JWalker August 14, 2015 Share August 14, 2015 Unexpected violence erupts in Chinatown during the festival of Tin Hau Don. Cullen confronts the Swede. Durant involves Maggie in his latest scheme. Link to comment
ennui August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 Once again, I was waiting for someone in an advance time zone to comment ... *crickets* Link to comment
Human August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 I feel like almost nothing happened in this episode. It seemed clear Ah-Tao was marked for death as soon as he went over Chang's head and it seemed equally obvious that Change would use the white man assassin loophole so it was only a matter of time. Louise's plot is in the same place as last week- trying to clear up her consequence from ignoring that she's a lesbian and talking to the engineer about the map spy. Eva was still arguing with the whore about filching money. Durrant is changing his mind about which town will be the hub. Cullen and the Swede are still not killing each other. It's like we are in a holding pattern till the series finale. 4 Link to comment
ennui August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 The Swede could have a spin-off show ... "Psychopaths of the Old West." 1 Link to comment
NorthstarATL August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 When the huckster was offering the Swede eternal life I was telling him through my TV that the Swede obviously already has outlived his expectancy...and then some! It seemed clear Ah-Tao was marked for death as soon as he went over Chang's head a Really? I thought for sure, just as two weeks ago, that Chang would target Mei, especially after Ah-Tao expounded upon how she was everything that held meaning for him. Nice to see Mrs. Palmer again. I thought her story was over. Link to comment
beesknees August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 Pffft. Now that Mei and Bohannon may have some sort of love connection, Mei is not long for this world. I give her 2 more episodes. 1 Link to comment
Ohwell August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 I predict that that whore will get tired of being slapped around by Eva and will shiv her. At this point, I won't even mind. Eva is acting just like any other male pimp, slapping the whores around. If the woman is stealing money then fire her; if she's too valuable to get rid of then maybe a little bonus money is justified. Poor Mei will probably die in the mid-season finale. 1 Link to comment
nodorothyparker August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 I guess now we know where the phrase "dick measuring contest" actually comes from. I don't even know how to describe this episode. There was a whole lot of plotting between various parties going on but it's like the showrunners haven't gotten around to figuring out what most of the motivation is for most of that plotting or to what end they're going for. Durant is stuck on rinse and repeat with his endless land-deal schemes, with only the hapless partners in crime changing. Last week I was just happy to see him and the UP crew after three solid weeks of the Bohannon-Swede and a bunch of new faces you're suddenly supposed to be invested in show. This week, I'm reminded that Durant is really a tiresome blowhard who often falls just short of mustache twirling when he doesn't have a stronger character like Bohannon nearby for pushback. It was telegraphed pretty clearly that either Ah-Tao or Mei wasn't going to survive long with all the menacing glowering Chang was doing in the background of nearly every scene. The actor who plays Ah-Tao was quite good but it obviously had to be him so they could ramp the suffering and angst up to 11 when Mei dies an inevitable horrible death in another week or two, probably at the hands of the Swede in some terrible either-or choice to save snitty Mormon wife who's obviously being kept in reserve. 2 Link to comment
Ohwell August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 The only positive thing that happened last night was Psalms and crew buying some land from Durant. I'm holding my breath on that though because, since this is Hell on Wheels and nobody is supposed to be happy for long, no good will come from it. 2 Link to comment
bentley August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 (edited) I'm afraid Mei is going to give herself away with her grief over her father's death, That's if her and Cullen's flirting hasn't already given the game away ,...Once Chang figures it out, the possibilities for how to hurt her are endless. I wouldn't be surprised if his ultimate revenge is forcing her to marry him. I can't believe Cullen turned his back on Chang because he was so blinded by his hatred for the Swede. Chang is way more formidable than the Swede. The Swede is crazy but he doesn't have an army of minions (yet)to help him like Chang does. They're both huge threats to Cullen and he needs to stop trying to "keep his enemies close" and see to getting them dead. I'm glad they're not trying to pretend that Cullen's wife is his lost love and the center of his future happiness. The only positive thing that happened last night was Psalms and crew buying some land from Durant. Is this good news? I got the impression from Durant's conversation later in the show that he was selling the land to the gullible because he knew it would soon be worthless, and using that money to buy land in the soon to be prosperous Cheyenne. That's why he let Psalms buy the land. Edited August 16, 2015 by bentley Link to comment
nodorothyparker August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 I got the impression from Durant's conversation later in the show that he was selling the land to the gullible because he knew it would soon be worthless, and using that money to buy land in the soon to be prosperous Cheyenne. That's why he let Psalms buy the land. That was my immediate impression too, given the scene he'd had earlier with Maggie running off the latest sucker he was trying to get to buy in. But the scene with Psalms also to me gave off the vibe of Durant not wanting to sell to the freedmen because that would potentially make black men permanent landowners and settlers there. So who knows? I have a hard time following all of Durant's machinations, partly because they're never clearly written and partly because they bore me. 1 Link to comment
ethalfrida August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 I predict that that whore will get tired of being slapped around by Eva and will shiv her. At this point, I won't even mind. Eva is acting just like any other male pimp, slapping the whores around. If the woman is stealing money then fire her; if she's too valuable to get rid of then maybe a little bonus money is justified. Poor Mei will probably die in the mid-season finale. Your take on this is very charming, ohwell. Can totally tell you come from a good place in your heart. Seriously. Eva is acting like pimps historically do. Have you seen Hunter's Point or any of the documentaries dealing with this subject? The story, as told by herself, of a woman pimp and how she was able to get away from her male pimp and become one herself will make you shudder. 1 Link to comment
Ohwell August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 (edited) Is this good news? I got the impression from Durant's conversation later in the show that he was selling the land to the gullible because he knew it would soon be worthless, and using that money to buy land in the soon to be prosperous Cheyenne. That's why he let Psalms buy the land. I agree that Durant sold the land because he figured it would be "worthless" but that would apply only if you're trying to sell it pretty soon afterwards. I thought that Psalms and his buddies were looking for land to settle down on. Maybe I interpreted it wrong though. Edited August 16, 2015 by Ohwell Link to comment
Human August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 I think Psalms and his friends were looking to buy the land in order to make a profit. Because of that, I was unsure of Durant's motives in not wanting to sell it at first. It's most likely because he's inherently racist and because he also knows that everyone else around him at the time was racist and that his land scam would come tumbling down too quickly once it became known that the blacks moved in. But I also wondered if it's because he felt somewhat uncomfortable about scamming a longtime loyal and trusted employee. I'm not sure how much positive growth Durant has had, if any. He at least remembers Psalms' name now,first and last, so I guess that's something Link to comment
SororitySue August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 Psalms and the freedmen are going to get ripped off six ways from Sunday. No way Durant is going to want them to become landowners and settle down. Even if he wasn't a racist, he wouldn't want to let go of what even he admits is a good work force. I was amazed at all the double crossing that went on in Truckee - Cullen and Tao getting over on Chang, the Swede trying to get over on Chang, Chang appearing to throw the Swede under a bus which was really a put-up job to throw Cullen off Chang's trail. And it was successful. Cullen got so caught up in dealing with the Swede that he forgot that Chang would never, ever let Tao get away with taking away payroll and bringing in workers. And he's lost yet another friend. He should have spent the night on the roof with Strobridge. Link to comment
Ohwell August 16, 2015 Share August 16, 2015 I'm afraid Mei is going to give herself away with her grief over her father's death, That's if her and Cullen's flirting hasn't already given the game away ,...Once Chang figures it out, the possibilities for how to hurt her are endless. I wouldn't be surprised if his ultimate revenge is forcing her to marry him. Revenge on whom though? I don't think Mei would mind at all, and Cullen seems to be fighting some feelings for her. The biggest issue would be the men finding out she's a woman, after all. On an admittedly shallow note, does Louise bind her chest, or are her breasts really that nonexistent? Link to comment
juniemoon August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 I feel like the railroad, through mountainous rock, is moving faster than the plot of this show. Durant's double-cross is a recycle of Season 1, ep 7 "Revelations," when he told Sen. Crane he was connecting to one railroad -- prompting the senator to buy stock in that railroad -- and then connected with another, making himself rich. Same thing here with Laramie vs. Cheyenne. The current showrunner sure lacks imagination. It was telegraphed pretty clearly that either Ah-Tao or Mei wasn't going to survive long with all the menacing glowering Chang was doing in the background of nearly every scene. And enough with the glowering! It's gotten comical. The first episode of this season was full of glowering, like they're all a bunch of 6-year-old boys on a playground. If looks could kill, Bohannon wouldn't need a firearm. 2 Link to comment
Ohwell August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 If looks could kill, Bohannon wouldn't need a firearm. Best line of the series. Link to comment
bentley August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 Revenge on whom though? I was thinking of certain cultures where when you take out the father, you also take out any of his progeny who could come back and exact their own revenge one day. Or maybe I've just watched The Godfather too many times. ;) Mei is going to be out to get Chang, so I think he'll try to silence her one way or the other if she makes waves. Just outing her as an unprotected female in that camp could do a lot of damage. But I also wondered if it's because he felt somewhat uncomfortable about scamming a longtime loyal and trusted employee. That was my take on it. He has at least a small amount of conscience. Not enough to stop the transaction from happening, of course. Although really there was no way to stop it without outing himself as a con man, and ruining the scam. The more he protested, the more Psalms was inclined to think he had other reasons for not wanting to sell. Link to comment
Human August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 I'm not really sure I understand the abortion plot as it seems written with the sole intent to kill off yet another woman on this show. Louise would have been better off with the pennyroyal. Introducing a dirty foreign object into her uterus isn't going to end well. I can already feel the infection forming. 3 Link to comment
nodorothyparker August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 I too wondered if we were seeing the beginning of the end for Louise. Women have been having abortions all throughout recorded history and it could certainly be a risky proposition no matter how it was accomplished. I hope it doesn't go there but if it does, I just don't want it to turn into something where we're supposed to see it as some kind of just punishment for having sex with Campbell, as nonsensical as that plot point was. 3 Link to comment
riverheightsnancy August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 Pennyroyal can kill the person just as easily. I had never heard of that technique of the wood. Must have been mighty painful and awful from a psychological perspective. Eva seems quite skilled in a lot of things. Link to comment
nodorothyparker August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 (edited) What she was doing is actually pretty similar to a technique that's done now to induce early labor. They use sticks of laminaria now instead of wood, but I imagine finding dried kelp in the middle of 1860s Wyoming Territory was probably not an option. I did find it curious that in a time when you could legally buy laudanum or cocaine at the apothecary that Louse was supposed to make do with a couple of rocks for painkillers. When you read historical accounts you quickly realize that with no reliable birth control available, working girls had to know about this sort of thing. People especially on the frontier also often had to make do with what little doctoring they could pick up for themselves. Edited August 17, 2015 by nodorothyparker 1 Link to comment
riverheightsnancy August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 What she was doing is actually pretty similar to a technique that's done now to induce early labor. They use sticks of laminaria now instead of wood, but I imagine finding dried kelp in the middle of 1860s Wyoming Territory was probably not an option. I did find it curious that a time when you could legally buy laudanum or cocaine at the apothecary that Louse was supposed to make do with a couple of rocks for painkillers. Yes, I actually should know that, as I had an induced labor! How soon we forget! However, with a lot of women, they often induce with pitocin, from recollection they may break a woman's water if nothing is happening at all and they are on pitocin and still not progressing. Link to comment
JackONeill August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 Now, who'd a thunk that coming to a forum discussing Hell on Wheels, I'd learn all this other . . . stuff. Of course, it's hardly the best small-talk to whip out at the country club. Link to comment
lidarose9 August 17, 2015 Share August 17, 2015 I too wondered if we were seeing the beginning of the end for Louise. Women have been having abortions all throughout recorded history and it could certainly be a risky proposition no matter how it was accomplished. I hope it doesn't go there but if it does, I just don't want it to turn into something where we're supposed to see it as some kind of just punishment for having sex with Campbell, as nonsensical as that plot point was. There are some who would say she has to die because she's bisexual. This is apparently a thing now. To me, it feels like "everything but the kitchen sink." What else can they throw in there before winding up this random shitshow? What's next, zombies? 2 Link to comment
Swiss August 18, 2015 Share August 18, 2015 Totally agree with the above "kitchen sink" comment. When is the show ever going to resolve a storyline..any storyline? Their answer for that is to just kill almost everyone off! It has become so boring and they are going to drag it out for another year? I guess the person I should be most mad at is myself for continuing to watch this mess. It's too bad they have made the Cullen characters' physical appearance so unattractive this year...at least if the storyline stunk, he was nice to look at. Now not so much. Is it over yet??? 2 Link to comment
ennui August 18, 2015 Share August 18, 2015 (edited) The only positive thing that happened last night was Psalms and crew buying some land from Durant. I'm holding my breath on that though because, since this is Hell on Wheels and nobody is supposed to be happy for long, no good will come from it. If they live long enough, they'll get rich on oil drilling. I was thinking of certain cultures where when you take out the father, you also take out any of his progeny who could come back and exact their own revenge one day. Or maybe I've just watched The Godfather too many times. ;) It was a theme in the Iliad, I vaguely recall. Edited August 18, 2015 by ennui Link to comment
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