Round Two: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 1, Episode 2 “Immoral Mathematics” (B+)

I’m delighted to report that this second installment is a hearty improvement over the first in terms of positive engagement and character development. Most importantly, Anson Mount’s Cullen Bohannon has become infinitely more interesting, managing an impressive escape and then going straight to the man in charge to secure both his life and his job. Having him run right into the tent of Tom Noonan’s Reverend Nathaniel Cole was a great usage of both characters, and it’s intriguing to hear Cole’s take on morality and sin, especially coupled with Joseph Black Moon’s recently-found redemption that compels him to save damsel in distress Lily Bell, who is evidently going to be a survivor given her resilience in the face of excessive bleeding. Most notable about this episode is the introduction of a memorable character to rival the late Daniel Johnson, and that’s the Swede, played by Christopher Heyerdahl, who also stars on Syfy’s “Sanctuary.” His character is absolutely fascinating and his stature and tone dominate the entire episode, which is fantastic. Colm Meaney’s Durant still makes quite an impression though, especially when it comes to mutilating corpses for dramatic effect. I’m glad that episode two proved to be more captivating and coherent, and while I may still need to state actor’s names before their characters for a while yet, I think I could well get into this one. Everyone, namely Bohannon, Durant, and Lily, is going to need to settle down and take up permanent residence somewhere, and then this show about a new mode of transportation should really be able to get started.