Ever since the 1970s, the success of the western genre -- film and TV -- has been constantly waning, never reaching the levels of popularity seen in the 1960s and before. Now we see the occasional movie in theaters, an occasional TV show like The Magnificent Seven in the 1990s, but it's nothing like the glut of westerns from previous decades. 'Hell' probably won't please everyone, but it's dark, gritty, violent, realistic and even a tad on the funny side at times.
It's 1865 and the United States is still very much recovering from the horrific Civil War. The Union Pacific railroad is being built across the country, providing some with a chance just for a paying job while others like Thomas 'Doc' Durant (Colm Meaney) stand to profit with the developing business. Among those moving west with the railroad is Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), a former Confederate soldier trying to move on from the things he see and people he lost in the war. But while hellacious things were left behind in so many's past, what stands ahead is equally as vicious. Bohannon's plans for revenge though will not be easily stopped or slowed down.
With shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead, AMC has shown a commitment to providing high-quality dramas that audiences have eaten up over the last handful of years. 'Hell' certainly has the potential to join those ranks. The production value is impressive, from the on-location shooting to the gritty, realistic look to costumes and uniforms worn by the cast. And getting away with what basic cable can't, there's plenty of violence -- some surprisingly graphic -- to go with language and cursing. How can you lose?
What does a western need most of all? A hero, or more accurately, an anti-hero. Enter Anson Mount as Cullen Bohannon, a prototypical western loner/gunslinger moving west looking for revenge. The pilot episode reveals what Cullen is up to -- avenging his wife's death at the hands of Union soldiers -- by dropping hints along the way. We can't give everything away now, can we? Mount's Cullen has the look of a western gunslinger, and he very much so looks extremely comfortable in the part. Hat worn low on his face, gunbelt at his hip, stubble on his face and a man of few words, this is a good start if the series wants to continue. If anything the story needs to focus more on the avenging Cullen.
It is a pilot so it suffered some from throwing everything at the fan and seeing what sticks to the walls. With that issue, we got a whole lot of characters thrown our way, some in quick snippets, others given more development. The most interesting could be rapper Common as Elam, a former slave working on the railroad crews clearing the land for the tracks. He finds himself in the same situation he did as a slave and is pissed at the world because of it. Meaney is a great villain too, looking forward to see where his character goes. There's also Lily (Dominique McElligott), a member of a survey team, Mickey (Phil Burke) and Sean (Ben Esler), two Irish brothers trying to make some money, and a couple other smaller parts that look like they'll get more attention in the coming weeks. Also impressing was guest star Ted Levine as Daniel Johnson, a one-handed, alcoholic, racist train crew supervisor.
As a western fan, I was psyched to hear that AMC had a western coming down the road, and I can say that I'm excited to see where Hell on Wheels goes. Hopefully it picks up a following and is here to stay!
Hell on Wheels <---AMC trailer (2011)
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