Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

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.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Troy Patterson Slate Nov 6, 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 Nov 6, 2011
B+
Solid cast, intriguing premise, and - best of all - the Old West. Go to Full Review Matthew Gilbert Boston Globe Nov 6, 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 Feb 21, 2020
Hell on Wheels is a mess of Western cliches and silly characters. Go to Full Review Ross Ruediger Bullz-Eye.com Mar 3, 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

View More
Clay M @RT82884275 Sep 16, 2025 Gritty western with lots of violence, but a story that had me hooked. See more Jul 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 Jul 5, 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 Sep 4, 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 Feb 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 Oct 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

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

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

More Like This

View All
Rubicon 69% 88% Rubicon Watchlist The Son 52% 86% The Son Watchlist TRAILER for The Son Better Call Saul 98% 96% Better Call Saul Watchlist TRAILER for Better Call Saul Halt and Catch Fire 90% 91% Halt and Catch Fire Watchlist The American West % 71% The American West Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related TV News

View All
Fall 2019 TV Schedule: What to Watch Every Night of the Week Comic-Con 2019: All the Trailers For Movies and TV Shows 15 TV Shows You Should Binge-Watch This October
View All

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
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings