Elam states that he will kill both Cullen and Johnson to prevent having any witnesses. Bohannon goes to Omaha, Nebraska in search of Elam. Cullen refuses, stating that he isn't a "hired gun." Bohannon states that there is another way to get rid of Gundersen: Inform Durant of Gundersen's embezzlement of railway funds. Then he says, Thank you. Whats going through his mind?Anson Mount: That was one of those amazing moments where what youre going through as as a professional and what youre going through as a character sort of collide and they exist in parallel. 'Hell On Wheels' Season 5, Episode 8 Recap - Hidden Remote Bohannon interrupts Campbell's dinner with Louise to ask him to release Psalms and his crew. The fact that she survived that is a miracle. 'Hell on Wheels' Season 4 Elam Dies, Shot by Cullen Bohannon | TVLine Toa helps Bohannon to make a deal with the chinese to continue working at their current rates if the Central Pacific agrees to pay to ship the deceased back to China, as their custom dictates they must rest in China or wander forever. When we last saw Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), the Confederate veteran of the Civil War turned railroad boss man, he had been abducted by vicious, crazy Mormons, who blame Bohnnon for the death . If you loved it as much as I did then you also know that it is based on real historical events surrounding the Transcontinental Railroad- Duh. While Psalms is cold to him due to his murder of Elam. However, the mother superior helped her set up restaurant in a nearby Cascade. When Bohannon and Fong return back to Truckee and her father, Toa convinces Bohannon to let her work as not working is a surefire way to bring attention to her. Warning: This interview contains spoilers for the series finale of Hell on Wheels, Done.After five seasons, AMCs Hell on Wheels came down to one final question: Would Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) continue to be a railroad man, or is he still a soldier without a war, whod become President Grants Under Secretary of the Western Territories for the United States Army in charge of protecting the railroad from all threats? Cullen doesn't care. Its the last conversation those two characters have. Although there are differences between the two (the character and the real person) there are a number of similarities that can be drawn between the two. Then, she said, Im going to ride a horse. Shes another character that her survival is really incredible when you think about the true story of prostitutes working on the railroad there. You shouldn't be out here. While he began his career with small television roles, Mount's first big break came with the movie, Urban Legends: Final Cut. The Los Angeles Times said the show "gathers steam as it goes on," The Wall Street Journal called it "a bag of unpolished stones," and Variety pegged it as "a diluted, herky-jerky ride."[2][3][4]. Bohannon enlists help from restaurant owner Chang, Tao, and his son, Fong. Afterward, Durant reveals to Crane that, through the use of Durant's company, Crdit Mobilier, Durant will essentially pay himself to build the railroad with government subsidies. President Ulysses S. Grant to Cullen Bohanon, Confederate States Army Colonel (Cavalry) Over time, Cullen eventually renounced his vengeance and became a 'railroad man'. Bohannon launches his revenge in Washington D.C. by acting as a priest in a confessional. Snow finds Naomi, hiding with the baby, and he is about to shoot them with Bohannon stops him at gunpoint. He vows to return for them one day, and then leaves Fort Smith. Then, when Cullen shows up to take that job in Denver, it is the Swede as Cullen Bohannon. Isaac informs him that he, Naomi, and William will be moving to Zion (Salt Lake Valley), if Brigham Young will welcome them. The soldier, confused, asks the priest how he knows about Meridian and is then shot dead by the priest, who exits the confessional to reveal that he is not a priest, but Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), a former Confederate soldier. The pilot introduces the series' protagonist, Cullen Bohannon ( Anson Mount ), a former Confederate soldier whose quest for vengeance has led him to the Union Pacific Railroad 's westward construction of the first transcontinental railroad . Bohannon originally states Salt Lake is not good for the railroad, even though the Mormons need it for their travelers. Bohannon then gets Maggie Palmer to sign off on a loan for a steam shovel by producing Durant's signature for collateral. All of those things were incredibly moving in terms of what she had accomplished in her life. I think there was deep, deep irony for him as he was sitting there looking at that portrait. Season 3 of the AMC drama series Hell on Wheels finds Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) leaving his vengeance-seeking ways behind and investing in the new American landscape. Some time while in Meridian, he meets a group of former Confederates mostly from Alabama. Since Delaney nearly caused the deaths of his crew by trying to tunnel into the hill, Bohannon takes it upon himself to plot a line of track over it. Fans are just upset that someone else was cast as Optimus Prime. Bohannon wrestles with Elam, and is forced to stab and shoot him. We have done smaller versions of it in the past, but we have never done a full on, all out barroom brawl. Following the death of a tunnel worker mishandling the nitroglycerine, Bohannon suggests they continue to use the explosive, but that he and James will clear future blasts. Cullen Bohannon, as depicted in the series, was not a real person. As they approach each other, Ruth gets another man's gun and shoots Sydney twice. All I knew is when I was standing on the bow of that ship, I wanted to close my eyes and feel at peace with the sun in my face.. During a dinner with the Durants and Lily, Bohannon reveals he is from an educated family and married Mary Tate, daughter of railroad magnate Leonidas Tate, with whom the Durants are well acquainted. If Chang is still in the picture after the railroads meet, he won't be. I talked about this before, but thats a movie about the end of the cowboy era, so thematically, it related to what were doing here this season on the end of the railroad. A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, happens when a part of the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood. Four days later, The Swede has been found guilty of the Hatch deaths and is scheduled to hang. William Bohannon - Son, Naomi Bohannon - Ex-Wife, Separated We were never quite sure. Sydney returns to challenge Bohannon to a duel though Bohannon says he's done with killing and will arrest him. Wirth: Being at the White House, about to go in and meet with the president, having fought in the war on the losing side against President Lincoln, everything that Lincoln represents what Cullen Bohannon had done had been an essential part of unifying the nation which was so torn apart during that war, which cost him so much personally. You see it happening right on film. Bohannon has spent the winter on the rail line in Nebraska, though no real work is being accomplished. There, he learns that Fort Smith had an outbreak of smallpox. Perhaps the most memorable scene of the series finale is when Cullen, having initially decided to become a colonel in the 4th Cavalry, goes back into the confessional. They were just letting off steam. Joshua Bohannon - Son (deceased) When they arrive Naomi says they should stay together, as thats what her father would have wanted. Really, it had nothing to do with the ratings in my opinion. What did you want to accomplish with that scene?Wirth: Another thing that this show has always been has been a father-son story. It is now 1867, the third . The answer, in the end: he's neither. After that event, Elam and Cullen take a break in a tent where Elam shows his intent to kill Johnson by sharpening a knife and ranting about how things have not changed for the former slaves following their emancipation. He later met a Northern woman named Mary who convinced him of the evils of slavery. Bohannon helps in completing the railroad to the 20 mile mark, finishing it on time so the railroad and start earning money per mile. They eventually must bury his body and both return to Truckee. The Real People of Hell on Wheels - HubPages Anything youd like to add in conclusion?Wirth: I got really irritated this [week] reading something online about why the show was canceled, and the writer was suggesting that the ratings had slipped to the point where AMC felt the show was no longer viable which, in fact, is not the case. Stories would unfold, and the story would go in directions that we hadnt anticipated or we didnt see coming for various reasons. It is then that Bohannon informs Chang that Tao is taking over the payroll and employee hiring. Unfortunately, the horse kicks William in the head, breaking his skull and ultimately killing him. Published Oct 8, 2012 'Hell on Wheels' season 2 finale sees Bohannon preparing to defend against an imminent attack by the Sioux, in the two-part 'Blood Moon' and 'Blood Moon Rising.' If this proves to be the end of AMC's Hell on Wheels, then the series certainly went out on a rather severe note. It has a little pin in the back, so I just pinned it up on my bulletin board above my desk. I actually had a concept very early on for how he should die, and why he should die, and the Swede was involved in it, which Ill tell you about in a second if you want to hear it. Delilah S. Dawson did not pay the troll toll on Twitter: "I DID NOT This was kind of, I hate to say it, a direct rip from that movie at the end, nobody really knows what they were fighting about. Later, Bohannon is beaten unconscious by Jessup and Heckard. Guns Akimbo: What he prefers. He became a member of the Cavalry and quickly rose to the rank of Colonel where he served under the command of General Nathan Beford Forest. He later shows Delaney and Durant his plans on how to reach the mountain summit, but he needs men to refit the shovel. Campbell refuses until the town's lawlessness is curbed. There have been many approaches to this, but this was the moment when the son had been anointed by the president to supersede his father. The top of Bohannon's hat is flat, however it is dished down in one episode in the T.V. Thats the take we ended up using in the final version. A majority, if not all movies or TV shows based on real-life events tend to exaggerate, adding or removing some parts as they deem fit, except for the latest conjuring movie; No, really, it was pretty much accurate- even the real Lorraine Rita Warren said so. Then as I say, the story moved in a different direction. His horse is suddenly frightened and kicks its rear leg. Bohannon send Mei off to Cheyenne for safety, but gets a telegraph from her, who is in Washoe City, Nevada saying that Chang has attacked and is attempting to kill her. Although they lived a happier life with the Mohave people, a famine would later claim the life of her sister and some member of the group. Bohannon later leaves revenge in the past and becomes a "railroad man". Huntington counters by saying China is the future, and Bohannon should think beyond completing the railroad. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. She disagrees and says she killed him simply in revenge. As both railroads near the end, The Union Pacific has ten miles left, while the Central Pacific has only six. Meanwhile, Thomas "Doc" Durant gives an inspiring speech about building the Transcontinental Railroad to a group of prominent Americans, including Senator Jordan Crane (James D. Hopkin). He agrees. "Hell on Wheels" or "Pilot" is the pilot and first episode of the first season of American television drama series of the same name, which premiered November 6, 2011, on AMC in the United States and on TCM in the UK. The pilot episode was filmed entirely in Alberta, Canada, with assistance from the provincial government of Alberta's film-development program. The couple fell in love and married at Christ Church, New York in 1856. Bohannon designs water cars and sleeping cars to keep his workers sheltered and watered while working the railroad, things go smoothly until they hit several rough patches. Bohannon was an ex-soldier who became part of the railroad to find the Union soldiers responsible for the murder of his wife and son. Upon arrival, Young considers Bohannon an apostate for returning the "gifts" God has given him to die "a lonely, wretched thing". The other possibility, and knowing the actress, is she sticks to her guns and she is who she is and she never marries because thats not who Louise is. He discovered that Mary had been raped and hung on the porch while Joshua was burned alive alongside Bethel in the barn. Looks especially cool when he's carrying two pearl-handled revolvers from Mexico. Its really a pretty exquisite moment. Instead, Bohannon later unhooks the rail-car with the prisoners, as they use a key he gave Mickey to escape their shackles. Recently on the AMC drama, the character of Elam (played since Day 1 by the rapper/actor Common) resurfaced after having been presumed dead as the result of a Season 3-ending bear attack. I came on the show at the third season, and it was sort of, Theres a new sheriff in town thought. Yahoo TV spoke separately to Mount and showrunner John Wirth about the series finales most pivotal scene Cullen in the confessional, a callback to the pilot and, in the case of Wirth, about whether the writers ever thought about killing Bohannon (yes) and the fates of some of our other favorite characters (Eva literally rode off into the sunset!). What did you envision for Psalms (Dohn Norwood)?Wirth: Psalms is a railroad man. He says to the confessor, "Tell me about Meridian." Durant managed to work his way up the hierarchy in the construction of the rail lines, becoming one of the major shareholders. Bohannon warns him that he asked as a gentleman, then retrieves his gun from his tent. Delaney affords him ten. Cullen Bohannon ( Anson Mount) continues to use a Colt 1860 Army as his primary sidearm in "Viva La Mexico" (S2E01) as he did for much of the first season. Heart attack - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic Yes. Chang and Bohannon arrive in Truckee with more Chinamen to employ and items for the Empress festival. Anson Mount was outstanding as the hero/anti-hero Bohannon. Of course, other characters had decisions to make, too. Mickey manages to get himself arrested and lies to Sydney, saying the plan will occur as the men are being loaded onto the train. Not to mention the fact that his own life was yet again at a crossroads: Was he going to dedicate the rest of his life to the service of Abraham Lincolns country now being run by General Grant, or was he going to pursue his heart? When slavery was outlawed in 1865, Fields and other slaves were freed, and she went on to work for Judge Edmund Dunne. Rather, Johnson claims "the sergeant" strangled Bohannon's wife and hung her to cover up the murder, but Johnson refuses to grant Bohannon's request to name the sergeant. Once on board, Bohannon reveals his identity to Elam and saves his life, making it look like Elam got the drop on him, forcing him to flee without the money. The following are some more facts about Durant and his involvement in the construction of the rail line; John Stephen "Jack" Casement is represented as Cullen Bohannon in Hell on Wheels. The following are some facts about John S. Casement; Olive was born in Illinois in 1837 to a family of Mormons. The abduction of Elam and Eva's daughter calls for the whole town to search for the child, putting them behind schedule by about 2 weeks. Tonight marked the end of AMC's "Hell on Wheels," and with that the story of Cullen Bohannon as told on screen. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. They dig out the bullets, even going as far as to amputate his leg. This effectively leaves Bohannon and Lily Bell in charge of operations of the railroad, and they grow close during this time and even sleep together. 10 Little-Known Facts About The Hell on Wheels Cast - Screen Rant Our guys had a hell of a lot of fun doing it. Did you consider any other option for her?Wirth: Personally, Robin McLeavy scares me. Hell on Wheels (Hell on Wheels episode) - Wikipedia You can really only understand that scene if you understand the scene that its cut against, which is all of the fat cats who came out for the ceremonial pounding of the golden spike who had considerably less to do with the building of the railroad than the men who actually pounded those spikes into the ground, the guys who actually did the work who were not invited to the ceremony. We started thinking about her and the character she was based on, Olive Oatman, and just the incredible human spirit that she is in order to go through everything she went through the slaughter of her family, her captivity by Indian tribes, getting sold to the army, having to work as a prostitute because she was marked, her isolation from regular normal society. Watch our June 8 Facebook Live chat with Anson Mount. For those likewise having palpitations, our beloved Peter Cullen isn't dead. Railroad Foreman A young Union soldier (Tom Carey) enters a church in Washington, D.C. to confess his sins. The term Hell On Wheels was used to describe the ever moving rail workers and camp followers (who provided such services as prostitution, gambling, and liquor among others) as John Casement as his crew pushed across the tough plains. Smith while Naomi has his child. Bohannan also appears to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or as he describes it, "the soldier's heart". The episode was written by developers Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton, and directed by David Von Ancken. Bohannon sought revenge and journeyed out west, tracking and hunting down each member responsible for his familys murder which eventually brought him to the mobile encampment known as "Hell On Wheels". Wirth: What Im thinking about now, as youre asking me about the decisions we made in terms of ending the stories for each of these characters, is it all started with going back to the beginning. Bohannon's attempt to have Sydney release the freedmen fails, resulting in a jail-break plot with Delaney and Mickey. Bohannon then goes to the church where he killed a man in the first episode, and a priest asks if he seeks salvation. Cullen's Confederate uniform consisted of a three stripes collar badge and his coat sleeve bore two gold braid Austrian knots which identify him as the rank of Captain. Arriving at the Hell on Wheels encampment, Bohannon seeks work from Foreman Daniel Johnson (Ted Levine), and though Bohannon has no experience in railroad work, Johnson hires him as a "walking boss" after learning Bohannon had owned slaves before the Civil War. I thought that this was a really appropriate way to tell the story of what the workers were going through. After evading Louise's questions about his future, Bohannon drunkenly collapses in his train car, reflecting on all that he has lost. Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery | cdc.gov The tunnel is later completed, and Chang becomes suspicious when he catches Bohannon exiting Fong's tent. We considered it pretty seriously for sometime. ("Timshel") David Von Ancken, who directed the episode, and Brent Woolsey, our stunt coordinator, figured out pretty precisely what it was they wanted. The episode ends before he gives an answer, leaving us in question as to whether or not he took on the job. The real people of Hell On Wheels : r/Hell_On_Wheels - Reddit Bohannon buries her. [1] Critical reception of the pilot was mediocre. When his former robbery compatriots arrive in Hell on Wheels to rob the payroll directly from the railway office safe, Durant ends up wounded by gunshot and heads to Chigaco for treatment. Colm Meaney as Thomas Durant (Michelle Faye/AMC). Johnson introduces Bohannon to the "cut crew" - the men who dig the trail for the rails to be laid in - which is predominantly black. That's fine, probably take a devil to finish this road. While he manages to dissuade a Chinese general from looking for her, she leaves to return to China but writes him a note in Chinese. He also arrest Durant for not paying their bonds. Anson Mount was outstanding as the hero/anti-hero Bohannon. Lily: You know how people talk. Mei tells Bohannon that she will still be hunted and doesn't want that life for him. When Cullen sees that bullet hole [that he made at the start of the series], he is suddenly confronted with the entire arc of his journey on this railroad. The show has five seasons which is about the same time it took to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. The two come up with a rouse that will show the bishop for who he really is. Anson Mount as Cullen Bohannon (Michelle Faye/AMC). Believe it or not we have actually made this hat for almost 30 years! She kills the brave, in self-defense, and takes Robert's maps, which show the route through the Rocky Mountains discovered by the team, and flees into the woods. Upon returning to Cheyenne, Bohannon discovers Campbell has made Snow a marshall to help replace his murdered ones and has had all the freedman and most of the other railroad workers arrested due to Durant not having paid their bonds. It is also the Mohave people who tattooed Olive and her sister (on their chins). Do you wish to be saved? Hes crying, but hes laughing. Robert urges Lily to return to Chicago, as they are entering hostile Cheyenne territory, but he is ill, and she refuses to leave him. Done. Bohannon learns that Mei took on the guise of Fong in order to escape a forced marriage to the rebel leader who burned their village in China, and that if Chang were to recognize her, he would inform the rebel leaders in China of her location. James Strobridge, the railroad superintendent, teaches the Bohannon how to make the bombs and the Chinese how to make blasting caps, but does not agree with the usage of the dangerous material, as that is how he lost his eye. For instance, the main character, Cullen Bohannon, is an ex-Confederate soldier. Elam Ferguson (Common) aids him to get drinking water, but before they can return to the cut, Johnson arrives on horseback. Bohannon returns to Cheyenne with Durant, Mickey, and the freedmen. Was it all perfectly choreographed beforehand or was there any kind of improvisation happening on set?Wirth: It was pretty well choreographed, but there was some improv. Durant offers Bohannon a partnership in exchange for helping him explain to the board why Durant oversold the mileage to to them. While working with the cut crew Bohannon saves the rail crew when Delaney uses more than enough blasting powder on the hill, which contains methane-infused shale. Central Pacific Railroad Stake Holder & Chief Engineer United States Army Colonel (4th Cavalry Regiment), Mrs Bohannon- Mother (deceased) Hes dressed like Cullen. Cullen Bohannon | Hell on wheels Wiki | Fandom Afterward, the two ride into the Hell on Wheels camp, to set up their church. They later participated in The Beefsteak Raid as as part of the Siege of Petersburg where they managed to steal 3,000 head from under Ulysses S. Grant's nose and feasted like kings for a month. We envisioned that Mickey would become a labor leader as he went through the next several years of his life. "[4], The pilot premiered on November 6, 2011. How does he get married in 1957 if he was born in 1827, that makes him 120 years old. Bohannon leaves the Union Pacific and rides to Fort Smith to be with his family. He convinces them to give him the railroad, and they hire him as Chief Engineer, though they only pay him in Union Pacific stock. Cullen once became acquainted with a fellow soldier named Sydney Snow of the 18th Virginia Regiment and the pair fought together in The Battle of LaFourche Crossing In June 1964, where they discovered a Union medical train in Virginia and massacred the defenseless passengers including the doctors. On 17th September 1862, Cullen was present at The Battle of Antietam. All of his enthusiasm for the project, his bullying of members of Congress, his bribing of members of Congress, his powers of persuasion to get people to commit money to the enterprise when it seemed like the craziest thing in the world without somebody like that, nothing gets done. Wirth: Its interesting. Heart attack signs and symptoms in men and women: Chest pain or discomfort; Shortness of breath; Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder; Feeling nauseous, light-headed, or unusually tired. Bohannon publicly confesses his own past crimes, while also revealing the bishop to not be who he claims to be. Bohannon manages to shoot The Swede in the side and fire shots in the air to bring soldiers. John Casement was born in Geneva in 1829. Though he was almost completely stoic during the story, he was heartbroken when she left. Bohannon returns to the Hatch farm to be with his family, only to realize that, Naomi has remarried the farmhand Isaac Vinson. However Strobridge has taken both the Irish and Chinese workers in as miners. Bohannon agrees to become Chief of Railroad Security again in order to appease Campbell into letting the men work again. Deep in the Nebraska Territory, surveyor Robert Bell (Robert Moloney) plots the railroad's path, with a small surveying team that includes his wife, Lily (Dominique McElligott). Although the death was unintentional, Johnson tells his workers, "This is what happens when you break my rules.". Naomi tells Bohannon that she will not return to Cheyenne nor to him, if he remains a killer. Bohannon declines and works with Lily to keep the railroad going and push out Durant to the feds. Within the last few miles, the Chinese return to help Bohannon, while Durant's urgings cause Psalms and the freedmen to switch teams. This would result in a great deal of power and money for Bohannon but also risks Bohannon meeting the same fate as Durant in the form of jail sentence. Bohannon and family arrive in Cheyenne. Before you know it, theres a big barroom brawl in the bunkhouse. As the Mormon residents of Fort Smith realize the bishop is not who he says he is, Bohannon leaves with his family for Cheyenne. I lost everybody I ever had. As a young adult, Cullen eventually inherited his family's tobacco farm and retained all of the five slaves attached to the property. Some heart attacks strike suddenly. When he arrives he is waterboarded and tortured into giving them the names of the other robbers involved. Bohannon warns Aaron Hatch about the "Bishop" who is really the Swede, and having seen a few odd actions and things the bishop has done, Hatch becomes suspicious as well. After the baby is born, the bishop blocks Bohannon's departure, when he states he is taking Naomi and baby William with him. Most notable at the end was the developing love story between Cullen & Mei. Huntington pays him to start tracking down "fresh Chinamen" for hire. Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 12 recap - Channel Guide Magazine He died at North Creek, New York, on October 15, 1885. He then tracked down Private Buckton Prescott in a church in Washington D.C where he posed as a priest in a confessional. She mentions his needing rest, and he sends her back to the tent. At one point, I thought it would be funny if you had a guy who was being buffeted around the fight, who really had nothing to do with it, who hadnt thrown a punch, so they grabbed onto that idea and they put a guy in the middle of it. Despite the strained relationship between Cullen and Mary, they have a son, Joshua Bohannon, together. He agrees to stay while Elam helps complete the railroad by the deadline in Cheyenne. At the meeting Huntington asks Bohannon to mislead the president on their progress, as the President trusts Bohannon, Durant asks Bohannon to come back to the UP, even though he swore he would never take him back if he left again, and Young asks Bohannon to push for the railroad hub to be in Salt Lake City.