This fall AMC releases its new original series Hell On Wheels. It's been getting me pretty hyped with its sneak peaks and trailers in between Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. Now its finally here and AMC is bringing the old west back and there doing it in style!
Hell On Wheels takes place in Washington 1865. The time of railroad expansion, something that hasn't been done for a while. It feels fresh especially when your tossed right into the story seeing a man getting shot in the head in a confessional booth. This is also where the audience meets the protagonist, the sly gunslinger Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount). What a nice way of AMC showing us the dirty grimy ways of the old west.
The credit intro was also done well, it was paired with excellent music that feels like classic western soundtracks from classics like old Clint Eastwood movies. Great job to the editing team.
The story expands as we then meet
Thomas 'Doc' Durant the wealthy business man in charge of the railroad played by Colm Meaney who by the way delivers a fantastic opening speech. Kudos on that one sir. We are also shown how harsh Doc can be when he screws a man out of 150 shares, half of what he was supposed to get. I'm excited to see how mean he can actually get as he is an interesting yet charming character.
The story returns to Cullen on a train meeting the two Irish Twins Sean and Mickey McGinnes (Ben Elser) (Phil Burke) who are a funny pair together. Their role as brothers is very believable and they do a good job together. The train ride ends and our protagonist enters one of the construction sites of the railroad. AMC creates a beautiful and stunning environment filled with fantastic set pieces and extras that give the west a grand look and style. We also meet Ted Levine's character Daniel Johnson, the one handed, foul mouthed, wreckless drunk who is incharge of the entire site. I thought he was quite funny and played his character well.
The show also brings the action in one of its subplots involving Robert Bell (Robert Moloney), the designer of the railroads who is very ill, and his wife Lily (Dominique McElligott). The camp site they are inhabiting gets attacked and raided by the natives. The attack ends Robert's life and leaves Lily running for her life with the plans for the railroad. This scene was fantastic, David Von Ancken can direct action very well. Not too many camera cuts, and cool angles show that AMC can produce quality action. Makeup and visual effects make the Natives believable and scary and I can't wait to see more of them this season.
Back to the railroad, Cullen gets put in charge of looking after the Black rail workers. We meet Common (Elam Ferguson), a black rail worker who hates whites and is just trying to make it in the world and his friend Willy (Jessie Lipscombe) a man who has accepted his place as a low level slave. They disobey the rules by getting a drink early because Willy is in dire need of water. Johnson spots this and beats Willy senseless.
After during dinner, Cullen tells a tale about how he lost his wife. We are then introduced to the true storyline of the show. Cullan is out to seek vengeance on the men who raped and murdered his wife. Johnson is one of those men, he also realizes who Cullan is and takes him out back to kill him. He says he is sorry for what he did to Cullan's wife and that it wasn't his idea. There is another man behind the true motive. Before Cullan can find out who it is Common comes out of nowhere and slices Johnson's neck. What a great start to a series.
AMC did a good job bringing the westerns back to tv. It gives you a nostalgic feeling like your watching old westerns but has style and flare that makes it shine like something new. Be warned that some of the dialogue is hard to follow because the show tries to stay accurate with the time setting and it is boring at some scenes, but this is only episode 1. I have faith that the show will improve. Acting is great but some characters (the priest) feel weak compared to everyone else. The main story (Cullen looking for the men) was hard to grasp at first but by the end I was fully aware of what was going on. Great start and I'm looking forward to see what AMC has in store for the rest of the season.
9.3/10
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