Hell on Wheels

Though imbued with epic sweep, Hell on Wheels is a western at heart, even if that heart is cold.

Your overall enjoyment will still depend on how much patience you have with railroad building in general. But otherwise, things are finally on track. [24 Jul 2015, p.55]

A prickly alliance founded on mutual respect and constantly threatened by both history and present, unpleasant circumstance, it’s more subtle and moving than your average TV bromance and brings out the best in Common and Mr. Mount.

Where is this headed? Who knows? But it's heading there slowly. Nevertheless, the cast--Common, Meaney, Heyerdahl and Mount--is good, while the Old West still feels especially beautiful and perilous.

Not content to exploit their subject's inherent themes, the series' fraternal creators, Joe and Tony Gayton, have adhered them promiscuously, pasting neon Post-it indications of symbolic import in a way that obscures moments of straightforward drama.

Like Durant's ideal route, the five episodes I've seen of Hell on Wheels tend to meander a bit.

It's good at being tedious.