Hell of a Western on AMC

If you have not had a chance to view AMC's new show Hell on Wheels then you are missing a real treat. Not since HBO's Deadwood have we experienced a good program on the American West, and this program covers much more territory (no pun intended). The focus on the railroad crossing the states allows the show to bring together a large array of characters, from Civil War veterans and roaming Irish to freed slaves and native Americans. Hell on Wheels reminds me more of TNT's drama Into the West in terms of it being a broader based series, though unlike the TNT series it is still focused on one period (post-Civil War) and not multi-generational.

The TV critics to date have nit-picked issues such as the main character Cullen Bohannon freeing his slaves, thereby making him too politically correct, but didn't our first President propose the same thing with is slaves? I enjoy the diversity of characters and unpredictable story lines, most of them involving murder so far. It is also filled with beautiful shots of the western countryside (though this is Canada's west - Alberta to be exact). That said, this is not a program for those looking for a sunny tale of American expansion. It is very gritty.

Popmatters.com makes a good point about the Wild West and it's machines:

If the railroad signifies freedom in Hell on Wheels, it also helps breed and accelerate greed, arrogance, and savagery, aggressions coming so fast and brutally that victims hardly know how to get out of the way. Hell on Wheels raises the inevitable question: at what price progress?

I am hoping AMC can answer this question in the episodes to come, though I am not sure if a truthful answer will leave anyone feeling any better. However, I am hoping it at least produces good acting and story-telling for a full season or two.