AMC's Hell on Wheels

[Marvolo]

Wasn't crazy about this episode. Amnesiac Bear Killer Elam isn't half as fascinating as the episode wanted him to be.

 

[Golgo-13]

I'm glad Elam is back but I found the episode boring, cool that he has super beard growing powers now though. He also shares killing the wrong man guilt with Cullen now.

The Indian with the white face paint with 3 red lines on it that wanted to go after Elam for scalping that guy, he's the one Cullen and Naomi passed on the way into Cheyenne right?

The beard growing was to indicate the amount of time he had been with them.

I like this ep, it was interesting and if you notice during the opening credits, only two name appeared.

Elam is f'ed up! Both physically and mentally. I wonder if they plan on writing him out of this series after this season?

 

[terry78]

And we're back.

 

[terry78]

Elam....****.

 

[Sawyer]

I'm glad I'm not a die-hard viewer of this show, because I'd be fuming right now over Deadline spoiling this **** in their headline.

 

[Marvolo]

It wouldn't have mattered if they'd just waited until after the episode aired but the article was posted at 7:00 PM.

Hell On Wheels’ Shocker! Common & Showrunner Reveal Details Of Surprise Exit

Still, the decision to kill him off was ultimately a consequence of Common’s desire to devote more time to his Grammy-winning hip-hop career.

'The way it came together was Rashid called me last year just before Christmas,” explains Wirth (citing the performer’s real name, Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.). “This was after we had wrapped Season 3 and we were on hiatus. He told me that he thought maybe it was time for him to leave the show.”

More at the link.

http://deadline.com/2014/09/hell-on-wheels-spoilers-death-season-4-amc-831440/

 

[mocomic]

Love the show . This was a f___ed up episode though

 

[Marvolo]

That was thoroughly depressing and ****ed up. I think I'd rather they just not brought him back and let me assume the bear killed him.

And I wish Cullen's wife would hurry up and toughen the **** up. Her running and flinching after Cullen had to stab and shoot his best friend just pissed me off. She offers all the support of a square of single ply toilet paper.

 

[James]

That was thoroughly depressing and ****ed up. I think I'd rather they just not brought him back and let me assume the bear killed him.

I kind of agree. They spent an entire episode following Elam's recovery and descent into madness, only to kill him off in the next one. Seems like kind of a waste of an episode to build that all up, and then toss it aside instantly. I was pretty sure Bohanon would find someway to get Elam out of it because they invested an entire episode to his recovery.

And I wish Cullen's wife would hurry up and toughen the **** up. Her running and flinching after Cullen had to stab and shoot his best friend just pissed me off. She offers all the support of a square of single ply toilet paper.

I think running off after witnessing violence like that makes sense, she is/was pretty sheltered compared to everyone else who lives on the railroad. And she did show up when Cullen was digging the grave, but he sent her away. She might stand to be a little tougher to make her way in the world, but I do think she's trying to help and support Cullen as best she can.

Anson Mount's performance is always good, but I think he really bought his A game this episode.

 

[Marvolo]

I kind of agree. They spent an entire episode following Elam's recovery and descent into madness, only to kill him off in the next one. Seems like kind of a waste of an episode to build that all up, and then toss it aside instantly. I was pretty sure Bohanon would find someway to get Elam out of it because they invested an entire episode to his recovery.



I think running off after witnessing violence like that makes sense, she is/was pretty sheltered compared to everyone else who lives on the railroad. And she did show up when Cullen was digging the grave, but he sent her away. She might stand to be a little tougher to make her way in the world, but I do think she's trying to help and support Cullen as best she can.

Anson Mount's performance is always good, but I think he really bought his A game this episode.

I really thought that after he stabbed Elam that Elam would say "Bohannon?" and just as he's coming back to his senses someone would put a bullet in his head. But having Cullen deliver the bullet was definitely the right way to go. If Elam had to be put down then Cullen was going to be the one to do it. Elam was hurt trying to find him so Cullen owed it to his friend to end that madness. This episode proved once again that Cullen is the strongest person in that town.

And that crying at the end has got to be the most pitiful thing I've seen on tv in a while. Anson just kills it in his role. Really gonna miss the character when the show ends.

 

[squeekness]

Please tell me this won't be the last season..... Then I'll be crying just like that.

 

[Marvolo]

Please tell me this won't be the last season..... Then I'll be crying just like that.

There's been no indication that it is the last season. I'm simply saying that when the end inevitably comes I'm gonna miss Cullen.

 

[squeekness]

Yeah, he is the best character on the show for me. Hope we see more of Anson later when he lands his next role after this.

 

[James]

Yeah, he is the best character on the show for me. Hope we see more of Anson later when he lands his next role after this.

I agree! It's not always the case with TV shows, and it's kind of annoying when that happens. But for Hell on Wheels, Cullen is the most interesting of the lot!

 

[Marvolo]

Agreed.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Tough episode, the stuff with Cullen and Elam was brilliantly acted and very intense. I was hoping Cullen would save him and he tried to the bitter end, but he had no choice but to put Elam down, the way he said sorry before reversing the knife on him and how he referred to him as his friend multiple times through the episode just drove it all home.

The way Cullen cried was pitiful and the final image of him sitting on Elam's casket........

On a side note Durant's cold blooded outburst of violence was pretty shocking, he always struck me as a schemer and manipulator, the kind of guy that would pay others for dirty work, but he was ruthlessly brutal, made him seem scarier than before

 

[Golgo-13]

This ep was so depressing.

I too thought that when Cullen stabbed Elam, that Elam was going to come back to his senses (the look he gave Cullen could indicate that) but alas…also, Cullen crying at the end was heart breakingly painful.

That being said, why did they bring Elam back to begin with? He was assumed dead at the end of last season, was absent for most of this one; to bring him back for just two eps seems a little weird as if they weren't sure if they wanted to keep him around or not.

 

[squeekness]

Guess they wanted to give him a more definitive sendoff.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I think it was also a case of the way it went down added more layers to Cullen's arc.

 

[Marvolo]

I think it was also a case of the way it went down added more layers to Cullen's arc.

This. Common wanted out of the show, and the writers tried to use this to build on Cullen's character and story.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Powerful episode. It was shocking to see Elam die; I had heard rumors that Common wanted off the show but I didn't see anything definite until that article. Tragic way to see his character go out, and the effect it had one Cullen will be a lasting one. Cullen crying at Elam's coffin at the end there was heartbreaking.

Also, Psalms and the others really have a lot of balls to judge Cullen for what he did. I didn't see any of them jumping in there and trying to help him when Elam was attempting to drive a KNIFE through his head. Hopefully they get over themselves in future episodes.

 

[Marvolo]

I'm sure they will. Psalms is just in grief.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Oh yes, Cullen has got his wife and son to safety and is strapping on his guns for a big showdown next week with the Snow!

I wonder what is going on with the Mormon guy and The Swede, that is some creepy **** right there.

 

[squeekness]

I'm a little perplexed as to how Brigham can just ignore that Thor has admitted to killing people. Why would have someone like that loose amongst your people? Not the best choice, you ask me.

 

[Marvolo]

Well Gunderson could be used to do the things Brigham wouldnt want to dirty his own hands with.