Hell on Wheels: L'Enfer de l'Ouest

An authentic western series without superfluous, romantic subplots. In spite of the many western series and films, there has hardly ever been such a thorough study of the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Comparable to "Deadwood" but not quite as good. Although the series has no outstanding strengths, the western drama does so much right that the first season becomes a gripping and entertaining experience.

Hell on Wheels is a gritty and exciting western that takes place right after the Civil War ended. It follows former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) who can't seem to put the way behind him. He wife was killed by Union Soldiers and he sets out on revenge. It also follows the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. This all takes place in a lawless town called Hell on Wheels. I never watched it when it was originally on and thought I'd finally give it a chance after hearing so many great things about it and I'm so glad I did. I binged the entire series in just a few weeks and it was worth every second. It's one of the more underrated shows ever!

If you are squeamish and don't like harsh and realistic violence, give this a miss. This show is not for the faint hearted.

The violence though, is not overdone IMO and gives the viewer a likely realistic view of what happened in the Wild West with no holds barred.

Cullen Bohannan is the lead character in the series and he is played brilliantly by Anson Mount with his brooding good looks and fearless portrayal of a man trying a avenge the murder of his wife near the end of the Cival War.

So many characters make this a stand out series and I look forward to each episode.

The story of Hell On Wheels may not be original or anything new but it is brilliantly put together and does not hold back where it needs to.

The best show of 2011 for me and I hope it continues for more than one season.

Hell on Wheels not only met my expectations but exceeded them in every way. I'm a big fan of westerns and even though this isn't your traditional western, it still falls into the western genre. The best compliment I can give it is as a big western fan it's actually one of the better western tv shows I've ever seen. Anson Mount is absolutely perfect for this role and does such a terrific job as the lead. I'm actually mad at myself for putting it off for as long as I did. If you're a western fan like myself and you haven't watched this yet then do yourself a favor and go watch it as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed. Just make sure you leave yourself enough time because you're going to want to binge it as fast as you can.

Clearly this series is aiming for a mythical aura, and for me it has achieved that thus far over the first 3 episodes. I doubt I have ever seen such a beautifully shot TV show anywhere, and yet I am not sure how a series on AMC can afford to look this good given how their resources have to be spread over so many episodes. (For brief moments, this looks like DAYS OF HEAVEN.) Yet this is not merely a visual feast, it is one that attempts to delve into a critical juncture in American history, right after the end of the Civil War, a point of no return if there ever was one. The tropes here are familiar: rebels who have never really surrendered (THE SEARCHERS) and railroads leading the encroachment of civilization on a pristine wilderness (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST). All of the contradictions of the USA in a peripatetic microcosm, a moving city with prostitutes and evangelicals practically living on top of each other. (No pun intended.) And then there is the corruption driving the whole project forward. None of this is new, but it always depends on the presentation with the Western. They present it beautifully in this case. I'm hooked.