Hell on Wheels: The Complete Second Season

In the last season of Hell On Wheels Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount; Red Widow) was on his way from a cold blooded, and mostly apathetic, revenge machine, to a man turning the corner and finding a bit of purpose thanks to widower Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott; Moon). Unfortunately with railroad tycoon Thomas Durant (Colm Meaney; Law Abiding Citizen) interested in Bell as well, Bohannon found himself a wanted fugitive and all but chased out of town.

Season 2 finds Bohannon living the life of an outlaw, working with an outfit called The Alabama Boys, and holding up Durant’s payload train each time it heads to town. Still reeling from his mistake in season one, the killing of an innocent man, Bohannon doesn’t seem to hard pressed to get his revenge on anyone. As a matter of fact, Bohannon seems almost reckless when it comes to his own life, and pretty much ready to meet his maker.

Elam Ferguson (Common; Now You See Me) has come up from a poor mistreated black worker to Durant’s go to man now that Bohannon is out of the picture. Unfortunately for the first four or five episodes Elam is whittled down to a character that’s depressed over a missed opportunity with his former lover Eva (Robin McLeavy; The Elegant Gentlemen’s Guide To Knife Fighting) and his alienation from his people due to his rise in status and his sometimes cocky attitude that he’s somehow become better then them. He’s a man without a people, a woman, and a best friend.

The show is still top notch thanks to Anson Mount who makes the perfect frontiersman, cowboy, whatever. His crazy eyes, demeanor that can turn from lax to killer on a dime, appearance, and his Tennessee accent really gives weight to the show as far as making you believe you are in that place and time. The rest of the cast is phenomenal as well, but Anson is the right man for the job when it comes to this show.

Like season one the show starts off with a bang and just keeps building up to the season cliff hanger that really sets the mood for the third season. Alliances will be made (or forced), characters will teeter on personality change ups, and the progress of the railroad will be all that more engrossing then last season where we saw the crew reach their first 40 mile marker with much enthusiasm. My only qualm with this set is that it immediately gives you a trailer for season 3. Not having seen season two yet I feel like putting this automatic preview before the second season defaltes the surprises that season two has in store. All in all though, fantastic.