ended up sleeping under the stars with Elam and his unbuilt home. It's great these two are back together, but their partnerships never seem to last long. Hopefully they are inseparable for the remaining episodes. How funny was it when Elam greeted Cullen with, "This ain't no boarding house!" and Cullen shot back, "From the looks of it, it ain't even a house." Nice stuff! Anyway, Ferguson divulged a little more about the nature of Durant's offer, basically telling Cullen in so many words that the task was generally bad for Cullen. I'm guessing it's to kill Lily, because Cullen is too useful to the railroad, and Hannah has been angling to get rid of Lily probably since she heard about her. Or maybe it's both Cullen and Lily, since they each know about the shady accounting going on.

Either way, with two episodes left (airing, from the looks of it, on one night) Cullen has found himself changed, yet in familiar territory. Displaced once more, he's slowly building toward a more stable life, but not without his share of obstacles. Durant had his "Lord's Day," proving that when a community depends so much on the livelihood of one powerful figure for survival, whims can easily ripple into a town-wide catastrophe for all involved.

QUESTIONS:

– Will Lily be killed?

– Will an attempt be made on Cullen's life?

– How will Hannah further change the railroad?

– How will Joseph's reconnection with the Cheyenne come into play?

– What color will Eva's baby be born?

– Will she pick Elam or Toole?

– What will Cullen do to protect Lily?

– Have you ever bet on the color of a baby?

– How will Cullen survive crossing the bridge?

– How will Sean react to Ruth's rejection?

View the original article here

Hell on Wheels S02E07: "The White Spirit"

Way back when Cullen Bohannon set his sights on revenge, we knew that once he achieved it, he was the type to ride off into the sunset classic gunslinger style, leaving all his troubles and worries in the dust. Is there any more freeing of an image? Hard work in the past, nothing but celebration, relaxation, and the promise of a changed, wiser perspective to look forward to in the future. However, the sun has to rise again sometime, and when you continually pass the buck for a new adventure instead of facing the true demons deep down, riding off becomes running away. Vengeance eluded Cullen in that first go-round, and after encountering his own death, he's since had to care about damn near everything except his own goals. Which is exactly what he's been avoiding: the need to care. Last night's a-trifle-too-slow "The White Spirit" at least gave us some solid developments with a romance long ago written in the stars, while finally getting to the bottom of just why the Swede has so much hate in his heart. Cullen's reaction to all this drama—the anchoring effects of love and the challenge of a growing evil—would finally show whether this trailblazer had left his drifter tendencies behind once and for all.

Fresh from honor-killing his bestie Doc Whitehead, not to mention orchestrating the knife death of Reverend Cole, Cullen's mind was all bugaboo with guilt. He arrived the Reverend's funeral—the only one, actually (hey that has to count for something), and immediately started jawing off to Ruth about whether or not everyone is entitled to forgiveness. Her answer was that she believed there are some who are beyond redemption. Not exactly the words of comfort Bohannon hoped for in his time of need. But the fact that Hell's normally taciturn hero even asked showed a departure from his old questions-after-shooting self, and indicated that he is now entering vulnerable new territory. At this point what would Bohannon's redemption even look like? Probably it would involve less bloodshed, but with the Sioux trouble building to a grisly head, things in the killing department are likely going to get worse before they got better. Also, the Swede rubbed white shit all over himself and chopped his own head bald. NBD.

Oh wait—actually VERY big deal, because this transformation put Gundersen in a leadership position on the side opposing Cullen's railroad-building war. While it was no surprise these two were going to have to square off eventually, now that Lily has brought in the Swede to help with the books, Bohannon's crafty nemesis might actually have the edge. He knows Durant's dirty little accounting secret, will probably score proof of Cullen and Lily hooking up, and has a near spiritual power over some very skilled warriors. With the right moves at the right time, the Swede could effectively send Durant to the poorhouse while also using the railroad baron's power to destroy Cullen for swooping on his lady (even though he's seeking forgiveness from his wife, Durant's not the kind of man to be cuckolded by an underling).

But why does Tor want to do this so bad? Well, beyond all the the White Spirit prophecy mumbo jumbo, there was once a little hellhole called Andersonville, a terrible wartime prison where life was subhuman, and the Swede found himself captive at the hands of the Confederates. He also drank his own excrement and may have eaten human flesh at one point, so everything POW-related makes him burn with a fury like no other. "You're one insane evil son of a bitch," Bohannon said after the Swede admitted to hating him even before they met. Man, every time these two get together the conversation turns to the particulars of their mutual disdain; I declare this relationship toxic. Gundersen thrives on a hatred still rooted in the Civil War, whereas circumstance has slowly forced Cullen to shed his rebel identity and in so doing finally come to terms with his still undecided true nature. The Swede swears they are the same—murderous creatures incapable of escaping their crude involvement with such horrific atrocities, and he has an okay point. I'm sure such a shit situation would sour the attitude of even the pluckiest of Disney princesses and turn anyone into wretched, haters of mankind. But not if one believes people can change for the better. After enduring tons of face slaps and being briefly locked up in the pig car (yo almost the whole town has spent time in there by now—let's hear some Yelp reviews), the Swede dropped this telling gem: "The reason you hate me is that I am a constant reminder of the capacity for evil that resides within you." Coming off a real guilt trip, Cullen reacted almost too well to the Swede's poisonous words and threatened to leave the "mule piss town" that very instant.

In skipping out, Bohannon would validate the Swede's statement, sending him God knows where this time (river boat captain?), but luckily one thing different about Cullen is that he's got friends. Namely, he's got Lily Bell, perhaps the one person who can actually offer Cullen the redemption he seeks. Hear me out. If he could start a life and family similar to the one he tragically lost, and be happy, then his new love mixed with a dash of time would soothe over his emotional scars. Maybe not completely, but enough to count as forgiveness and prove he's not an evil person. Unfortunately if he had his druthers, Bohannon would sulk and wallow in his sins of the past, continually plunging into a quicksand of inner guilt. That would suck. Thankfully, the fair-haired maiden of the West berated him for trying to high-tail it out of Dodge and admitted that she waited for Cullen at the dance last season. ("Sorry babe, I was busy rage-choking the life out of an innocent man.") Drunk and acting a stubborn fool, he was still affected by Lily's words enough to stick around until the next day. As mentioned earlier, this is new territory for Bohannon—and the most vulnerable we've ever seen him. While he's good at killing and leading, emo-talks are not necessarily his strong suit. Who can blame him? So much has been holding him back from claiming Bell as his own: Mr. Durant as god-figure who could easily have him declared a bandit or worse, pain from losing his family and friends and fear that he'll hurt Lily the same way, shame for all the atrocities he's partaken in. Anyway, it was a touching scene when he effectively told her she was the only thing keeping him in town and to the surprise of no one the two celebrated by doing the deed in a boxcar (also, another song montage!).

So as another sun rose on the uncertain future of Hell on Wheels, Cullen had at least sussed out the initial steps to redemption via allowing himself to be loved. Emotional forgiveness is not something that comes once and for all though, however it is always waiting for those who seek it. Some pretty terrible things are on Cullen's horizon and in the midst of war with the Sioux nation, he will definitely struggle with the morality of killing these locals. It won't be fair, but he's been on the losing side of a changing world before. If he can steel his nerves against the wrongness of slaughter one last time, hopefully Bohannon will accept that he's not eternally cursed to be the kind of person who always loses wars, wives, and children.

QUESTIONS:

– What was that stuff the Swede smeared all over himself?

– Was the Swede a Union soldier?

– How will Durant react to Lily and Cullen's romance?

– What will the Swede do with his newfound knowledge of the Pacific's cooked books?

– How will Sean and Mickey react if the Germans rise up?

– What will Carl do with all his free non-saloon time?

– When Lily said she was "done trying" with Bohannon, did you wonder where she had even initially "tried"?

– Did Lily share a bed with Cullen just to keep him on the rails?

– Will Elam join forces with Cullen when the Sioux attack?

– How will this town further change in the absence of Durant?

– Where is Joseph?

– How will Eva react to Elam's domestic plans?

– How will Elam's silent partnership in the saloon playout?

– Why was the Swede incarcerated in Andersonville?

View the original article here

Hell on Wheels S02E06: "Purged Away with Blood"

Man, there was something in the air this week that had the whole Hell on Wheels gang thinking about parenthood: Durant and his dead son William, Cole and a certain blood legacy to Joseph plus some regrets with Ruth, and Elam's changing feelings toward his unborn child... which all amounted to an examination of different parenting styles disguised as a hostage situation in "Purged Away with Blood." Only this sixth episode of the season featured no helicopter moms, just woeful daddies whose varying patriarchal decisions were to result in maiming, killing, and the hope for a new beginning.

Things started off with the reveal of the Swede's big sneaky plan: arming the local Sioux with stolen guns. Turned out, way back when the Swede got ran out of town, his life had been saved by the local natives and they mistook him as the White Spirit. Easy mistake, I guess. This season has touched on the equalizing effects of gun possession (with Psalms at one point mentioning as much), so there was an odd ritual in Cole and Tor Gundersen divvying the boomsticks. Would the ability to kill efficiently level the playing field? If the normally subjected people of this land ever had a chance, this was it, as Durant lay helpless as a baby, and suffered pain hallucinations in which he showed his dead son the railroad. Let's hear it for the first fantasy sequence of the series! In an image that would set the tone for the further exploration of father emo, Durant's boy disappeared while walking along the very tracks of the Pacific. When the railroad baron opened his mouth to shout, a train whistle sounded instead, illustrating a fear that he had replaced his family with the mad pursuit of industry. Durant wanted Lily to stay with him, but she had to keep the railroad running. Also, it'd probably be weird to meet his wife. Who else is guessing Mrs. Durant will be played by Kathy Bates in character as Molly Brown from Titanic?

Nobody wanted anybody to go to Chicago: Elam/Eva, Cullen/Doc Whitehead—nobody. Ever since last week's shootout, Whitehead had some government heavies on his tail coming to exact justice, but the shaggy dog sawbones seemed at peace with it all. Joseph discovered a Bible at the end of his bed turned to a passage that read, "Jesus said to them if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak to buy one." Really, there was only one loon who could have left it there and next thing you know the Chicago-bound train was getting ambushed. Cole stepped on board with his trusty sword (a this point I wouldn't recognize him without it). If there was a Reverend pull-string doll, he'd spout ominous verses like, "The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." I'm starting to think the true purpose of the Bible is to give creeps something to say before engaging in violent behavior. But the speechifying didn't stop there: Cole wanted Durant to publish his manifesto (special thanks to the White Spirit) on the front page of The New York Tribune (typical whig party mumbo jumbo), or else everyone on board the train would die, starting with Eva and her unborn child.

Even in his sickly state, Durant cleverly telegraphed the manifesto back to Hell on Wheels, which quoted America's original abolitionist, John Brown, with, "The crimes of this guilty land can only be purged away with blood…" Oh, so that's where this episode title came from. Luckily, Elam and Cullen rode out to get a better read on the situation, and Bohannon gave us a taste of his shouting voice. Good shouting voice, really like it. Cullen tried to level with Cole, imploring him to "pray on it" and insisting that God would lead him to do the right thing. Then Cole did what Cole does best and stabbed a train employee. "Blood is God here," said the man who was now irretrievably crazy.

"Sober as a judge, mad as a hatter," argued Cullen to Lily, describing the Reverend's inability to be reasoned with. She accused Bohannon of just wanting to save Doc, but that position felt a little weak. We just saw a conductor (or coal shoveler?) get sworded, so I'd say the time for calmer measures had ended. Nice try, Lily Bell. Night fell, and Durant initiated the first dad-off of the episode, half attempting to talk Cole down from his cuckoo-stoop, and half making death-peace. "We are both men with a mission in our life, willing to sacrifice anything to achieve our goals, even our own families," said the railroad baron, coaxing Cole to admit that he too had "…been a terrible father." "Great men, often are," responded Durant, trying to butter up Cole even further. Turned out, Durant's son William (the ghost kid from his dream) died at the age of 12 from cholera. Durant's wife had never forgiven him for not being there, probably because his doctor talents could have saved the boy's life. Durant justified his absence by claiming that the railroad was to be a legacy to William, which is a pretty common set-up with the breadwinner of the family. On the one hand, you've got to insure a nice future for junior, but on the other you're sort of missing the point of parenthood. What good is knowing your child to be well off if you don't even know your child? It's a give-and-take, people. Then just when it looked like Durant was making the slightest of progress, Cullen and Elam slaughtered all the natives on the train, while Eva and Doc Whitehead even got in on the action. Then Cole requested to speak with Joseph and Ruth. Uh-oh!

So while Lily rode back to get the Coles, Cullen gave advice to Elam about fatherhood. Something about Eva being pregnant and in peril of death—plus Cullen reiterating how that child wouldn't have a chance in this world—made Elam change his tune about being a parent. Abortion is one thing, but to lose an entire potential family in one fell sword swoop was enough to get Mr. Ferguson thinking on ways to raise this child. Hell, that's how evolution works! Say he is successful at getting this child to adulthood; then there's this person who's tough, humble, and hopefully ready to improve the world for the better. Not to mention Elam's contrarian relationship with Cullen. All it took was for Bohannon to say one thing, and Elam was already planning for the opposite because that's just his outshine-at-any-cost nature.

Then Ruth and Joseph met with Cole, and the latter immediately apologized with, "You and your mother didn't deserve the way I treated you." A parent submitting to a child for forgiveness certainly confuses the power dynamic. On the outside, the Union Army arrived to take Doc Whitehead into custody, courtesy of the Swede ("Just doing my duty as a citizen"). Cole admitted to Joseph that he was going to get his murder on for his son, but Joseph did not want that so he stabbed the Reverend to death. Honestly, this character was on a collision course for destruction ever since the whole beheading incident, but it'll still be sad to see one of my favorite kooks go. He had turned his back on consequences of his own design (i.e. abandoned his family), and instead of repenting, decided to wage further war. Bad parenting. I bet Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood could really relate to this episode.

Anyway, at least Joseph got to walk off to some badass heavy guitars, hand a knife back to Cullen as if to say, "This murder belongs to you people," then ride off. Wow, first his brother, and now his fake dad. I'm really liking his trajectory and am raring for him to team up again with Elam and Cullen. Speaking of which, Elam begged Eva not to go to Chicago and said when she came back they needed to talk about that baby. She corrected him, saying it was "his baby," and he kissed her on the head, as if to say, "Yes, dear." Surviving through it all, Durant felt lousy about being a bad father and husband, and decided he needed his wife's forgiveness. It was essentially over between Lily and himself (good). Now she's free to start up a torrid love affair with Bohannon, and then the railroad baron will be all pissed and things will be rad.

In a final touching scene, Whitehead requested that Cullen pull the trigger while lamenting that he never got to bury his three sons who all died in the war. Hell on Wheels is quite good at showing how the Civil War really messed up a generation of people, so much so that Cullen didn't know if he could do the deed. Doc Whitehead encouraged him with, "You be strong, son..." and with the pull of a trigger, Cullen ended his closest familial relationship while the heart-wrenching gun crack echoed through the land. Clearly the best way to parent in the old west is to be there every step of the way and not make terrible decisions. In a world where death is so prevalent, a child could really use a helping hand. Whether it's in teaching how to aim a rifle or host a party, a parent gains just as much fulfillment as the nourished child, knowing he or she has done their level best in supporting a personal legacy. Or at the very least, offering up some new blood for the land.

QUESTIONS:

– What were Sean and Mickey up to this episode?

– Will any of the original inhabitants of HoW be alive to witness this train reach the Pacific?

– Did Lily try to slap Cullen because she has a crush on him?

– Will Lily and Cullen finally get together next week?

– Will Elam have to kill Toole to be a proper dad?

– Do you miss Reverend Cole?

– What will the Swede think of next?

View the original article here

Hell on Wheels S02E05: "The Railroad Job"

At some point in every journey, be it road trip, religious pilgrimage, or undie run, there comes a point of decisive retrospection. Is it time to keep trucking into the unknown future despite danger and loss, or head back to the comforts of a familiar past? In "The Railroad Job," Cullen Bohannon's rebel bandit history reared its ugly head, leaving Mr. Durant with at least one extra hole and the town wondering if this train party was coming to an end. In a hail of bullets, loyalties were tested, rekindled, and ended, positioning various factions for what may come to be a truly hellacious power struggle. Mainly though, a pretty cool shootout happened!

Led by Hawkins (Ryan Robbins, Tector of Falling Skies/Charlie Connor of Battlestar Galactica), last night's story opened with Cullen's ex-gang casing the town of Hell on Wheels. The plan? Post up at different parts of town, deal with ersatz guard Elam, and rob $50,000 from the railway station, which in today's economy is the equivalent of $5.9 trillion dollars. Surprising, with all this Sioux talk, that the threat was actually some ex-soldiers. Everyone seemed kind of worried about running into Bohannon, especially Doc Whitehead, who was surprised to find out his friend was not only alive, but "...walking the streets like the risen Christ." Hmm, Durant has been compared to God in the past, so does this make Cullen his tragic son? Jesus was a carpenter, and it made total sense that when we caught up with Cullen he was overseeing that much promised wooden bridge, rare smile on his face, swapping earnest handshakes with Toole, JUST LIKE CHRIST.

Back in town a gorgeous storm rumbled ominously above, as Lily admitted worry concerning her place in Durant's New York life once the railroad had reached the Pacific. Whoa, slow down, lady. Even in today times, it still takes like 10 years to build railroads. Considering theirs is a relationship founded primarily on business, Bell is already feeling out just what degree of independence she can look forward to (or not) without jeopardizing the rich and powerful setup she currently has in Hell. Over by America's zaniest muck pile, the Swede helped Reverend Cole reach sobriety in the most obvious way possible: by chaining him to an anvil. Are we witnessing the early beginnings of AA? Maybe recovering alcoholics can chime in here, but is writing a manifesto about things like the "white man's predilection for racial eradication," common on the path to dryness? We all knew the Swede had a plan that involved manipulating Cole, but to what end has now become a little clearer: self-righteous vengeance against evildoers (i.e. those seeking to fight the natives) who will most likely just be a list of the Swede's enemies. Kind of scary, considering that group includes most of Hell's main characters.

Settling down to a nice bottle of Corn Likker (a real type of booze, didn't know that!) Elam ran into one of the gang members in the bar and became alarmed at seeing the same gun Bohannon used to hold him up in the payroll train (a Griswold to be exact—nice work, props department/armourer!). BTW, where's Elam's drinking problem headed? This show makes a point of showing him drinking his time away, but with no real consequence; like, he's not getting in barroom brawls all the time, or showing up late to work. Also, Carl the bartender said he didn't want Elam shooting again, but he hasn't really shot anybody, right? Toole, that one time. Am I missing something? Probably am. Anyway, convinced of some doings a-transpiring, Durant gave the okay to arm what few people were in town (just shopkeepers plus the sick list), and fetch Bohannon. Definitely liked how Sean and Mickey took this opportunity to remind everyone that they were not killers, as if that's how one avoids suspicion. Works so far! However, a bedridden Psalms and the McGinnes Bros. do not an army make, so it was no surprise when Hawkins and his crew easily marched straight into the railway office. At this point you'd think Durant would've invested in a little more security besides Elam and Cullen. The gang stormed the place so easy! I don't feel so judgmental about all those Old West robberies that took place. You'd be a fool not to rob things at gunpoint. Nine times out of ten, there'd just be an empty shack with an old man tapping at a telegraph (that sound is super soothing actually). Mr. Durant pulled out his pepper-box gun (love that lil' pea-shooter!) and killed one of Hawkins' men, but then got plugged in his tum-tum by Hawkins himself, forcing Lily to open the safe.

Hearing gunshots, Cullen returned to town to fight off the gang members, while Lily forked over the monies. There was a sense that Bohannon had overshadowed Elam once again, but when your life is on the line are you really going to split hairs? Durant bled out in pain, and Lily displayed genuine concern for his well-being—maybe through this tragedy she will grow to truly love him. "Ain't much fun killing them," Bohannon said of his dead and dying friends, "but they seem to need it," while Elam narrowly escaped being pinned down. A few tents over, the Swede was happy to hear the rifle shots (one of which ended up killing Nell the prostitute), and told Cole they were in fact "trumpets announcing the breaking of the seal of your prophecy." As the fight wrapped up, Psalms blasted one dude off a horse despite internal bleeding, and the McGinnes Bros. teamed up against Nell's murderer. With a look that indicated she perhaps thought Durant was a goner, Lily used his pepper-box to blast Hawkins in the leg and give Cullen the advantage. In the end, three townsfolk had died, to Hawkins' six.

Elam locked Hawkins in the pig cart and spit in his water (gross, but he deserved it) while Cullen brought back Doc to mend Durant. The local newspaper tampered with the dead bodies, making the whore's cleavage more prominent (and making TMZ look like The Washington Post), which made Mickey furious. He was all "Get back to work!" to the other prostitutes. Don't know if they'll be able to drum up all that much business considering the day's events. Also, is he now, uh, a "pimp"? In an interesting admission, Lily told Cullen she nearly felt relief Doc wouldn't survive. Mainly because Cullen would be free. Oh that's right, Durant still "owns" Bohannon. Why isn't the show doing more with this idea? We should see more of the emotional toll that being someone's property takes on this ex-slave owner from the South. So far, it just seems like Cullen has a sweet job. Maybe it's because he knows that in bossman's absence, hooking up with Lily is a mathematical certainty, right? I'm sure viewers would appreciate an indication one way or another with this "will they or won't they" pair. However, it's refreshing to think they're just two separate characters on different paths, but Durant has voiced some worry about Bohannon and Bell, so there's a good chance of seeing the debut of "Cully" or "Lilyhannon" in the not too distant future.

Feeling more than a little betrayed that his "sawbones" buddy knew there was never a plan to go to Mexico, Cullen put the pressure on the under-qualified Doc to medically rescue Durant. While the railroad baron dealt with an extra bullet in his spinal column (apparently a bad thing?), Cullen and Elam marched Hawkins out to an open grave. Foolishly, Hawkins tried to demand a fair trial but forget that in Hell, judgement gets handed down by anybody with a fast-enough pistol. Hawkins accused Cullen of being a trader and insulted Elam with the N-word, never getting to finish his last words. Bohannon was all, "He wasn't done saying his last words," and Elam was like "Yes he was." Pretty cool line, any way you slice it.

Durant woke up and seemed stable enough for a trip to Chicago for state of the art 1865 medical treatment—which probably just meant bandages that had never been reused. The Swede got the Reverend all shaved up and literally whisked him over to his store of stolen guns. At the white people bar, Mickey stood tabletop, remembering Nell and her uh, "traits," performing a motorboat that transitioned into tears. Is this an Irish thing to do? Also, this is the third episode in a row that's involved socializing after someone's death. Wow, the West must've sucked in that respect. Poor Elam got kicked out of the bar and went to drink with Psalms and the freemen. They joked about rot-gut and being second-class citizens and how they would go to Georgia if Durant died. It was nice to see Elam enjoy some camaraderie after forcing himself into so much unnecessary exile. The Swede will likely try to rally up the freemen in Durant's wake, and its then Elam will have to really choose sides. For now, though, he should just focus on clapping backs and chuckling. As another day closed on this rascally railroad town, Lily informed Cullen he'd have to kill Doc Whitehead for aiding and abetting Hawkins. Yeesh, with friends like that, who needs...etc.

My favorite thing about "The Railroad Job" was how much it explored the aftermath of a town-wide shootout. There was room for a little more character development, but overall an episode that is one-part Western wish fulfillment, one-part personal reactions to said wishes is a strong format for Hell on Wheels to follow. God only knows what madness Cullen will have to deal with next week, now that the lanky-loons got some heat, and the always-at-risk Pacific line is without a leader. Bohannon and Lily will definitely have to put their heads together, but if anything romantic happens, you can bet your sweet bippy the Swede will use that in his favor. Once that goes down, there's no turning back.

BUCKSHOTS:

That was badass, when Psalms "raised up."

Earth medicine? Hmmm, thanks but no thanks Eva.

Sweet, a bridge!

Can I have a different cup please?

Whoa, kind of weird seeing the Rev without his beard.

Top of the "mourning" to ya, Mick' !

QUESTIONS:

– Will the Swede successfully manipulate Reverend Cole into killing people?

– Who will join forces with the Swede?

– Will there be any complications in Durant's recovery?

– Are we looking at a power struggle in his absence?

– Is Elam going to become better friends with the freemen?

– Will Psalms die?

– Have you ever made Corn Likker?

– Is Eva going to miscarry?

– Who is best suited to take over Durant's position?

– Will Cullen and Lily make sweet love to each other?

– Who is your favorite character?

– What new character would you add?

View the original article here

Hell on Wheels S02E04: "Scabs"

Yo gang, let's turn our chairs around, circle up like some wagons and rap for a second: So what makes a person officially "equal" in the Old West? Is it the freedom to do and have the same things as the next fortune seeker? Is it being respected and/or feared by the exact same people who respect/fear some other dude? Or what? Last night's relatively bloodless "Scabs," took a stab at answering these questions as Cullen tangled with a workforce on strike and Elam once more faced the tethering effects of romance. The episode at times overestimated just how fascinating an actual labor dispute is (not very), but the overall lull in action—save for two brawls and a mercy kill, allowed for a focus on some unexpected perils awaiting Elam in his overambitious search for equality.

If there's one good reason to go on strike (as a railroad worker, or even as a Yogurtland employee), the threat of death by arrow, scalp-removal, bludgeoning, fire, and the like has to be right up there. Led by Mr. Toole, the employees of Union Pacific felt similarly after having witnessed Bohannon snipe-kill their coworker out of the clutches of some ill-meaning Sioux (very cool period rifle BTW). Based on the abducted's blood-curdling shriek, the sharpshooter probably spared Fleming from a lot worse, but this much was clear to the men: Laying track in these here parts meant pushing daisies, either by the boss's hand or the natives'.

Meanwhile, after some solid wilderness sex, Eva told Elam she was carrying his child. He responded in the second worst way possible (the first would come later), and wordlessly hitched up his drawers and then walked off through the trees. In an odd way Eva's love triangle between herself, passionate-yet-flaky Elam, and the somewhat stable-though-loveless marriage to Mr. Toole resembled the choice Cullen's men now had to make between unpredictably living without pay versus working for Durant's company and potentially winding up in a casket like Fleming. It's worth noting that before this whole debacle all kicked off, Cullen was heard to tell Lily, "You're starting to sound like a man," commenting on her expressed "business first" mentality and introducing the idea that manhood is somehow tied to industrial success. We also know that Cullen views railroad-building as war, suggesting that manhood is essentially based on ending lives. But would Elam find the same to be true?

It seemed like Elam had designs on doing the honorable thing, first by helping Eva carry a bucket (classic show of affection), and then starting off with "All the gold eagles in the world ain't worth a pinch of coon shit if you can't use them to help the people you care about." Swoon. How did he further express his love? Launching into a sonnet? Getting down on bended knee? Wait that's right, he offered to pay for an abortion. Hmm, don't think Romeo ever said that. Obviously Eva was miffed at Elam thinking first about his freedom in the same breath as "I lo'ya woman." One of the most fascinating elements of Elam's stubborn pursuit of the American Dream is how mimicking the greed of his former overlords in the name of equality has brought the ex-slave problems normally reserved for the "free" individual. More choice, means more ways to screw up, so best to just suck it up and do as one's told, aka what Cullen tried to convince the crew of at Fleming's wake.

"Life ain't fair...finish this road," he shouted to the sad party mere steps away from the coin-eyed corpse. Was it just a known thing back then that gatherings around the deceased were the perfect time to convince mobs of stuff? Oh wait that's right, it wouldn't be a proper Old West rabble without a splash of bigotry, and so the ex-slaves barged into the fray, volunteering to carry guns, thus protecting rail's end and the bridge site. Everyone was like, "Nope, we know how messed up we've been to you and yours. Not gonna take that chance."

The next day things got even worse, when a mob burned an effigy of Durant in the street (it had the same tum-tum and everything!) Meanwhile a few tents over, with heartbreaking insight Eva covered her chin in a non-smiling wedding photo, implying that if she had her druthers, those little markings would be gone. So sad, perhaps then she could do better than both Elam and Mr. Toole. Kindly(/drunkenly), her husband offered, "you'd be a vision even if your whole body was covered in them things." Rebellion against the familiar must've been in the air, because she told Mr. Toole she was carrying someone else's child. Pretty sure this was just a frustrated move on her part to exercise some control. Why should she be the only one who hurts? Sounds like someone's looking to stake a claim in single mom territory.

That night in true waffler fashion, Elam threatened Mr. Toole saying that if he ever laid a hand on Eva, he'd kill Toole (make up your mind dude). Toole called his bluff, though interestingly his quibble with Ferguson wasn't presented with racial criticism. Instead by asking, "What kind of man are you?" Toole spoke to the high-rising ex-slave as an equal. As a potential man. "Most of us would give our life to be a father. But look at you, you didn't even stay by her side," In modern lingo that translates to, "Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a dad." Toole continued pointing out to Elam that the ideals of freedom are ultimately in place to protect family - the true measure of manhood in the West. Unfortunately, Elam's too busy indulging in the bells and whistles of even the slightest status that he's missing the bigger picture, but then again he can't really be blamed for being curious. Hopefully though he figures out life ain't all showing people a gun tucked in his waistband and listening to jangly piano music till the sun comes up.

Then Cullen's piping hot shipment of scabs blew into town at an odd hour of night, and almost fought their way off the train and into the world of gainful employment. Thanks to the crew of rallied up freedmen though, the replacements got their asses soundly kicked right back out of town. This convinced the railroad workers that the "Negroes" were now cool enough to carry guns. The fire-lit, trainside slugfest was awesome in theory, but in execution felt a little restrained. Basharamas like last night's are always welcome, but it takes a special attention to detail and a few choice crunch-shots to make an honest to God punchapalooza really sing like an angel's uppercut. This looked like a cheap History Channel dramatization. The ONLY way Hell's showrunners can make up for this lackluster scuffle would be an episode featuring a town-wide fight that lasted the duration of all 43+ minutes. These bros know what I'm talking about:

A fun brawl to say the least, but there was still some fight left in the crew, as Elam learned the next day via multiple punches to his own groin. Yeesh, after that crotch-walloping Elam might not have a second chance at kids, which was probably a visual point: Elam turned his back on manhood by abandoning Eva, and now the very symbol of maleness was being knocked to kingdom come (though it's likely his testicles were now somewhere by his lungs). After some retaliatory punches to Psalm's kidney (Dohn Norwood), it seemed like the hired gun would take this fight, until he called his former coworker the n-word (rookie mistake) and got KO'd.

The usage of this historically demeaning term further highlighted how Elam doesn't just want a level playing field, he wants superiority (a.k.a. doesn't want to be A man, but THE man). After a whole lifetime of oppression, it's easy to see just how one might covet status, but at the end of day obsession is color blind and equally destructive, to any man.

BUCKSHOTS:

Did Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke think of vampires during this picture?

MMmmm, keep the hearty meals coming.

Not a lot for these goobers to do this episode, but the Swede did warn, "Now is the time to see things clear. We must decide which side we are on."

Psalms, your days are unfortunately numbered buddy.

QUESTIONS:

– Is equality based solely on a society's given values?

– How do you be a real man?

– Why is Cullen so insistent that they do not reroute the train? Does it have to do with revenging his family?

– Should Eva be with Toole, Elam, or no one?

– Just what in the "hell" were Joseph, Ruth, Sean, and Mickey even up to this episode?

Is the Swede trying to stop Cole from drinking because he doesn't want the Reverend dependent on Cullen? Are you stoked to see some dude's build a bridge? Are you stoked to see some dude's get killed by the Sioux? What kind of old-fashioned guns do you hope appear in the coming episodes? A machine gun in a caboose?

View the original article here