"Hell on Wheels" on AMC HD - Page 5

Maybe somebody needs to show up with a suitcase that we never see the inside of...

On the other hand, maybe the writers could have spent 7 episodes looking for Lilly and the plans in the woods...

Perhaps we need a slick guy to show up and we all can guess his name...

Or, we could get all the characters together to build something....something big...maybe like a railroad...


I, on the other hand, am satisfied with the way the show is going.

I just caught up with both of the last 2 episodes, loved the last one especially, Bohannen & Elam arc and battle rocked, Lilly taking care of the Sister in law and Durant "burning" the Senator...

TV Notes
AMC Renews 'Hell on Wheels' for Season 2
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - December 23rd, 2011

EXCLUSIVE: I've learned that AMC has renewed its newest series, period Western Hell On Wheels, for a second season. That means that 5 out of the network's 6 original scripted series to date have now gone beyond their maiden season.

Hell On Wheels, developed by Endemol USA and produced by Entertainment One, got off to a strong start in November. It debuted with 4.4 million viewers, ranking as AMC's second-highest-rated series premiere behind mega-hit The Walking Dead in total viewers as well as adults 18-49 and 25-54. Hell On Wheels has slipped since but consistently delivers more than 2 million viewers in first-run broadcasts, most recently 2.3 million last week. The series has aired 7 episodes of its freshman series to date, with Episode 8 slated for Jan. 1.

Hell On Wheels is set in post-Civil War America circa 1865 and centers on a Confederate soldier (Anson Mount) who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who killed his wife. The series was created Joe and Tony Gayton who are executive producing with Endemol USA's Jeremy Gold and showrunner John Shiban. David Von Ancken, who directed the pilot, also serves as an executive producer on the current first season. eOne's Michael Rosenberg oversees production.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/12/amc-...-for-season-2/

^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's "music to my ears!"

SWEET! Good news indeed.

I had no idea who Common was before this series but thought he was an awfully good actor. He more than held his own. Been a good year for rappers-turned-actors as Mos Def (now known only as "Mos", apparently) knocked it out of the park on this season's 'Dexter'. And Ice Cube keeps cracking me up with those Coors Lite commercials.

Actor Common returns to his hip-hop roots

By Todd Martens
Los Angeles Times
Posted: Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011

Common has released his ninth album, "The Dreamer/The Believer," but he is also busy with acting and writing. Richard Drew - AP
LOS ANGELES Common was trying not to crack a smile. The rapper-turned-actor-turned-author was in the midst of having his face powdered in preparation for an interview with a cable music channel. He had just been asked if he'd ever made any money off album sales.

"Naw," he said, doing his best to keep a straight face. "I never made a lot of money from album sales."

It's not for lack of trying. Common's first album for Warner Bros., "The Dreamer/The Believer," was released Tuesday, and it follows five albums released under various Universal Music Group brands that have collectively sold 2.9 million in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"My album sales are good," continued Common, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. on Chicago's South Side almost 40 years ago. "I'm not taking anything away from them. But when you sell 5 million of your albums, that's when you're seeing money. You won't make your money off of record sales. You make it off of branding and other opportunities, if you're afforded those."

Movies, TV, books

It's safe to say that Common has been. The former Gap model has multiple films in the pipeline, including a trip to Sundance for the coming indie film "LUV" and a role alongside Jennifer Garner in next year's "The Odd Life of Timothy Green."

He will soon have completed a starring role on the first season of AMC's post-Civil War drama "Hell on Wheels," and he's written an autobiography, "One Day It'll All Make Sense," and a children's book, "I Like You but I Love Me."

Somehow, amid all the above, Common found the time to return to hip-hop. The completed album, "The Dreamer/The Believer," backs away from the studio gloss of 2008's "Universal Mind Control" and returns to his wordy, socially aware roots.

"It's an album about putting out music for the love of it, and I think that's the tone of the album," Common said. "It's now not my only source of expression, and it's also not my only way to make a living. I do this because I love it, and I owe it to the culture that helped me live my life and gave me a voice."

'A dignity to him'

Common isn't leaving much to chance. Earlier on that late December day, the artist was getting ready for a mid-afternoon taping of Chelsea Handler's E! talk show, "Chelsea Lately." A dressing room debate as to whether to wear a sweater or a black jacket would last longer than the interview with Handler. When it was call time, Common gathered everyone around the dressing room for a prayer of thanks.

"There's something about his presence," said Joe Gayton, creator, writer and executive producer of "Hell on Wheels." "He has a dignity to him."

Still, Fox News labeled him "vile" in a headline last spring. The network's talk show host Sean Hannity called attention to some of Common's more politically minded raps after the artist was invited to the White House to perform at the Michelle Obama-hosted "An Evening of Poetry."

Common, who attended the reading despite the scrutiny, said, "I was super-nervous. I didn't know what they'd be thinking. My heart was beating out of my chest."

Earlier this week, it looked as if Common would face another attack after the New York Post reported that esteemed poet Maya Angelou, whose work is sampled on the new album, was "horrified" at some of the language on the CD. But the hullabaloo lasted all of 24 hours before Angelou publicly declared Common a "genius."

"I believed that was an impeccable way to introduce my album," he said.

At their best, Common's songs seem to reference '70s soul rather than the grit of underground rap. To be sure, new songs such as "Ghetto Dreams" may have some calling for explicit content stickers, but his tales of street life are character portraits about perseverance rather than dramatic glorifications.

"If you have a microphone, you can help people," Common said.

Marathon tomorrow (Sun. 1-1-2012) all episodes ......

With a brand new one at 10:00 pm.(Eastern)

Another excellent episode...with plenty of drama and action...and a twist and turn thrown in for good measure. And it also seems, to my eyes, that the incredible video (especially the details and depth) is better than ever!

Have to admit, the production values and PQ are some of the best I've seen, certainly from AMC. But some of the dialog -- oy vey.

After the previous episode's tension this one felt more like character development and setting up the plot for the 2 shows left this season.

Bohannan and Ferguson are really coming into their own as people living on the edge.

Oh yeah, killer Picture Quality.

I forgot to add in my last post that I was really surprised by the whipping The Swede received from Bohannan. That answers the question I had earlier about whether or not he had some fighting skills. He really came across as a wimp while he was being humbled.

I cracked up when he lamented that he was Norwegian, not Swedish. Whenever he speaks I keep looking around for Mrs. Wiggins.

Recorded the marathon yesterday and just finished watching all of the episodes for the first time. Overall I am impressed with the series. I will definitely be setting a series recording. It has taken some interesting twists and turns and I am looking forward to more.

I liked this week's show, too. I had always thought the Swede, who is really Norwegian, was a rat but I hadn't known he was a coward. The opposing points of view about Antietam were fascinating. As Griggs said, it didn't make any difference how many Union soldiers the Confederates killed because the Union had so many more of them, they won anyway.

I never know what to make of Lily. She is such a delicate beauty, when she is freshly dressed, she looks like a 19th Century fashion model. But she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty, either.

Hell on Wheels is a good show with interesting characters and a more than competent cast. I am looking forward to both the last two episodes of this season and next season, too.

Excellent show, I liked how Durant dismisses "The Swede's" obsession with Bohannen, looks like the action is just heating up... Glad Lily got away from Durant.

This episode was better than the last, but I am out after the final two episodes.

I don't think that scene showed him as a coward. The Swede made it clear on different occasions that he believed a stand-up confrontation with Bohannan was a fools errand. He was also already drawn upon by the time he got within striking distance with his scatter-gun. That being said his lashing seems to have humbled him greatly. I don't see how he can maintain his position in the camp.

Your reaction surprised me. I can't imagine what more any man could have done to portray himself as a sniveling coward that the Swede's craven, cowering reaction to Bohannan.

The Swede had a sawed off double barreled shotgun in hands before Bohannan drew his pistol but when Bohannan drew, rather that shoot, the Swede got a look of stark fear on his face, threw down his shotgun and cried, "I am unarmed!" For a guy as vicious as we have seen the Swede to be when he has the upper hand, I thought his conduct in his non-confrontation with Bohannan was about as cowardly as it could be.

Agreed! As I said he came across as a royal *wimp*. I guess his *bark* was much worse than his *bite*.

Great to see this was renewed for a second season. There is a LOT they can do with these stories.

I knew this was a great action show, but now its becoming an excellent drama.

The characters continue to grow (especially Elam Ferguson) and we get a few suprises each week.

The violence was "out-of control" (in a good way), what is this show rated?

While I'm aware that there's at least a dozen reasons why, it still amazes me how the picture quality can be so good in this show - some of last night's scenes were outstanding with incredible detail, color and lighting - and so utterly awful with another AMC show "The Killing" which is basically a step-up from VHS tape.

The Swede may be a coward, but he's no dummy. He knows if he fired at Bohannan he might miss or wing him, especially with a scattergun from that range. And if he raised it to shoot he was probably a dead man before he could pull the trigger. The smart calculation was to "disarm" Bohannan with a plea for mercy and live to fight another day.

Besides, his current position demands continued employment with Durant and the railroad. The Swede knew they'd never make the 40 mile mark without Bohannan leading the troops, as it were. I'm wondering what our Norwegian friend has on Senator Crane? Must be pretty good...

I thoroughly enjoyed last night's episode. Every character has me hooked, with the exception of the two Irish brothers (who I find rather boring).

The Swede sure seemed intimidating (once again), but his power is always directed towards the weak. It was hard to watch him hit a *lady* and see no one come to her rescue.

What a surprising twist at the end! Who would have thought the preacher had it in him to decapitate someone. I wonder what his daughter would think of that?

And yes, the Picture Quality continues to amaze. I see no artifacts or other anomalies (which is a miracle when compression might be an issue with satellite tv), only mesmerizing details and depth with superb black levels to boot.

Edit: I forgot to add that I was hoping to see some sparks fly between Bohannan and Lily, but it was *derailed* (pun intended) by Durant.

I think that scene was edited in a way that made them appear to be closer to each other than they were. The swede had a real good chance of missing outright at that range with that weapon. He would have been a dead man for sure.

The "preacher" is a William Munny type character ("reformed" killer). I saw it coming the moment the soldier walked into that tent.

ON EDIT: Is it just me or does it seem as though some episodes were cut from the season? A great deal of time seems to have elapsed during that last episode. The resurvey was completed. The brothers went to Chicago and back. The guy getting shot in the mouth wondering back to HoW and then rejoining the work crew as if nothing happend. The US Marshall's on the doorstep of HoW. Making the 40 miles out on nowhere when just moments before there were complaints about business being down because no one was working. I've seen shows where they wrap-up a plot in the last five minutes but that was a pretty big stretch.

I am a big fan of Mumford and Sons and really enjoyed the track during the fight with the Natives.

+1, he did say he was in "Bleeding Kansas" with John Brown.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)

Yeah, in addition to being a visual treat, Hell On Wheels gets sound and music right.