Hell On Wheels Preview: The Railroad Gang Takes On Cheyenne

AMC’s Hell on Wheels has developed enough of a fanbase that it nabbed a Season 4 renewal, and if you haven’t been keeping up with the network’s historical drama, the latest installment is actually hitting the schedule tomorrow night. The railroad-based series was renewed last November, and this time around, the network is giving the series an increased episode order of 13 full episodes, guaranteeing the writers, producers and actors more freedom to play, work and survive in one of the toughest places on Earth. With Season 3 ending on several abrupt cliffhangers, there are a ton of plotlines to resolve in the very immediate future.

AMC’s historical drama Hell on Wheels began as a character-driven period piece following Cullen Bohanan’s move out west as part of a railroad crew with the intention of finding and eliminating the Union soldiers responsible for murdering his family. Joe and Tony Gayton’s series quickly became as much about the trials and tribulations of building a railroad as it became about a personal vendetta. Season 3 offered a look at many of the hazards and troubling aspects of life in the wild, ending with one possibly dead lead and another stuck in a creepy Mormon commune. With a cholera outbreak also taking precedence during the latter half of the season, the real question leading into Season 4 is when Hell on Wheels plans to actually get back to the rails.

It doesn’t look like it will happen immediately. While the building of the railroad has gotten back on track, a new video from AMC shows the makeshift tent town will settle down at Cheyenne and will develop a few more feelings of permanence during the new season. Take a look behind the scenes and learn a little about the future below...

It seems as if the city of Cheyenne will become almost a character this season. In addition to the hotel we saw last year, the bustling metropolis will now boast a casino, a bar, a railroad office, a bank, a freight depot, a train station and more. That will definitely change the pacing of the show and probably even the overall feel, but going into Season 4, that’s probably a good idea. Hell On Wheels is a great show, but watching people built a railroad is only so interesting. It’s time for change. It looks like we’re going to get it.

Hell on Wheels premieres tonight at 9/8 CT on AMC.