Hell on Wheels

:

Season 1
  • Network: AMC
  • Series Premiere Date: Nov 6, 2011
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
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Critic Reviews

  1. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Sep 21, 2011
    91
    Though imbued with epic sweep, Hell on Wheels is a western at heart, even if that heart is cold.
  2. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    Sep 21, 2011
    91
    I don't know if it will catch on - westerns can be a hard sell - but it's another fine AMC choice.
  3. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    Nov 7, 2011
    88
    This drive for revenge is what makes the pilot spark, smoke and go chug-a-chug-chug. [14 Nov 2011, p.45]
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  5. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Nov 3, 2011
    83
    Solid cast, intriguing premise, and--best of all--the Old West. Should easily be another winner for AMC.
  6. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Nov 4, 2011
    80
    Where it diverges [from many trappings of a Western] is the lack of white hats and black hats. The axis of good and bad is constantly shifting, which is part of what makes the story intriguing.
  7. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Lori Rackl
    Nov 4, 2011
    75
    Co-creators Joe and Tony Gayton have turned out a solid series that got stronger with each of the five episodes I watched.
  8. Uncle Barky
    Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Nov 3, 2011
    75
    Hell on Wheels is a big and ambitious stab at the genre, with a lot going on and much to recommend.
  9. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Linda Stasi
    Nov 3, 2011
    75
    [A] new and intriguing Western.
  10. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Nov 7, 2011
    70
    That's a lot of stories to tell, and the sweeping Hell on Wheels does a good job of chopping them into bite-size pieces.
  11. PopMatters
    Reviewed by: Brent McKnight
    Nov 7, 2011
    70
    Stick with it through the second episode: it gets moving quickly in the subsequent episodes, and turns into a grim frontier revenge saga, with intriguing personalities and interconnecting storylines.
  12. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    Nov 4, 2011
    70
    As familiar as this tableau may be, Hell on Wheels finds enough beauty, danger and emotion to make some part of every episode seem fresh and worth waiting for.
  13. RedEye
    Reviewed by: Curt Wagner
    Nov 4, 2011
    63
    Most of these characters are by-the-numbers denizens of any Western. Thankfully most of the actors make them more interesting than the sometimes atrocious dialogue should allow.

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best TV Season of 2011
22
#22 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011
6
#6 Most Shared TV Season of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 193 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 169 out of 193
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 193
  3. Negative: 13 out of 193
  1. tchavy99
    Nov 6, 2011
    9
    A true masterful old fashioned western. Hell on Wheels packs it in with all the bells and whistles found in only the best of it's genre. IA true masterful old fashioned western. Hell on Wheels packs it in with all the bells and whistles found in only the best of it's genre. I couldnt take my eyes off of the screen. Visually unlike any western Ive seen on cable television and a story told paced naturally with brewing temperament, AMC's done it again with this fine tale of payback and payoffs.… Full Review »
  2. lord_cuervo
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    The best premiere of the year. AMC se ha vuelto a lucir esta vez, respira un aire a Deadwood, espero que la iguale. la auguro un buen futuro aThe best premiere of the year. AMC se ha vuelto a lucir esta vez, respira un aire a Deadwood, espero que la iguale. la auguro un buen futuro a la serie, espero que la AMC la trate bien… Full Review »
  3. JohnOCillean
    Oct 10, 2013
    0
    I have enjoyed this show despite some historical inaccuracies. Seasons 1&2 are great, but season 3 has ruined it for me. Let me explain: MyI have enjoyed this show despite some historical inaccuracies. Seasons 1&2 are great, but season 3 has ruined it for me. Let me explain: My ancestors were Mormon. One such ancestor join the Mormon faith Missouri and a short time there after was a Captain in the Mormon Militia. After Governor Boggs signed the "Mormon Extermination Order", a law that made it legal to kill Mormons up to 1976 in the state of Missouri, my ancestor left Missouri and settled in Nauvoo, IL. He was a farmer by trade, but once again he served as a Captain of the Nauvoo Legion. He was even charged with the protection of Joseph Smith Jr. Prior to being cast out of Nauvoo, my ancestor was ordained a High Priest in the Nauvoo Temple and was sealed to his wife for time and all eternity (an ordinance that can only happen in the temple according to the Mormon faith). My ancestor then left for the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. There he was once again a Captain and he establish logging business. He owned a canyon that still bares his name (even though it is misspelled). The reason that I gave this score is due to not just the complete historical inaccuracy of the Mormons, but the defamation of their story. The Mormons were commissioned to build much of the rail road, in-fact the two rail ways finished in Salt Lake City. But there are some points that I must make clear: (1) Bishops never had that kind of authority, the authority to kill people (2) One cannot become a Mormon without being Baptized into the church (3) Being sealed for time and all eternity cannot happen in a city square or by a Bishop. It has to happen in a Temple by a Temple Sealer. (4) Mormons were anti-slavery and never kidnapped people.

    Ask yourself this: If this show had gotten the Jewish Faith, Catholic Faith, Protestant Faith, or Native American Faith this wrong; would the rest of these scores be this high? I think not. I watched the entire season to see if things would turnaround, they did not. Season 3 is nothing short of hate speech, but then I guess many people dislike and misunderstand the Mormon community. Maybe some of you will agree with me, but my bet is that most of you just won't care.

    Shame on those that made this show, they just didn't care to get it right or they were actively attacking the Mormon religion.    … Full Review »
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