Hell on Wheels, Season 4, Episode 2, “Escape from the Garden”
Written by Mark Richard
Directed by Neil LaBute
Airs Saturdays at 9pm (ET) on AMC
“Blood will be spilled, that’s for sure”
Besides Elam’s (Common) survival, how exactly Cullen (Anson Mount) will escape The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl) is season four’s biggest question. It’s what fans have wondered about since the end of last season, when the gates of that Mormon compound closed and Cullen was forced to marry Naomi (MacKenzie Porter). Now that he is a father and husband, escaping The Swede has become his top priority. Viewers have been expecting a lot, but few likely predicted what this episode delivers. But more on this later.
Hell on Wheels hit a series high last season and its fourth season premiere last week made it seem like it was going to continue that streak. Thankfully, “Escape from the Garden” doesn’t disappoint. Season three of Hell on Wheels had a clear, driving focus: Cullen, somewhat reluctantly embracing his past and trying to move forward, trying to be a better man and then getting sucked back in to his prior life. The focus of season four is unclear, but it’s still early. Perhaps it’s about brutality meeting brutality. Cullen is above all else a very angry man, capable of swift violence when necessary. The same can be said for Durant (Colm Meaney), who is scrambling this season to keep control of his railroad. Hell on Wheels has always had big payoffs for the fans.
“Escape from the Garden” works on many levels, switching easily between Cheyenne and the Mormon camp, giving the audience compelling glimpses of the characters’ lives. It’s a slow buildup to an epic scene. We see Ruth (Kasha Kropinski) struggling to control an increasingly erratic Ezra (Tayden Marks) and Eva (Robin McLeavy) continuing to challenge Mickey (Phil Burke). The episode also gives us a longer look at this season’s most fascinating new character, John Campbell (Jake Weber). He’s another violent man, but it’s clear that like most characters on Hell on Wheels, he has something else driving him.
But the best moment of “Escape from the Garden” comes when Cullen finally makes it out of the Mormon camp. His fiery confrontation with the Swede, where Cullen tricks him into admitting who he really is, is exceptional on all fronts. The direction, music, and acting all work together to produce a scene that is exciting, nerve wracking, and wonderfully executed. Mount and Heyerdahl play off of each other incredibly well and make the scene even better. The culminating moment, as Cullen stomps on the platform and the Swede repeats his crimes, will surely go down as one of the finest moments in the show’s history.
“Escape from the Garden” is a very good episode elevated by one great scene and the possibilities it gives the show. The look on Cullen’s face as he learns about Elam’s “death” tells us that he isn’t going to let that loss go easily. And how will Naomi adjust to Hell on Wheels? What exactly is Durant willing to do to gain back the power he craves? One thing is for certain- Hell on Wheels season four has already made a big impression.
Tressa Eckermann