Recap AMC’s Hell on Wheels Season 2 Premiere

Air Date: 8/12/12

Red marks the important details from the episode.

Best quotes in orange.

• We find Cullen on the run robbing Durant’s payroll trains with a group of people.
• “Hell on Wheels” is slowing becoming a real town.
• Lily is concerned the railroad construction is slowing drastically.
• “Lily you must remember we males has very fragile egos especially when it comes to dealing with a strong women”- Durant
• Elam informs Durant the payroll train was robbed again.
• Lily wants Durant to have Washington send troops for help but he is concerned of the image that sends if they cant protect their own trains.
• Elam agrees to help guard the payroll trains.
• Cullen and his group are going to Mexico. The men he is with are from his home town of Meridian.
• McGinnes brothers are now selling property for the railroad.
• Ruth reveals that her father has not been preaching.
• the Swede reveals that work has stalled due to all the chaos that has become the town, robbers, murders…
• “Since those Irish boys tarred and feathered you and ran you out of town on a rail embrace this new job”– Durant
• the Swede has been demoted to picking up and burying bodies.
• Cullen has completely lost it and anybody that talks about him gets a beating.
• “Your father had a pension for spirits and a good fight”- Doc
• It is revealed that grave robbers dug up Cullen’s son and wife.
• “They dug up my boy, my Marry. What kind of man does that?”– Cullen
• 60 miles south of Hell on Wheels Elam runs into Eva who is married to Mr. Toole who now have a house together.
• Back at Hell on Wheels a whore was murdered.
• “Such a terrible thing”- Mickey
• “But this could be the opportunity were looking for”- Sean
• While getting ready to rob the next train Cullen spots Elam as the guard.
• “I’ve been the first man through the door all along I think I’ve earned the right to take him down”- Cullen
• Lily is mad when Durant tell’s her that know one would care about finding out who killed a whore.
• “Lily she choose a dangerous profession with choices come consequences”- Durant
• While robbing the trail Cullen reveals himself to Elam.
• “What the hell are you doing here?”- Elam
• “Trying to keep yourself from getting killed”- Cullen
• Cullen tells Elam to aim high and keep shooting to make it look like he couldn’t get to the money.
• “How far I’ve fallen, look at how far you rose up”– the Swede to Lily
• “We all do what we must to carry on”- the Swede
• Lily pays the Swede to give the murdered whore a proper burial.
• “I will bury her six feet down like a proper lady”- the Swede
• Ruth temps her father with liquor.
• “I know what this is, you don’t believe in me anymore”- Reverend Cole
• He takes the bottle.
• The group want to take down another train, they are mad that Cullen didn’t take down the black guard.
• “Cullen Bohannon is robbing my trains and you didn’t kill him!”– Durant
• “You hired me to protect your payroll and that’s what I done”- Elam
• “Maybe I can do more for you Mr.Durant, this towns going to hell in a hand basket”– Elam
• “Im the man that can fix things”- Elam
• “Bohannon I should of known”- Durant
• “Another brick on his road to hell“- Lily
• “That man ran a shit hole of a town like a fine watch”– Whore master in reference to the Swede
• Sean and Mickey offer protection in exchange for money just like the Swede did. Mickey isn’t a killer though.
• Ruth and Joesph having sex with her passed out but awake reverend father not far off.
• Elam turns down an offer from a whore (he clearly misses Eva)
• Lily shows up to Durant’s late…
• While robbing a train Cullen snaps back (he is a good man) when a women and her child who reminds him of his own are being threatened with a gun for a ring.
• Cullen takes off his mask and his group knocks him out.
• Cullen is arrested when the group leaves him.
• “They wont hang me, they’ll shoot me most likely”– Cullen
• Elam looks around town and the workers are happy they got their pay thanks to him.
• We end seeing Cullen locked up at peace even knowing that he could be executed.

Final Thoughts:

For a show in the final episodes of season one saw mass murdering of Indians and a reverend beheading someone with a sword it was a quiet start to season 2 but there is plenty more to go.

–Aaron

What did you think of the season 2 premiere?

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Ratings: 2.5 million viewers & 0.6 demo rating that is down vs the season 1 finale which drew 2.9 million viewers & 0.7 demo.

Next on Hell on Wheels Episode 2×02 promo Sunday August 19th 9/8c on AMC: