Hell on Wheels

[Hannah]

So who's watching this? Since we've only had one episode so far, I'm not sure if it's a good show yet. I did like the setting, the costumes, the characters, but I'm reserving my opinion on the writing until I see a few more shows.

I loved the monologue at the end with the dude who is building the railroad (can't remember his name); it seemed very Swearenginish (for those of you who watched Deadwood) to me. The show itself was a little slow to start, maybe because they were setting all of the characters and background story first.

[Ben Staad]

I'm almost watching this...I have it recorded and will probably watch it tonight or tommorow tonight...I can't wait!

[Hannah]

Almost is no good to me, Ben!

[Shannon]

Watched the first episode. Amber gave it a 3, I gave a 4. I liked it, it reminded me of Deadwood, where theere wasn't REALLY a plot, but some great characters. I think the main character could be a little "darker" ... but all in all a good premiere.

Hannah, lady, you sure do watch a lot of TV.

[Hannah]

That I do. What I really would like to do is get drunk every night on a variety of liquors while looking up men's kilts at the Irish pub by my house ... but, alas, the damn children and husband have ruined that for me.


I also got a very Deadwood vibe from the show. I'm really hoping that they pick up the pace a tad with the next episode though. Also, I can't help but call the bad dude railroad builder guy "Mr. Bourke" because that was his name in Far and Away. "You don't talk to Mr. Bourke that way!"

[Ben Staad]

Well I finally watched episodes 1 and 2 and I love it. I think the depth of characterization is solid and the cinematography is awesome.

[pathoftheturtle]

*bump*

Fascinating show.

[Hannah]

Agreed. I love the scope of the show and the expansion of the many characters. It's a slow paced show, with nothing major happening but it's very character based, which makes the slow-paced thing okay right now. I really like Bohannan's character. At first I thought they would go the cliched route with his character, making him all badass and Rolandish, but they haven't. I like his flaws and his foibles. Good stuff so far.

[Heather19]

I watched the first two episodes this weekend. I really like the look and feel of the show. I need to catch up on the rest before the next one airs. And I've never watched Deadwood. I might have to check it out.

[Hannah]

Heather! You've got to watch Deadwood at some point. It's my all-time favorite show ever. I really think you'd like it.

[Mattrick]

I can't get into this show at all, it just doesn't much interest me. I think I've seen three of the episodes. I guess I'm just not too fond of the actors. I like the guys running everything from movies I've seen him in previously. Only reason I left this last weeks on was to see a clip from the next episode of Walking Dead due to the long break.

[Hannah]

Yeah, I think it might be harder to get into then some shows. I guess it depends on how much time you want to give it before you give up on it.

[Mattrick]

I think my issue it is seems a little contrived to me, an evil business man who wants to make money building a rail track and make them indjins look bad and I can't get behind the main character at all. AMC has done well with their shows now but I don't think they chose a winner here. Maybe as a one season series it could be alright but I can't see this show carrying momentum into a third or fourth season.

[Ben Staad]

I'm still really digging this show. The shoot where the swede

Spoiler:

was scrubbing his room in the buff

was very creepy (to me) and showed the depth of his nuttiness. Good stuff!

[OchrisO]

I think my issue it is seems a little contrived to me, an evil business man who wants to make money building a rail track and make them indjins look bad and I can't get behind the main character at all. AMC has done well with their shows now but I don't think they chose a winner here. Maybe as a one season series it could be alright but I can't see this show carrying momentum into a third or fourth season.

It might seem a little contrived, but he was a real guy and that sort of thing happened all across the building of the railroads in the U.S. You don't see the mistreatment of Natives in his or the Transcontinental's wiki, but that sort of thing was a matter of course in pretty much all western business and expansion in this country as Manifest Destiny in the railroads, quest for gold, silver, and ranchers and settlers wanting land to build homes caused most all of the treaties made by the U'S' to be broken. Durant tried to make his credit schemes look legitimate by having government officials as minor shareholders and it doesn't seem unlikely to me that he would use Native American tensions and conflicts to explain problems with contruction. \
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_C._Durant) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_t..._North_America)

"We will build iron roads, and you cannot stop the locomotive any more than you can stop the sun or the moon." - General William T. Sherman
"The white people have surrounded me, and left me nothing but an island. When we first had this land we were strong. Now we are melting like snow on a hillside, while you are growing like spring grass." --Chief Red Cloud


That aside, the show has potential, but as of right now I am not as eager to watch it every week as I expected to be. I actually haven't watched the newest episode yet. It is still waiting on my DV-R box, but that is partly because I am behind on TV from being in the Star Wars: The Old Republic beta all weekend.

[Emily]

I really like this show so far. I don't look forward to it all week and cancel my plans on Sunday for it or anything (which I've been known to do with TV shows), but I do really like it. I love Westerns, and love anything that has to do with trains/railroads, so it's kind of right up my alley. I also love Common, and it's random and awesome that he's in this show. And I think I'm developing a mild girl crush on the actress who plays Lily, (the blonde lady). I feel like not a ton of people are too into it, so who knows what'll happen. I hope it's cool though.

Also, the actor who plays that enormous Swedish guy is terrifying.

[pathoftheturtle]

Actually, although the people in town all do call him "The Swede," he's Norwegian. Another nice peice of realism. Great illustration of what a good show it is, to me, is how well written and performed even that character who died in the first episode was.

[Ben Staad]

I've missed the last three episodes of this. I think I'm going to a Hell on Wheels marathon coming up this weekend.