Time to Raise Hell!
It is almost that time--the time when all the good shows come back on television for their new seasons. How do I know? Because it always coincides with the beginning of school. We have just enough time to adjust to being back in school, and then our evenings are bombarded with new episodes of our favorite sitcoms and dramas, cop shows and science fiction serials.
But some shows choose to start earlier, which is a welcome change. Instead of having nothing to watch, there are certain days of the week which provide wonderful entertainment. Especially Saturday nights on AMC.
That's right--Hell on Wheels is back! The third season began with a two hour premiere on August 10, which was long overdue. How any fan of this show has managed to survive since the second season finale is beyond me. So many cliffhangers left...hanging, I guess.
As far as characters go, Cullen Bohannon has been touted as one of the most complex heroes in any Western. Some even wonder if he shouldn't be classified as an antihero, as his actions, though usually the correct ones, are not always hero-like. Hell on Wheels is actually the name of the town the characters inhabit--although it isn't a town in the traditional sense. HOW is more of a tent town which follows the workers of the Union Pacific as they work to construct the Transcontinental Railroad. Enter Cullen, a former Confederate soldier whose wife and son were murdered during Sherman's march through Mississippi. His reasoning for joining the rail crew isn't money or respect--he is simply looking for the Union soldiers who killed his family.
This show explores race relations, as the freed slaves struggle to find their place in the white man's world. Irish and German immigrants must work together, and the Native American finds his home consistently ripped from his grasp. Even the role of women is discussed, as Lily Bell, the wife of the Union Pacific's surveyor and victim of an Indian attack, fights for her role on the railroad.
And the cast of characters--what a great group of actors! Elam Ferguson, freedman. Eva, a former Indian captive-turned-whore. Sean and Mickey McGinnis, Irish immigrants/businessmen. Thomas Durant, the railroad head. And the Swede.
I don't think there is a movie or television character I hate more than the Swede. I don't even think my hatred of Voldemort (or Umbridge, because let's face it, she was worse than the Dark Lord) comes close. The Swede is just awful, terrible, despicable. And the way the second season ends...Cullen and Lily finally go to each other for comfort, Cullen finally begins to heal emotionally, and then the Swede arms a band of Sioux who burn Hell on Wheels before he strangles Lily and jumps off the railroad bridge before Cullen can hang him. All the while, Cullen is being interviewed by the government to replace Mr. Durant.
I mean, could the writers have placed Cullen in a more horrible position? He'd already lost his wife and son, finally opened up to Lily and then lost her too??? It just wasn't fair...and to make us wait months to find out how he coped? Cruel, simply cruel.
Anyway, season three has started off with a bang. If you haven't found this show yet, I recommend you look it up. You learn a lot. The writers don't hold back--they don't sugar coat the way things were.
Both seasons one and two are available for streaming on Netflix. And be sure to catch the next episode at 8:00 on AMC, Saturday.
Oh, and by the way--stay gold.
But some shows choose to start earlier, which is a welcome change. Instead of having nothing to watch, there are certain days of the week which provide wonderful entertainment. Especially Saturday nights on AMC.
That's right--Hell on Wheels is back! The third season began with a two hour premiere on August 10, which was long overdue. How any fan of this show has managed to survive since the second season finale is beyond me. So many cliffhangers left...hanging, I guess.
As far as characters go, Cullen Bohannon has been touted as one of the most complex heroes in any Western. Some even wonder if he shouldn't be classified as an antihero, as his actions, though usually the correct ones, are not always hero-like. Hell on Wheels is actually the name of the town the characters inhabit--although it isn't a town in the traditional sense. HOW is more of a tent town which follows the workers of the Union Pacific as they work to construct the Transcontinental Railroad. Enter Cullen, a former Confederate soldier whose wife and son were murdered during Sherman's march through Mississippi. His reasoning for joining the rail crew isn't money or respect--he is simply looking for the Union soldiers who killed his family.
This show explores race relations, as the freed slaves struggle to find their place in the white man's world. Irish and German immigrants must work together, and the Native American finds his home consistently ripped from his grasp. Even the role of women is discussed, as Lily Bell, the wife of the Union Pacific's surveyor and victim of an Indian attack, fights for her role on the railroad.
And the cast of characters--what a great group of actors! Elam Ferguson, freedman. Eva, a former Indian captive-turned-whore. Sean and Mickey McGinnis, Irish immigrants/businessmen. Thomas Durant, the railroad head. And the Swede.
I don't think there is a movie or television character I hate more than the Swede. I don't even think my hatred of Voldemort (or Umbridge, because let's face it, she was worse than the Dark Lord) comes close. The Swede is just awful, terrible, despicable. And the way the second season ends...Cullen and Lily finally go to each other for comfort, Cullen finally begins to heal emotionally, and then the Swede arms a band of Sioux who burn Hell on Wheels before he strangles Lily and jumps off the railroad bridge before Cullen can hang him. All the while, Cullen is being interviewed by the government to replace Mr. Durant.
I mean, could the writers have placed Cullen in a more horrible position? He'd already lost his wife and son, finally opened up to Lily and then lost her too??? It just wasn't fair...and to make us wait months to find out how he coped? Cruel, simply cruel.
Anyway, season three has started off with a bang. If you haven't found this show yet, I recommend you look it up. You learn a lot. The writers don't hold back--they don't sugar coat the way things were.
Both seasons one and two are available for streaming on Netflix. And be sure to catch the next episode at 8:00 on AMC, Saturday.
Oh, and by the way--stay gold.
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