‘Hell on Wheels’ season 5, episode 11 video: A familiar face demands ‘swift justice’

At the end of this past episode of “Hell on Wheels,” things did not look great for Thomas Durant following his capture. Will he be found this weekend? Maybe if the price is right, he’ll be handed back over … or if the right people intervene.

It feels appropriate in some ways to use the phrase “send in the cavalry” to describe the sneak peek below, since we have another appearance this weekend from one of the most interesting characters in this show’s world in John Campbell (Jake Weber). He was a man who has often been at odds with many of our main characters, but in this instance, he is about bringing “swift justice” to those who don’t follow the rules. Basically, this is the Wild West version of not negotiating with terrorists. One of Campbell’s mandates on the show was trying to bring some sort of clearly defined order to a place that has been at times rather lawless.

We’ll have to wait and see whether or not Durant makes it out of this episode in one piece, but we don’t think it’s lip service to say that he is in serious danger. Based on what we’ve seen over the years with Elam and then The Swede, this is a show not afraid to kill characters before the end. You even have to worry about people like Mickey, who isn’t afraid to be rather reckless and throw himself into any situation.