“Hell” On Earth
By Wyatt Earp | January 17, 2012
Have you been watching AMC’s Hell on Wheels? I pimped it at the start of its season because I thought it would be an entertaining show. Then I watched every second of it because it exceeded my expectations. The season finale was on Sunday night, and it was fantastic – although the final scene left a lot of questions. There’s a nice recap of the finale here (with spoilers) and it mentions one of the best lines of the season:
“Trying to relate to The Swede, [Durant] asks if he’s ever had his heart ripped out. He hasn’t, but more horrifically, he says, ‘I was married once, sir, but she run off with a gypsy. My heart was not ripped out, but she did steal my cuckoo clock.’“
The Swede is still one of the show’s best characters is a series wrought with them. Reverend Cole is another, and gave Cullen Bohannon one of the best (and also worst) sermons in modern history: “Choose hate; it’s easier.”
If you haven’t been watching, check it out. It’s worth your time.
Oh, and speaking of great shows, Justified returns tonight (10pm on FX) and Archer returns on Thursday (also at 10pm on FX).
Topics: Coolness! | 14 Comments »
January 17th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Watched the first season of Justified on the last trip, pretty good series
January 17th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
So I suppose in Season Two, Bohannon will finally catch up with that murderin’, rapin’ Yankee sergeant, and find that he has the cuckoo clock, setting up the final confrontation between him and the Swede…
A great review of a good show. Still can’t believe that tattoo girl ended up with the bigoted Toole instead of Common. Or that Toole survived literally eating a bullet, for that matter…
January 17th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
The big shocker for me was The Preacher doing what he did at the end of the episode before the season ender. Was. Not. Expecting. That. At. All.
January 17th, 2012 at 8:28 pm
According to Anson Mount’s Facebook page, the finale had great numbers (2.8 million viewers at 10, 1.3 at 11). The show has been picked up for a second season, and I’m primed for it. And the Swede is the best TV villain since the Cigarette Smoking Man on X-Files.
January 17th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Old NFO – Season 2 was fantastic. Margo Martindale won an Emmy, I believe, for her role as Mags Bennett – the season’s villain. This season, the villain is Neal McDonough, who you may know as Buck Compton from Band of Brothers.
Wes S. – I live Eva, and I guess the ultimate FU to Common was to hook up with the racist. Heh.
Jeffro – I TiVo’d it . . . and had to rewind it to make sure I saw him do what I thought he did.
John D – Looks like he responds to almost everyone on Twitter. He seems like a decent person. And I’m glad they got good numbers. The show deserves it.
January 17th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
You big butt! Husband and I haven’t watched the finale yet!
January 17th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Vicki – I waited two days and didn’t put in any spoilers. Although the commenters did. Heh.
January 17th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
For the record, the first 10 minutes of Justified have been awesome.
January 18th, 2012 at 12:22 am
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!
I missed the opening for Justified.
January 18th, 2012 at 4:15 am
I was actually surpirsed to learn that despite being set in the post Civil-War frontier, how much of the real-life Hell on Wheels had ties to my old stomping grounds.
The real-life ‘Doc’ Durant was born and raised in Lee, MA which remains a sleepy little Western New England hilltown to this day and the phrase ‘Hell on Wheels’ itself was attributed to an editor of the Springfield Republican- the largest newspaper (to this day) in Western MA- to describe the camps that sprung up after making the trek out there himself
January 18th, 2012 at 8:10 am
Jon – They replayed it right after the first run. And they usually play the previous week’s episode before the news one.
Fenway – That’s really cool. I love this show; it’s chock full of great characters – and Lily Bell (above) certainly helps.
January 18th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I love the show too, and love how the Swede balances between being insanely evil and supremely goofy. One thing has bugged me though, and Wes S. nailed it — Toole, the appropriately named Irish d-bag who tried to hang Elam and subsequently was shot through the throat at point-blank range by Elam. I’m just not buying that not only does he survive the wound, but he’s able to stagger into camp and talk at length with Elam and that tattooed broad to beg forgiveness. I know bullets do strange things sometimes, but that’s taking the “suspension of disbelief” thing a bit far. But hey, I’m nitpicking — overall the show is great.
January 18th, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Jim – Agreed. Pretty unrealistic, but I can overlook it. As for The Swede, my brother sent me a text saying, “I both love him and hate him.”
January 20th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Killer show. For a guy who used to watch little to no TV, I’m assembling a roster of “must see” shows now… Justified, The Walking Dead, Mad Men, Fringe, Archer.