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Season 1 – Hell on Wheels

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Hell on Wheels Nov 2011 Drama Western History Action Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
61% Tomatometer 36 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
The Civil War is in the past, but former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon can't put it behind him. Fresh are the horrific memories of the death of his wife, killed at the hands of the Union soldiers, an act that sets Bohannon on a course of revenge. This contemporary Western tells the story of his journey, a story that rides on Union Pacific's construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Bohannon's westward travels take him to a lawless melting pot of a town called "Hell on Wheels," which moves with the construction of the railroad.
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Hell on Wheels — Season 1

Hell on Wheels — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Its Old West setting and central revenge plot may be overly familiar, but Hell on Wheels holds just enough intrigue to keep things interesting.

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Critics Reviews

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Troy Patterson Slate 11/06/2011
None of Hell on Wheels' juicy eruptions of pulp or sporadic glimpses of soul impedes the myth-belching progress of a story about the little engine of empire that could. Go to Full Review Verne Gay Newsday 11/06/2011
B+
Solid cast, intriguing premise, and - best of all - the Old West. Go to Full Review Matthew Gilbert Boston Globe 11/06/2011
A-
The characters - including Meaney's monster - are promising, the racial tensions are bracing, and the atmosphere is transporting. Go to Full Review Randy Dankievitch Processed Media 02/21/2020
Hell on Wheels is a mess of Western cliches and silly characters. Go to Full Review Ross Ruediger Bullz-Eye.com 03/03/2018
3.5/5
The folks who make this show are clearly playing a long game, and I'm unsure if I found myself dazzled throughout the season; entertained, for sure, but not blown away. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Clay M @RT82884275 Sep 16 Gritty western with lots of violence, but a story that had me hooked. See more 07/25/2022 All 5 seasons of HOW is on Roku now (2022) and it is the most gory, almost factual, best western I have seen. Anson Mount is excellent and all of the actors are excellent. See more 07/05/2022 Wanted to like this but just couldn't do it. Slow, angry, and Common is a racist. So he's actually perfect for his role. See more 09/04/2021 Featuring enough excitement to keep me interested the first season of hell on wheels is a welcome addition to the western genre in my opinion See more Per S @RT83737705 02/14/2021 Hell On Wheels is in general one of the best dramas describing how the Euro Americans laid the foundation to the destruction of a continent, and the building of the transcontinental railroad was an absolute peak in this development. Even though the characters are either invented or a more or less heavily romanticizing of historical persons, all to fit a brilliant plot, the depiction of the invironment following the railroad track is basically genuin. The melodrama is based on real human relations within a frame of true historical events, and despite a free creative dramaturgy, the plot never loses proximity to the authentic events. On top of this the creators manage to make a highly engaging story, and the cast, acting, direction, costumes, set designing and cinematography is all sublime. See more 10/23/2020 I really liked the show until the end of the second season when they killed off one of the most important characters. Who does that? That was really dumb! Tony and Joe Gayton, the writers, made a big mistake killing off Lily Bell. I don't feel like watching the remaining seasons. I would give the show 4 or 5 stars for seasons 1 and 2 up until the final episode of season 2. I always thought the idea for TV series was to keep the viewers coming back - I guess that isn't important to the Gayton brothers. See more Read all reviews
Hell on Wheels — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Joe Gayton

Creator

Tony Gayton

Creator

Anson Mount

Cullen Bohannon

Common

Elam Ferguson

Dominique McElligott

Lily Bell

Colm Meaney

Thomas "Doc" Durant

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Nov 6, 2011 Pilot A former confederate soldier journeys to the transcontinental railroad to seek vengeance. Details Episode 2 Aired Nov 13, 2011 Immoral Mathematics Cullen fights for his life as he answers for his actions; Lily struggles to survive in the wilderness; Durant attempts to spin tragedy for political gain. Details Episode 3 Aired Nov 20, 2011 A New Birth of Freedom Cullen is diverted in the search of the sergeant; Durant organizes a search party to find Lily Bell. Details Episode 4 Aired Nov 27, 2011 Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai Cullen closes in on the sergeant; Durant has a hidden agenda while helping Lily recuperate. Details Episode 5 Aired Dec 4, 2011 Bread and Circuses Durant's answer to the railroad's financial problems spurs a brawl between Cullen and Elam. Details Episode 6 Aired Dec 11, 2011 Pride, Pomp and Circumstance Durant attempts to end ongoing negotiations with Cheyenne; Cullen and Elam scramble to prevent bloodshed in town. Details Episode 7 Aired Dec 18, 2011 Revelations Cullen must decide how much he is willing to risk; Durant faces financial ruin; Lily confronts the family of her late husband. Details Episode 8 Aired Jan 1, 2012 Derailed Cullen and Elam are on a mission of vengeance; Lily struggles to find her place. Details Episode 9 Aired Jan 8, 2012 Timshel Cullen and Lily work to meet the railroad's deadline; Elam and Joseph deal with the consequences of their violent mission. Details Episode 10 Aired Jan 15, 2012 God of Chaos Cullen must choose between to dwell on the past or look forward to the future. Details

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Hell on Wheels — Season 1

Hell on Wheels View more photos

Season Info

Creator
Joe Gayton, Tony Gayton
Executive Producer
Tony Gayton, Joe Gayton, Jeremy Gold, John Shiban, David Von Ancken, John Wirth
Screenwriter
Joe Gayton, Tony Gayton
Network
AMC
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Drama, Western, History, Action, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date
Nov 6, 2011