‘Hell on Wheels’ season 4, episode 3 review: What happened to Cullen in Cheyenne?
Tonight, “Hell on Wheels” immersed itself almost fully in Cheyenne, which was a welcome sight for Cullen and company. We did enjoy the two-episode detour with The Swede thanks largely to Christopher Heyerdahl and Anson Mount’s performances, but it’s nice to be in familiar territory again.
With this being said, being in familiar territory with this show hardly means you are dealing with a familiar story in the slightest. With so many new arrivals and with Elam still gone, this is hardly the same world we remember from past seasons … and everyone is dealing with the makeup of it in one way or another.
For Eva, this is probably the saddest story of all. She is stuck trying to find a way to desperately make a way for herself, and in this case, it included trying to trade what she does have (herself) in return for learning to cheat at cards, even though we just saw John Campbell and his men put someone to death over a cheating dispute. We’re pretty sure that this is the position she should not be in, but can you be that shocked given what she is going through?
Meanwhile, Cullen decided that he was going to re-enter the Cheyenne society the hard way. He turned down two jobs, including one working for Campbell that would have made him three times his current wage. He instead stayed with his black colleagues at the railroad, working in the difficult conditions in order to finish what he started. While he remains faithful to Naomi (who is struggling to be accustomed to this life), Ruth is also still very much around. It’s strange that we like both characters, and really can’t have a big opinion one way or the other.
This episode was for the most part low-key, save for the shock at the end where Cullen learned very quickly that the new authority in Cheyenne is desperate to be taken seriously. He he wants to survive here, he will have to adapt … and quickly. Grade: B+.
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Photo: AMC