TV Review: HELL ON WHEELS 1.6, "Pride, Pomp and Circumstance"
Cullen Bohannon is one of the most frustratingly written characters ever to serve as the protagonist of a television drama...
rating: 2
Cullen Bohannon is one of the most frustratingly written characters ever to serve as the protagonist of a television drama. Hes a walking contradiction a man that constantly claims he has little stake in anything yet still manages to consistently become involved in everything. Take this weeks episode, for instance. Pride, Pomp and Circumstance heavily revolves around the peace talks between the leaders of the Cheyenne tribe and the higher-ups involved in the transcontinental railroad project. Following a race between a tribesmen on horseback and the train he predicted he would beat the peace talks fail, escalating the threat of war the show has held in the backdrop since its start. But thats not whats important here. Whats important is how Cullen Bohannon factors into all of this. Not once, but twice in the episode, Bohannon makes it a point to show just how much he doesnt care. He mentions to Elam that he knows the fight between them was a fraud Elams win was the result of his fist wraps being covered in pepper juice. Then, as quickly as Bohannon mentions this, he walks away, unconcerned with letting this truth be widely known and without any desire for a rematch. This is despite the fact that just last week, moments before the aforementioned match, he explicitly stated his desire to end Elams constant challenging of authority by delivering him a very public beat down. But lets get back to the Cheyenne storyline. This is a plot thread that, by default, should have very little to do with Bohannon. Which makes his involvement with it all the more forced. Hes recruited by Reverend Cole to act as protection for the incoming tribesmen, a role that has him constantly watching would-be disruptors for the entirety of the episode. But for what gain does Bohannon agree to any of this in the first place? His sole relationship to Cole has been one of avoidance Cole has been nothing more than a minor annoyance to him throughout the entirety of the series. Why go through such effort to honor a request of the man? And worse yet, when Lily Bell nearly destroys the peace after discovering one of the tribeswomen is wearing her late husbands hat, Bohannon goes to great lengths to stop her from inciting war all while stressing to Bell he has no stake in the consequences. And lets not forget that the one thing Bohannon is supposed to care about avenging his wifes death has been on the backburner since virtually the start of the series. Given all of this, the question to the Hell on Wheels writing staff is simple what, exactly, is Cullen Bohannon supposed to be? Right now, hes everything and nothing all at once. He could care less. He couldnt care more. Hes a hero. Hes a has-been. Hes amoral. He has morals. The list goes on and on. Id say hes whatever the writers want him to be, but Im not entirely sure they know, either. Whatever the case, allowing what is supposed to be the central element of a show its protagonist be so wildly inconsistent is a problem that can only lead to deeper, more disastrous issues as the show continues on. For a story to truly succeed, it needs a strong protagonist to anchor itself on. Right now, Hell on Wheels doesnt.