‘Hell on Wheels’ season 4 video: Common on the legacy of Elam Ferguson

It has been now over 36 hours since “Hell on Wheels” aired its most-shocking episode of perhaps the entire series, and many are still trying to talk and make sense of it.

The basic facts are these: Common was the one who chose to leave the show after playing Elam Ferguson for three and a half seasons, and we likely saw the last footage of him Saturday as Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) found himself in a position where he had to kill a man who was no longer himself.

The video below from AMC is a little somber, as it does reflect on some of the terrible times with Elam in this past episode. However, both Common and executive producer John Wirth each also go through the journey of Elam from the beginning, how they look at the character, and Common’s impact on the show as a whole. It is a nice little way to send him off, especially since the show featured such a different, dark side to the character the past two weeks after his brain was corrupted in the bear attack.

One thing that we do hope is that the show does not take a hit in the ratings because of Common’s exit, which is something that we’ve seen some people threaten to do. We understand the love of a character, but if you enjoy the show, why penalize it as a whole? Clearly, “Hell on Wheels” wanted to keep Elam around, and had Common wished to stick around, he probably would have been a part of the story until the very end.

Does Elam’s death change the way you will watch “Hell on Wheels” moving forward? Let us know your thoughts now in the comments, and click here to see more specifics on why and how Common made his decision.

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Photo: AMC