Hell on Wheels begins as an intriguing drama but falls apart half way through the first season. It's not enough to have a good idea for a drama, the key is to have worthwhile characters. No character on this show deserves sympathy or praise. Our main character is one-dimensional and hasn't grown. Other characters are archetypes and don't comment on America at the time. Story lines are thin and come and go. SPOILER ALERT: one does not simply kill off a character and bring him back. That is a death sentence in writing. You're bound to drive your audience to self-castration. Not only that, but consider if you show a primary character being brutally injured (say, an arrow wound to the forearm)and continue the series never mentioning it again, you are lying to your audience. I can understand a continuity error, but not a catastrophic one.
The season ends with a disappointing conclusion. No character has developed or grown, there is no event that reels us into the next season, it is just a flat stopping point. Did I mention that the entire show is gray and the visual effects are sub-par at best. Not to mention this show is a rip-off of the less-than-perfect HBO series Deadwood. Simply put, this series had good intentions but failed on all fronts. I will not be returning for next season.
The season ends with a disappointing conclusion. No character has developed or grown, there is no event that reels us into the next season, it is just a flat stopping point. Did I mention that the entire show is gray and the visual effects are sub-par at best. Not to mention this show is a rip-off of the less-than-perfect HBO series Deadwood. Simply put, this series had good intentions but failed on all fronts. I will not be returning for next season.