Hell On Wheels (or AMC's version of how the West was won)

Dominique McElligott

Hell On Wheels got renewed by AMC for a second season.  For those of you who have not seen it, it depicts the building of the Union Pacific line of the trans-continental railroad in the late 1860s.

Here is a review from the New York Post.  I do not disagree with the review.  The main actors do a very competent job with the material they have.  The show has its flaws, but it is definitely entertaining and watchable.   Then again, I like westerns.  What do you expect, I am a cow.  The finale for this season will be next month.

The actual history of the trans-continental railroad is far more complex and nuanced than a television series with a limited budget can deliver. The cast, with all its extras, is still obviously far less than the actual manpower that would have been required to accomplish that engineering marvel.  Deadwood, in comparison, always managed to seem like a real 19th century mining boom town.  The Hell on Wheels filming locations, however, look very authentic and it is not done on some studio back lot.

Update:  Good point on the use of language on the show.