Hell on Wheels: Back into Hell

Hell on Wheels is back, along with the diabolical villain Thor "The Swede" Gunderson.

 "The thing about the old days is... they the old days." - Slim Charles, The Wire S04E04



This past Saturday night, AMC's Hell on Wheels rolled into its fourth season, complete with all of the great and not-so-great aspects we have come to love and hate from this show.
What makes Hell on Wheels compelling is their main characters. What drags the show down is their side characters. Most of the time, Cullen Bohannon, played by Anson Mount, Thomas Durant, played by Colm Meaney, and Thor "The Swede" Gunderson, played by Christopher Heyerdahl are all incredibly interesting. The problem however, is that aside from these three, the past season, and from what the premiere gave us, this season as well, really gives us nothing to care about when it comes to side characters.

Let's take the lovable McGuiness brothers, two Irish immigrants who have come to make their fortune in the new territories of the US. Throughout seasons one and two, when Hell on Wheels had its original show-runners, Joe and Tony Gayton, both brothers were very compelling. Sean, the more business minded brother at first seemed to be completely in control of their operations. However, once they were developed more, Mickey, though a bit of a fool, turned out to have a real way with people, making him the more successful brother. This conflict of people skills verses business knowledge was a major theme throughout the first two seasons. Though neither brother was a hero or a villain, they represented two distinct aspects of the lawless Wyoming territory that the show takes place in. In this world of outlaws and business men, was it better to be likable or smart? Once season three of the show hit, Joe and Tony Gayton left the show and John Wirth took over. Though not awful, he really did not keep the same quality level as the original show-runners. Though he was able to focus well on the aforementioned Bohannon, Durant, and Gunderson, it seemed the side characters suffered. The once uber-compelling McGuiness brothers suddenly changed. In season three, Sean became a lackey of Thomas Durant, a shadow of his former self. No longer was he a smart man who couldn't handle business. Instead, he was a foolish follower who had seemingly turned to the dark side for no apparent reason. Mickey on the other hand seemed to step up both intellectually and in bad-assery. In the third season, Mickey became much smarter, handling his business completely on his own and making tons of money at it. Additionally, he suddenly became an expert marksman who could also hide murders if need be. Apparently in the intervening year between season two and three, Mickey became The Wolf from Pulp Fiction. Toward the end of season three, Sean is killed by Mickey after it was revealed that Sean had been a murderer back when they arrived in Boston. No, that's not a joke. To make it okay that Sean was killed by his own brother he needed to be a murderer. In the words of Raylan Givens, "It was justified."

So, all of this being said, I still would recommend Hell on Wheels. As mentioned above, the major characters are still incredibly well-drawn and compelling, making the main focus of the show still quite enjoyable. Additionally, as an avid fan of both westerns and period-pieces, this show brings a lot to the table. Though it may not be Deadwood, it has a consistent level of lawless mayhem going on in the old west frontier. The fact that most of the show takes place in Wyoming before it was made a state clears a good deal of room for that "building a civilization" type of feel as well as the "watch your back... there's no laws here" type of deal.
At the start of the fourth season, if you already follow Hell on Wheels, it is very much worth continuing on. With over thirty episodes already behind it, Wheels has us invested in whether or not the railroad will be finished, whether The Swede will ever get his comeuppance, and whether Elam Ferguson really died from that bear (don't ask questions you don't need to know the answer to... but yes, there was a bear attack). However, if you are reading this, angry over the spoilers, and wondering whether or not to devote a weekend to turbo-watching the first three seasons, the answer is yes if like me, you enjoy westerns and no if you do not. Additionally, if you are bothered by a lack of strong females, this show may not be for you. Thus far there has been one. However, if you're a chauvinistic, western-loving, Deadwood praising pig like myself, this show is most definitely worth your time.

Oh, and anyway, I watch Orange is the New Black and Veep... I'm not all bad.

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