Hell On Wheels - S2 Finale
Spoiler
[LIST]
[]The town appears to be destroyed. A man from the railroad commission is talking to Bohannon about a ledger he received from Lily that details Durant’s mileage shortfall and is trying to make some sense of the situation that befell the town. Bohannon replies that everything was the doing of the ‘White Spirit’.
[]As Eva is making her rounds through town, she finds a delirious Durant causing a scene in the hospital tent looking for medicine. Eva manages to help him regain his sensibilities as Durant talks about the possible falling of his railroad enterprise. Later on, Eva is telling Hannah about Durant’s episode and Hannah thanks Eva for helping her with her husband. After Eva leaves, Hannah goes to Durant’s side who goes on about his imminent ruin. Hannah proposes that Durant should make Bohannon a partner in managing the railroad and speak to the railroad board on his behalf.
[]Sean meets with Ruth and apologizes for his actions from last night. He persists on being together with Ruth and even proposes marriage. Ruth says that they are unable to be wed due to their different religion beliefs/backgrounds.
[]While finishing up work on his house, Elam shares a dream/vision with Psalms. Elam says Durant wants him to kill someone for him and Psalms says to not do it. Afterwards, Psalms offers Elam the opportunity to drive the last nail into the front door’s frame.
[]Bohannon is talking with Lily who brings up the subject about his upbringing from the dinner convo with the Durants. He asks her if she would feel differently about him has she known and she says that she thought she knew him, but she doesn’t seem to mind it much.
[]Bohannon and Mr. Toole are keeping a night watch at the bridge site and talking to each other about their situations in regards to their women. They notice that they aren’t really alone out there and hear the cries of some Sioux Indians off in the distance.
[]The next day, Lily is about to make her way out to the bridge site when Hannah stops her. Hannah offers Lily a ticket to New York an an introduction to a family that is in need of a governess - a future for her away from the railroad. After Hannah has closed the inner office room and left Lily to mull over the offer, she makes her way into the room and takes the ledger from within the safe. As Lily leaves the office with the ledger, Elam greets her and the two have a small exchange of words. Lily seems wary of Elam after his appearance.
[]At the bridge site, Bohannon drives a locomotive across the completed bridge. Though the workers celebrate the achievement, Durant seems to have his attention elsewhere when he talks to Bohannon and the subject of the mileage shortfall comes up. He then pulls Bohannon off to the side to talk to him about something as Mr. Toole and the other men resume work. Durant offers Bohannon partnership in the railroad in order to have backup when the railroad board visits. Though he tries to persuade Bohannon with wealth and his ‘debts’ being squared, Bohannon brings up Doc’s death as the tipping point in his already made up decision.
[]Hannah tells Durant to sign the check to payoff Lily. Though he is reluctant to do so, he does and mentions something about Lily having a moment of control about her fate before he (Durant) takes control of it in the end.
[]Eva is tending to her home tent and Elam comes by to talk to her about some things. He tells her about his house and the future that he wants with Eva and his ‘baby’, but Eva tries not to believe in his words.
[]Another night out at the bridge site and Mr. Toole talks about his promotion to a new position (which is likely to be Bohannon’s present position) and Bohannon tells him about Durant’s offer to be a partner. They notice a rider coming in, which happens to be Lily. She tells Bohannon about their possible future together in regard to the railroad and tells/shows him the ledger that will change things. Bohannon throws the ledger into the fire and tells Lily that Durant is likely to have her killed because of her actions. A Sioux Indian appears by the tracks and as Bohannon fires at the figure and goes to investigate, Lily pulls the ledger from the fire. Bohannon notes that he had nicked the Indian due to some blood found at the site. He tells Lily to burn the ledger.
[]The next day, Lily visits Elam at his house and asks him to hold the ledger and to send it off should she perish, but Elam declines. As she leaves, Lily notes that the house that Elam built was for Eva and Elam changes his mind and accepts the package/terms.
[]Sean visits Mickey at the saloon and asks for the rest of his owed money which is then given to him. He then tells Mickey about renouncing his faith to be with Ruth and Mickey objects the action, saying that he’ll disown him. Sean then tells Ruth about his plan and Ruth tells him that his decision should not be taken lightly but Sean says that he want to go through the baptizing rite. After being baptized by Ruth at the river, Sean gives in to a moment of passion and kisses Ruth who pushes him away after his advance.
[]Bohannon sees Joseph in town and asks him the meaning about the appearance of a ‘white skinned’ Indian. Joseph tells him that it’s a declaration of sorts that the Sioux wants everyone in town dead. He then asks Joseph to see the encampment of the Sioux which Joseph is reluctant to take Bohannon along to see. Later, the two men see the encampment which is full of tents. Bohannon wants Joseph to be there when he tells Durant but Joseph says that it will be the last time he sees him. Flash forward to Bohannon talking with the Union officer present along with the railroad representative who asks what had happened upon the report of the amassed Sioux. Bohannon ‘thanks’ the Union officer for the help - a cannon, gatling gun and five soldiers.
[]Eva runs into Psalms while in town who tells her about the situation affecting Elam but she stands by her decision to be with Mr. Toole. Later, as Elam makes his way home, he sees a figure enter his house before him - it turns out to be Eva. She tells him about not being able to have a future together with him. Mr. Toole interrupts the pair, who apparently had been looking for his wife. He draws his gun on Elam and rants about how Eva had made her choice though Eva protests that she intends to stay with her husband. Mr. Toole apparently reaches his breaking point and turns the gun on himself and kills himself before Eva and Elam. Later, a service is held for Mr. Gregory Toole and Mickey says some words about the man’s life.
[]A response by the fort is read by Durant and it says that due to insufficient information as provided by the scout in regard to the Sioux encampment, that they will not provide any support at this time. Bohannon is angered by the response. Hannah says that she’ll make a request about the matter.
[]Durant is meeting with Elam and informs him about the ‘job’ that he was asked to do. Later that evening, Elam confronts Lily about the matter at Bohannon’s rail car and declares his intent to kill her as he lays a knife on the table and informs her about her choices. Lily apparently had a pistol drawn on Elam at the time and places it on the table. She then negotiates a deal with Elam when the railroad is no longer under management by Durant and he accepts the offer.
[]The next day, a horse bearing the body of The Swede (covered in white paint) makes it’s way into town and it appears that the man is injured. The Swede tells Hannah in the hospital tent that he wasn’t accepted by the Sioux as the ‘White Spirit’ and was punished - his chest exposed to flame from small fires built upon it. Though he is glad to see Mrs. Durant, he tells her to leave town or else she will perish. After Bohannon appears and puts The Swede at gunpoint, he says that the Sioux will attack on the night of the ‘Blood Moon’. Though Hannah protests his actions, Bohannon tells her that The Swede will hang for his sabotaging of the railroad and orders a guard to stand watch over him.
[]Lily visits Durant, who is somewhat surprised that she is still alive, and tells him that the ledger was sent out Though Durant says that he had offered Lily safe passage from the town, he then insults her calling her a whore. Lily retorts that when the railroad is no longer within his grasp, a ‘whore’ will have been it’s downfall. Durant is worried by her words. He visits The Swede and asks him how damning the ledger is and the man replies that he is glad to see Durant suffer.
[]Bohannon visits Elam at his house and thanks Elam for not killing Lily. Elam says that Lily had pulled a gun on him and the two men laugh about it, then Bohannon tells him to mount up to help out with preparations against the Sioux. Bohannon is angered after finding out about Durant’s intention to kill Lily but she stops him from going through with punishing Durant.
[]Union soldiers arrive and are greeted by Elam and Psalms. The two negro men survey the ‘help’ - five soldiers, a cannon, and a gatling gun. As some townsfolk prepare to evacuate, Elam spots Eva who didn’t leave with the other townsfolk for Council Bluffs. She says that she’ll stay at Elam’s place during the ordeal. Sean appears ready to leave as well and urges Ruth to go along with him but she says that she is staying as well.
[]The Swede breaks free from his bonds and kills the man outside who was standing guard.
[]At night, the Sioux commence their attack and Bohannon, along with a group of men, fights them off at the bridge. However the Sioux begin to break through their position and make their way to town. The town comes under attack from the Sioux: Durant fends some Indians from killing Hannah at the office and the two of them make their escape afterwards. Elam and Lily fight off some Sioux. The action even reaches Eva at Elam’s house and Elam manages to save her from harm.
[]The Swede prances/dances through the carnage of the burning town, relishing in it’s destruction.
[]The next day reveals the extent of the damage - The town is burned down and many dead people are among the wreckage.
[]Lily makes her way to Bohannon’s rail car and finds that The Swede is waiting for her. Though she begs for her life and says that Bohannon will kill him, The Swede ends up killing Lily by strangulation and tips a candle over on a nearby table before he leaves the rail car. Flash forward to Bohannon being asked about protecting the bridge versus the town and he says that strategic points are more valuable and that the town and people are replacable. Bohannon finds Lily in the ruins of his rail car. He walks through the town carrying Lily’s body as some of the town looks on: Durant and Hannah, Elam and Eva, Sean and Mickey. Bohannon finally arrives at Ruth’s Church and lays her body down on a bench.
[]Later, Bohannon and The Swede are seen making their way to the railroad bridge. As Bohannon binds the hands and slips a noose around the neck of Lily’s killer, The Swede remarks on the situation that apparently has brought the two men together. When Bohannon goes to secure the lines for the hanging, The Swede bids Bohannon a ‘good-bye’ and jumps from the bridge into the river gorge below. Bohannon is taken aback by the action of The Swede, who appears to have died as a result.
[]Fast-forward to present time, the railroad representative asks Bohannon if he will entertain the notion of continuing to build the railroad, at the behest of the president of the United States. In the final scene of the episode, Bohannon places a railroad marker at the bridge and walks off.
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[spoiler=thoughts]
Crazy two-hour finale.
Three character deaths in the S2 Finale:
Mr. Toole was kinda unexpected, like Reverend Cole, but it strangely fit the situation at the time.
Lily…
The Swede… This guy defies Bohannon till the very end.
The character was enjoyable and shall be missed (if he actually died).
Had a random thought in regard to the appearance of The Swede at the start of the second hour.
I had hoped that he would make his entrance into the town as the ‘White Spirit’, but not like that.
Needed something a bit more - grand. Like, rolling up in town backed by a group of Sioux or after the Sioux had raided the town, while in the ‘White Spirit’ persona.
His ‘moment’ of making his way through the carnage in town was pretty entertaining though.
What will happen next season?
Summary of events:
[LIST]
[]Bohannon has been asked to continue with the building of the railroad.
[]Durant has been arrested for his actions in regard to the operations of the railroad.
[]Lily was killed by The Swede.
[]Elam and Eva seem to have found themselves together again after the death of Mr. Toole.
[]Sean and Mickey have survived.
[]Ruth is wary of Sean affections/intentions toward her even after he was baptized.
[]Joseph is… gone?
[]The Swede is dead(?).
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