Hell on Wheels - Pilot, S01E01

Hell on Wheels is one hell of a title. Makes me think of motorbikes and street gangs. Which is not at all what this show is about. It's a period piece, taking place in the States after the Civil War, and it focuses on the construction of the rail road. It's gritty and dirty, very curious and interesting, but in the long run not something I want to stick with.

I liked the concept. A man lost his wife during the war because some enemy soldiers did not conduct themselves like gentlemen when they took over the farm, and naturally he plans to seek vengeance on all the bastards who hurt her. By the end of the episode, he discovers that there was another man involved, but he doesn't know his name, so that certainly sets up a path for the show to follow.

Meanwhile, you've got a skeevey politician trying to build the railroad, and you really can't like him, which has apparently become popular these days. Come on! I don't want to watch shows about people I don't like. I want to love the heroes, and love to hate the bad guys, or hate to love them. But feeling mostly indifferent with a dash of distaste is not going to make me watch a program.

Also, there was a charming young woman and her loving husband who were attacked by a group of blood-thirsty red Indians. And I use those words knowing full well what they imply because frankly this group was right out of those monstrous stories told about Native Americans. I'm surprised that no one had a fit about it. I'm not saying that the Native Americans never killed any Europeans anymore than no Europeans ever killed Native Americans, but the scene was far to violent for my tastes. It was brutal and seemed absolutely pointless, and the attackers came across as really really awful.

And that's what it came down to, for me. I love a good period piece, and I appreciate when a show does adhere to the mores of the time period. I don't need things sugar-coated. But I also don't need to watch a blood bath.