What I’m Watching: Pivoting

Pivoting: Season 1, Episode 4 “Hell on Wheels” (B+)

It didn’t seem like a great idea to go to the skate rink to check out Sarah’s potential match before initiating any sort of conversation online, and for Sarah to be there at all instead of just Jodie, Amy, and their kids. Seema actually did appear to be a great match as soon as they started talking, but things quickly fell apart when she couldn’t resist making a medical comment that got interpreted by Seema as a dig at how she didn’t have a fancier career. Sarah only made it worse when Seema tried to give her the wrong shoes, making for quite an awkward exit. Amy’s attempt to help her son become more social and get more friends didn’t work all that well, and she ended up getting accosted by another mother who didn’t like the fact that Amy had dared to confront her daughter about being mean to him. After Jodie was nearly distracted from enjoying the serenity of skating by her hapless husband who didn’t have any clue how to prepare dinner, she stepped in to save the day and accidentally start a conga line when Amy was in trouble. She was evidently thrown enough by Matt calling her that she locked her daughter outside the house and threw an entire box of popsicles at her, and now they’ve gone from out-of-office business advice to something far more scandalous. I don’t think I expected them to actually start having an affair, but at least they’re working fitness goals into their illicit relationship.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels (Series Finale)

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 14 “Done”

Now this is exactly what I was looking for in the series finale of this show. Durant and Huntington arguing about who gets to do what before the fateful photo was taken was only the introduction, with a barfight based on who was on which side, and then we got to the subject of what all these people do now that the railroad has been finished. Setting most of the episode in Washington was extremely effective since, in so many ways, it’s not where this show has taken place. Cullen looked very out of place with his white gloves on at the fancy dinner party, and then he managed to win over a crowd of soldiers even after the awkward truth about his Confederate past came out. Cullen being popular while Durant is poison in the town was a strange thing, and it was obvious that Cullen wasn’t suited for military life after operating on his own and reporting to only himself for so long. Refusing to incriminate Durant was an interesting choice, and while I thought he might hang himself to avoid a fruitless future, seeing him take the train back to San Francisco and set sail to find Mei was a far more fitting fate. Louise realized she was wrong to try to put Eva into a box in which she clearly couldn’t fit, and her acceptance of a certain satisfaction with her place was reassuring. Ending the episode with another tirade by Durant felt appropriate, since he would no doubt go on to deliver any number of similar speeches in the imagined future of this show. This season has been unexciting to say the least, but this finale wraps up a decent if not terribly memorable show in the best possible way.

Series finale: B+
Series grade: B
Season MVP: Anson Mount as Cullen
Season grade: B
Series MVP: Christopher Heyerdahl as the Swede
Best Season: Season 3
Best Episode: “Blood Moon Rising”

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels (Penultimate Episode)

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 13 “Railroad Men” (B)

I guess we’re getting somewhere, but it’s about time given that this show has just one hour left before it’s done for good. Louise telegraphing the excitement of the race to lay down the railroad track that would seal a victory for either the Union Pacific or the Central Pacific was demonstrative of the down-to-the-second nature of this competition. Jim choosing to poach both Cullen and Mickey’s men just two days before the railroad was complete seemed deliberate and antagonistic, but he’s beyond caring about any of that because of how he was summarily dismissed from his position at the railroad. While Durant and Mickey use intimidation and anger to ensure that their employees are obedient, Cullen is actually good to them, hence Psalms’ decision to lead his people over to the other side at just the moment that they could have helped Durant finish. Huntington conceding to Durant so that the corners he cut would not come to light was disappointing, and the only mediocre comfort was Cullen’s refusal to respond to Durant rubbing in his victory by simply congratulating him and moving on. Cullen’s poor state and apparent heart attack were deeply disquieting, and it seems like Cullen may not be long for this world, possibly even dead as of the opening of the series finale. If he’s gone, who’s left on this show? I’ll reserve judgment until I see where it all goes, but I’m really starting to wonder whether the second half of this fifth season has been necessary at all or if the show could just have been concluded a year ago.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 12 “Any Sum Within Reason” (C+)

I’ll be very honest – I’ve been having a tough time getting through the final episodes of this show. It’s hard to believe that it’s been on for five years and that I’ve stayed it with it through that entire time even though I have yet to find a single living person who knows this show exists. I’m noticing here more than I have with any other show that only actors who appeared in the episode are listed in the opening credits, which I think is very unusual since most other shows cite a “credit only” appearance for such occasions. Segmented storytelling like this has worked on shows like “Lost” and “The Walking Dead” and also proven frustrating, and here I think it just feels disjointed. I’m not convinced that Chang or even Mei was deserving of a sendoff episode focused solely on the two of them that just ended up with Chang dead, Mei headed home, and Cullen alone again. There were some intense action moments with Chang utilizing some martial arts skills and then Cullen walking around with his stick and shooting people, and I don’t know that such scenes have ever really felt right on this show. This series has always functioned best as an old-fashioned Western, and though it does have some interesting things to say about Reconstruction and the building of the railroad, I’m hoping it will choose the right topics to focus on for its final two installments and end on a memorable and meaningful note.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 11 “Gambit” (B-)

I was pretty sure that there were still three episodes to go after this one, and that made the flash-forward to 1885 at the start of this hour come as a bit of a surprise. Some series do tend to jump ahead once they’re closing in on their finales, but it seemed a bit premature. Weirder still is that this hour didn’t feature Cullen at all, and Anson Mount’s name didn’t even appear in the credits (like a few weeks ago when only Mount and Heyerdahl were cited since they were the ones with screentime). Instead, we got a spotlight on Durant, a man so despicable that no one even wanted to pay his ransom. After Louise figured out that Durant must have staged his own kidnapping, Maggie sold her hotel and came out alone to pay the ransom, and paid for that trusting mistake with her life. Mickey could have shot Shea a lot earlier and saved a few lives, and seeing him come back crying to Eva about killing his cousin and killing his brother made the unsympathetic Irishman seem pathetic rather than at all endearing. I liked Maggie, I like Louise, and I’m fond of Eva, but the men on this show, aside from Cullen himself, are pretty worthless as people. Without Maggie to keep him honest, Durant is sure to go right back to his scheming ways, and it seems like he gets there in a sense, but he’s going to pretty lonely along the way.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 10 “61 Degrees” (B)

This episode was much more scientific than I might have expected, but that’s also because the railroad is evolving as its engineers and workers continue to try to blaze ahead while they’re so far behind. Using nitroglycerin was definitely a bold and dangerous move, but Cullen has never been afraid of revolutionary ideas. Strobridge was a much more formidable opponent for Cullen than Durant in many ways since he actually has reason on his side and doesn’t try to just intimidate him into submission. His objections to Cullen’s plans were legitimate, and he paid for not going along with the plan by being cruelly fired in front of his family by an emotionless Huntington. Cullen’s affair with Mei has turned into something much bigger, and it’s clear that they share a deep connection which is only going to serve to get both of them in trouble. Durant’s scheming past is coming back to haunt him, and it’s a shame that he turned right away to more deviousness instead of going the honest route that he managed to convince Maggie he planned on following going forward. Hiring Mickey to stage a ransom demand to right his wrongs was absolutely the worst decision he could have made, especially since a trigger-happy Shea managed to shoot and kill an innocent man in the process. Leaving Louise alive was a relief, but this is one mess that is not going to clean itself up and is going to end up bloodily and badly for everyone involved.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 9 “Return to the Garden” (B)

After a very one-track episode last week that took forever to get going, this hour was infinitely more focused in a way that helps us get back to what this show has always been about as it prepares to sign off the air for good. In Cullen’s absence, there are a number of players vying for power in our ever-moving central town. In the wake of the latest train hub announcement, the investors are understandably unhappy, and it’s going to be quite the mess for Durant and Maggie to clean up. Her solution – to kiss him to calm him down – wasn’t what I expected, but I’m sure there were romantic undertones during the first half of this season which feels like it aired years ago. Giving Mickey some legitimacy is probably a good idea, even though he’s a far more dangerous element than most truly know. Psalms wanting to sell back his stake in the railroad didn’t pan out well, but he did manage to inspire his people not to protest against a renewed form of slavery and instead to work alongside him. Mei found a new confidante as she made her own power play, and she was there to comfort Cullen when he got back from his harrowing errand. Attaining absolution for Naomi and her new family from Brigham Young was a gracious move, and his tearful goodbye to his baby son, telling him to respect women and take his hat off at the table, was about the most emotional I think we’ll ever see him.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels (Mid-Season Premiere)

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 8 “Two Soldiers” (C+)

I would have missed the mid-season premiere of this show entirely if I hadn’t happened to see an ad. I don’t usually check Saturday listings since so few shows air then, and I had honestly forgotten that this show was still airing. This second half of the fifth season should really be considered its own standalone sixth cycle, and I certainly hope that the remaining episodes are more engaging than this one. While the quality of this episode may not have been all that bad, its pacing was torturous. I don’t really understand why it was so necessary, since Cullen had two opportunities to kill the Swede and opted not to take either of them and instead to nearly lose a leg and almost his life transporting him back to face justice, which of course meant execution. Cullen has been transformed from someone who had questionable views on ethics and their importance to someone who holds them dear and needs to see them upheld by others. However boring and pointless this episode may have been, there’s no denying its strong stylization of the Civil War-era western, best illustrated by Naomi’s lonely run for her life and the flashbacks to the Swede’s experiences as a soldier. I’m not sure what the point of all it was, however, if the Swede was just going to die in the end anyway, since it nearly happened so many times before and now is a closed-loop plotline. I recognized Jeff Fahey from “Lost” as the man who patched Cullen up in a quiet but memorable role.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels (Mid-Season Finale)

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 7 “False Prophets” (B+)

For all intents and purposes, this is really the fifth season finale, and the show will return for its final seven episodes next year, which should technically constitute a sixth and final season. I won’t argue the semantics of that too much, but I will say that this hour was an enticing one and makes me excited for the premise of the final slate of episodes. That said, the ending moments of the episode firmly reframed things after Cullen had engineered it so that no one was happy and that it would be a race to the finish line between two different railroad companies each with separate goals from the Mormons rather than everyone heading for one terminus, regardless of the location. Grant does have a soft spot for Cullen that makes him listen to him over anyone else, and Cullen entertained attempts to bribe him from all parties involved only to suggest something wholly different from what any of them expected. Durant trying to paint Cullen as a mutual enemy and then attempting to enlist him to come back to his side was particularly interesting, but Cullen didn’t bite. Phineas making his move at an inconvenient time for Brigham seemed finite enough, but the prophet didn’t go down easy, and showing up to bloody his treacherous son who was clad in white was quite the image. The Swede going after Cullen’s family won’t end well for anyone and is sure to be an electric start for this show when it comes back. Eva made her move too, and even though she didn’t get support, it’s clear that she isn’t going to go down without a fight. I’m looking forward to seeing this show into the sunlight in summer 2016.

Season grade so far: B+
Season MVP: Anson Mount as Cullen

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 6 “Hungry Ghosts” (B)

Episodes like this one serve as a strong reminder that this show is, at its core, a Western. A simple trip to San Francisco to find a new translator turned into a treacherous multi-day journey by multiple methods of transportation after the train wasn’t able to cross the bridge. Mei was an unintended companion for Cullen, as was her father’s casket, but I think it was a cathartic journey, one that ultimately ended with Cullen having to hit the road immediately for Salt Lake City. My favorite part was when they ran into Stagecoach Mary and Mei started negotiating the price of the bacon, pointing out that it was a day old and there’s no way it should cost three whole dollars. There wasn’t much excitement on the road with Cullen and Mei, but fortunately, plenty was happening back at the other railroad as Brigham Young showed up to make very clear that he intended not to be swindled, and that Salt Lake City was indeed to be the terminus of both railroads. Losing the Mormon workers is definitely problematic, and I imagine that this impending meeting of the minds is going to be far less productive than all parties hope it will be. Louise charging forward immediately after her abortion to interview Brigham and return to life was ill-fated, but fortunately the kindhearted and caring Eva was there to take care of her. It’s rare to find fully good people on this show, and I think both Eva and Louise are prime examples of that rare breed.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 5 “Elixir of Life” (B+)

There’s something about the sight of Cullen all dressed up that just doesn’t feel right, but he does do a good job of cleaning up. He’s done well to achieve a good stature within the railroad, and the only problem is that he still doesn’t have that many friends. Trying to turn Phineas against the Swede failed miserably, and he nearly got his head blown off by the trigger-happy Phineas when he confronted the Swede before he put down his gun and then knocked Phineas in the face with it. Unfortunately that time spent with them allowed a white assassin to track down his best ally, Tao, and shoot him point-blank with, as Chang pointed out, only Chinese witnesses. Now Cullen has angered his Mormon colleagues and lost his top Chinese supporter, and it’s going to be hard to keep the railroad running after that. We can see now that the Swede’s endgame was to manipulate Phineas into seizing the reins of the cause from his father, using religion as his number one argument. I liked his response to the man selling eternal life, trumpeting the Mormon cause as a free way to achieve such a thing. Back on the other railroad, Mickey has a good business proposition to keep things running, but it doesn’t include the same compassion or humanity offered by Eva. Louise’s abortion wasn’t a wonderful process to watch, and given what we’ve seen of Durant, it’s for the best that she isn’t letting something like this give him power to control her. Durant’s bait and switch scheme with Laramie may just work, but that’s a long way down the road. It was great to see Psalms again, and to see him push Durant to sell him the land he and his fellow free men are entitled to thanks to their hard-earned money.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 4 “Struck” (B+)

This show has really evolved over the course of its run, and it’s now handling many concepts of race, religion, and multicultural America every episode. Chang organizing the Chinese workers to stop working until he saw justice done led to an intriguing stalemate, one that found Cullen trying to help but also pointing out to him that his demands weren’t realistic and that he was more than prepared to starve them out to make sure that they went back to work as soon as possible. We got to see a handful of characters we haven’t seen in a while over the course of this hour, which was a nice treat, though they’re really not doing too well at the moment. Eva is beyond frustrated with the state of the brothel, and Mickey isn’t taking much of an active role other than to step in after things cooled down. Durant was smart to see potential in Shay as a foreman, and he whipped them into shape as soon as he started his job. Mary certainly made an impression, and I enjoyed both her knockout punch that sent Shay to the floor and her conversation with smooth talker Psalms. Louise’s eagerness to get a quote in and her readiness to trade her hair clip showed just how starved for information she is. The Swede helping Phineas become a great orator is interesting, and he truly has a way with words that obviously doesn’t translate to the page.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 3 “White Justice” (B+)

It’s staggering just how similar what happens in this episode is to what happened just seasons earlier to the African-American workers. It’s obvious that the white people in this time, with Cullen proving to be one of the few exceptions, just can’t stand to see anyone else perceived at the same level as them, and insist on taking them down a peg as often as possible just to show it. Cullen telling Mei that “This is America, ain’t no one belongs to no one, we fought a war over it” is definitely true, but that doesn’t mean that his comrades have chosen to simply accept the situation as it is. Chang isn’t causing too many problems, but a simple attempt to defend his shop when a bunch of unruly Irishmen showed up resulted in him being shown the lynched body of a member of his people and then nearly suffer the same fate himself. Demanding a trial, even with Cullen’s support, didn’t do much, and what has happened already will only serve to anger the dominant class. Discovering a discrepancy in the books has made the Swede the number one ally for Phineas, who now despises his father. It’s hard to figure out if the Swede truly believes the religious fervor he is spewing or if he’s merely playing the long game and trying to influence Phineas and by extension the Mormon community as he climbs the ranks. Either way, he’s doing a magnificent job and succeeding quite well at placing himself exactly where he needs to be.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 2 “Mei Mei” (B)

There’s something about a blanket of snow that makes an episode of television or a film almost infinitely more impactful and meaningful, and that was certainly the case here, especially as it started with Cullen pursuing an at that point unknown worker down a treacherous patch of white-covered land. Building in the winter is definitely intense, and I also liked the imagery of the Sacramento train car being deconstructed, with nothing but the sign with the city’s name to decorate Collis’ future museum. The big surprise, though it didn’t shock me too much, was that Fong was actually Mei, a secret that Cullen was more than willing to protect. I instantly recognized Tzi Ma, who played Tao, from his illustrious TV career, most notably portraying the despicable Cheng on “24.” I like the Swede’s new role as go-between for the railroad and for the Mormon people, just another of the populaces exploited for their work along with the Chinese, even though their situation is much better. The sight of the Swede casually yanking off a few of one poor brother’s toes was pretty agonizing, and it’s a good thing that he swiftly rectified the situation for the future by procuring winter boots that his workers were more than a little happy to see when they arrived. After many failed attempts to return to his onetime post, the Swede has learned a thing or two about how to work the system and use it to his advantage, which he’s doing now quite successfully.

What I'm Watching: Hell on Wheels (Season Premiere)

Hell on Wheels: Season 5, Episode 1 “Chinatown” (B-)

I nearly missed the premiere of this show since I didn't even remember that it was coming back, let alone for a final season that's actually going to be spread over the course of two summers. I've always enjoyed this show, though I'm startled by how few original series players are still on the show, with Dominique McElligott, Common, Robin McLeavy, Tom Noonan, Ben Esler, Phil Burke, and Eddie Spears all gone now (though I think that the two of those who are still living may indeed be back later this season). Their absences make the reunion of the Swede and Cullen at the end of the episode all the more fantastic since, after so much time spent being adversaries, they might actually end up being the best of allies. The rest of the episode, on the other hand, didn't exactly move at an exciting pace. The introduction of Chinese immigrants as vital participants in the railroad building process shifts the focus away from other types of outsiders previously involved in the industry and one again reasserts a superior position from which the white men can lord over their underlings and make them feel as if they are lucky to be employed for a fraction of what they would pay someone with a different skin color. Cullen's opening fantasy seemed far too peaceful to be true, and it looks like he's paid a steep price for the path he's taken in terms of his family's well-being. I'm eager to witness his latest competition with lifelong foe Durant and to see who manages to make it across the country first.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels (Season Finale)

Hell on Wheels: Season 4, Episode 13 “Further West” (B)

Now, this was definitely a finale, but it’s one that scatters its characters all over the place with little hope of things being sorted out even by a few episodes into next season, which has already been announced as this show’s last (split over two years, of course). As expected, Ruth’s death was completely forgotten in this hour, not alluded to in the “previously on” segment and not cited by any of the residents of Cheyenne as the reason for the transformational decisions they make. Cullen managed to cut himself loose and go searching for his family, which proved unsuccessful and resulted only in him being there for a less than heartwarming passing of someone with whom he shared a mutual lack of affection. It didn’t take long for him to find himself back on the railroad, and I think that having him in California should present plenty of new opportunities for the future. The Mormon construction project made a comeback as we saw Brigham and the Swede for the first time in a while, competing against religious discrimination in their enterprise. Back in Cheyenne, Campbell managed to make his position permanent as he dispersed the negative elements in the town. Attempting to buy off Louise didn’t work well, though expelling Mickey and his cousin seems to have done the trick. Eva going with them as a partner in Mickey’s operation is a great resolution, and let’s hope that they get into less trouble wherever they end up next. Durant and Campbell literally rolling in the mud as others looked on was quite a sight, and it seems like that provided a resolution fitting for both parties. It’s hard to know how the show’s final season is going to play out, but as long as it’s a bit more consistent than this year, I think I’ll be happy.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Anson Mount as Cullen

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 4, Episode 12 “Thirteen Steps” (B-)

This season has featured a few episodes that focused only on one character and drew out their death when it just wasn’t necessary and didn’t serve a more lasting purpose. I suppose that Elam dying led to Cullen realizing that he needed to quit the railroad, but it took Ruth getting hanged for him to actually do it, so I don’t see why both needed an entire episode each. Ruth’s determination to die was puzzling given just how easily she could have prevented it by accepting Governor Campbell’s pardon. Nothing good comes from it since now there will likely be unrest and possibly even violence in Cheyenne as a result of her execution, maybe from more than Mickey and his new enforcer. Ruth was a great character, to be sure, but I think she was at her most interesting when her father and brother were both still alive. Ezra was good for her too, though he’s also been forgotten now since we haven’t seen the Swede or Brigham Young anytime recently. With law enforcement and the church officially without leaders in Cheyenne, law and order is going to break down, and I’m not sure how things will turn out. This show recently got renewed for a final season which will be spread out over two years, so there’s obviously more ground to cover in this ever-changing town. Cullen and Durant have both changed so much over the years, and, along with Mickey and Psalms, they’re now the only characters from the beginning of the show left.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 4, Episode 11 “Bleeding Kansas” (B)

This show took a few weeks off for the month of October and now it’s back with a somewhat unexpected installment in the wake of Ruth’s shooting of Sidney Snow at the end of the last episode. I had assumed that Sidney was dead, but instead we got one of the show’s more retrospective hours, where Cullen and Durant tried desperately to keep the miscreant alive so that Ruth wouldn’t have to face execution for killing a man. Sidney managed to be despicable right up to the bitter end, grabbing Cullen’s gun and trying to shoot him and then attempting to crawl out the window just moments before he ultimately died. It was jarring to see Reverend Cole, who we haven’t seen since midway through the second season, letting himself be ruled by his full fanatic fury, beheading slaveowners and purporting to be doing the lord’s work. It was worthwhile to see how Ruth was shaped to do good by seeing what he did, but it didn’t resonate quite the way I might have hoped it would. Louise, on the other hand, summed the situation up perfectly, noting that she had seen too many people do horrible things in the name of God to believe that he existed. Governor Campbell may have to contend with Mickey’s angry, eye-popping cousin, but that’s not going to stop him from wielding his judiciary ax and ensuring that Ruth pay for her crime, even if not a single person in Cheyenne thinks that she should be considered guilty.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 2, Episode 10 “Return to Hell” (B+)

Even though we have the benefit of three bonus installments in November, this episode did feel like a season finale in all the right ways. Cheyenne has become a very Western setting, with its streets rather bare and its landmarks all the more stark, seemingly designed for standoffs and other such classic encounters. Cullen didn’t waste any time in getting himself appointed to be the new sheriff, though it didn’t do him much good in this hour since the whole town was basically on his side anyway. Sidney barring the doors to the church and starting a fire was a vicious and horrible thing to do, and he likely wouldn’t have cared to know that the only life lost as a direct result of the fire was that of poor young Ezra. Eva did take advantage of the chaos to snuff out a particularly gruesome abuser, and it made for an interesting interaction later on with Louise, who, to her credit, has become an even more fascinating character from last week’s episode through this one, allowing herself to delight in material pleasures while sticking true to her convictions. The Swede is on an intriguing road back to redemption, and his path is most mesmerizing when Brigham yells at him for trying to be religious, since he’s well aware that he’s a faithful servant but not of the true Mormon sort. The episode’s final scene was the most impactful, because a woman of peace, Ruth, has now committed murder as a justified act of vengeance. Its repercussions on her well-being will surely be felt as the town picks up and rallies back together to fight off whatever’s coming from Brigham and the Swede in the season’s final three episodes.

What I’m Watching: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels: Season 4, Episode 9 “Two Trains” (B+)

This was an intense episode, one that returned to this show’s roots as a western. It’s interesting to see just how much things have transformed, with Cullen, Durant, and Mickey firmly on the same side, squaring off with Sydney. This was a very much a cat-and-mouse game, with Cullen and Sydney marching around each other in town to intimidate the other into thinking that he was ready for what would come next. It did seem too obvious that Mickey would get caught trying to buy all the guns in town, but alas that was just what Cullen and Mickey hoped since it permitted Mickey to smuggle the key into the jail so that all the prisoners could free themselves just in time to be rescued by Cullen on the train. This cleverly-titled episode choice a perfect setting for its most dramatic scenes, and there was something gratifying and triumphant about seeing Cullen on top of that train ready to stand his ground and free his men. That he elicited a “thank you” from Durant before he got back to his grumbling was quite a feat. The standoff was intense and there were many casualties on both sides, but Sydney, like the snake he is, managed to get away, meaning that he’ll haunt Cheyenne and the railroad for some time still to come. Campbell wasn’t subtle about his intentions with Louise, and she didn’t seem to mind his aggressive advances. This show has one more episode left next week before a month-long hiatus, and fortunately we’ll still have three full hours left in November before the show closes out its fourth year.