Hell on Wheels (Hell on Wheels episode)
"Hell on Wheels" | |
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Hell on Wheels episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
Directed by | David Von Ancken |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Featured music |
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Editing by | Skip Macdonald |
Production code | 101 |
Original air date | November 6, 2011 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Hell on Wheels" or "Pilot" is the
The pilot episode was filmed entirely in Alberta, Canada, with assistance from the provincial government of Alberta's film-development program. "Hell on Wheels" garnered a 3.1 HH rating, attracting 4.4 million viewers (2.4 million, aged 18–49; 2.3 million, aged 25–54) to become the second highest series premiere in AMC’s history.[1] Critical reception of the pilot was mediocre. The Los Angeles Times said the show "gathers steam as it goes on," The Wall Street Journal called it "a bag of unpolished stones," and Variety pegged it as "a diluted, herky-jerky ride."[2][3][4]
Plot
The series opens in the year 1865, shortly after the
Meanwhile,
Arriving at the Hell on Wheels encampment, Bohannon seeks work from Foreman Daniel Johnson (Ted Levine), and though Bohannon has no experience in railroad work, Johnson hires him as a "walking boss" after learning Bohannon had owned slaves before the Civil War. Johnson introduces Bohannon to the "cut crew" - the men who dig the trail for the rails to be laid in - which is predominantly black.
In a nearby river, the idealistic Reverend Cole (Tom Noonan) baptizes a young Native American, Joseph Black Moon (Eddie Spears). Afterward, the two ride into the Hell on Wheels camp, to set up their church.
Deep in the Nebraska Territory, surveyor Robert Bell (
While digging the cut, Willie, one of Bohannon's workers, almost collapses because of the heat. Elam Ferguson (Common) aids him to get drinking water, but before they can return to the cut, Johnson arrives on horseback. A nearby explosion startles the horse, which kicks Willie twice, killing him. Although the death was unintentional, Johnson tells his workers, "This is what happens when you break my rules."
After the day's work is finished, Bohannon visits Elam's tent. He finds Elam sharpening a knife, intent on killing Johnson to avenge Willie's death. Bohannon tries to talk him out of it and later joins Johnson for a drink.
After they discuss the war, Bohannon asks Johnson if he has ever been to Meridian. Johnson responds by taking Bohannon hostage. Johnson tells Bohannon that he read of the Union soldier killed in Washington, DC by a Griswold revolver, and seeing Bohannon's Griswold when he hired him, coupled with Bohannon's mention of Meridian, confirmed his suspicions.
Johnson lets slip that Bohannon's wife was murdered; she did not commit suicide as the widower had thought. Rather, Johnson claims "the sergeant" strangled Bohannon's wife and hung her to cover up the murder, but Johnson refuses to grant Bohannon's request to name the sergeant. Elam appears and slits Johnson's throat, saving Bohannon but killing his chances learning the sergeant's identity.
Filming, cinematography, and environmentalism
Filming of the pilot took place between August 2010 and September 2010 on location in
Reception
Critical reception
The show was rated 63 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 27 reviews, indicating mixed reviews.[7]
The Washington Post's Hank Stuever rated the show highly, commenting, "Hands down, the most intriguing show on the fall slate. Though imbued with epic sweep, 'Hell on Wheels' is a western at heart, even if that heart is cold. Plenty of guns, knives, arrows, scalpings — mixed with the incendiary socio-psychological wounds left in the Civil War’s wake."[8]
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times says the show "takes its cues more from the movies than from life. Never, in the episodes I watched, did I feel as if I were actually seeing how a railroad got built, and sometimes it took a bit of squinting not to see the characters as actors in a field, reading lines. Still, for all the unlikely things [the creators] make happen in order to get their characters into place, and the dogged refusal of a couple of those characters to become interesting at all, the show gathers steam as it goes on."[2]
Brian Lowry of Variety thinks: "while the diverse mix of characters could work to the program's advantage over the long haul, jumping to and fro among them creates a diluted, herky-jerky ride in the early going."[4]
Viewership
The pilot premiered on November 6, 2011. It was watched by 4.4 million viewers - AMC's second-highest series premiere in history, following The Walking Dead. Among key demographics, the pilot episode delivered 2.4 million viewers in adults aged 18–49 and 2.3 million viewers aged 25–54, according to Nielsen. The total viewership bested network slot rivals CSI: Miami and Pan Am.[9]
References
- ^ Seldman, Robert. "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead,' 'Hell On Wheels' Lead AMC + 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Homeland,' 'Dexter' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 2011-11-11., November 8, 2011.
- ^ a b Lloyd, Robert. 'Hell on Wheels' review: It takes a while to get chugging along, Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2011.
- ^ Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Lowry, Brian. Hell on Wheels, Variety, November 3, 2011.
- ^ a b Miller, Gerri., The greening of 'Hell on Wheels', Mother Nature Network, November 2, 2011.
- ^ Wilton, Lisa (July 6, 2010). "New TV series to be filmed in Calgary". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on June 13, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ^ Hell on Wheels: Season 1, Metacritic
- ^ Stuever, Hank. 2011 TV season: Few smooth takeoffs, many bumpy arrivals, The Washington Post, September 20, 2011.
- NY Mag, November 7, 2011.
External links
- "Pilot" at IMDb
- TV.com: Pilot Archived 2011-12-27 at the Wayback Machine
- TV Guide: Hell on Wheels Pilot