Hell on Wheels 4.10: A Tale of Two Sicko Killers

Most shows have one sicko killer - or, if more than one, two or more working together.  Leave it to Hell on Wheels to have two, totally separate, each on the verge of murdering and sometimes doing just that, and, somehow, managing to survive.   Hell on Wheels 4.10 could have been titled a tale of two sicko killers.

We knew we'd be seeing more of Sidney - why else have him escape the justice of the gatling last week?  We also knew he'd challenge Cullen again, and likely do some killing in process.  We didn't know he'd kill Ezra - not deliberately, but in the depravity of setting fire to a church full of people. That in itself, the death of Ezra, made this episode of Hell on Wheels a tragically memorable episode, in a series of such throughout the seasons, beginning most notably with the murder of Lily by the Swede, aka, I"m Norwegian!"

Ruth's shooting Sidney as Cullen was trying to arrest him - with Sidney's gun drawn on Cullen - was satisfying and motivated.  What I don't get is why didn't she put another bullet into Sidney and rid the world of this high-style sicko?   Or, why not have Sidney die of the two shots he received, right there?   Possibly the story is leaving it to Cullen to ultimately end it for Sidney - by giving him the hanging which introduced him to our story a bunch of episodes ago - but I still find Ruth's not pumping another shot into Sidney surprising, given the anguish she's feeling over the death of Ezra.

Meanwhile, the Swede's still living a charmed life, disobeying Brigham Young at just about every turn, and receiving little more than a slap in the face for it.   The Swede had his hand on his razor, and might have used it against the Mormon leader, but real history couldn't allow this - Brigham Young died of natural causes, cholera and its complications, in a bed in Salt Lake City.  And the Swede looks as if he's set to go back to the railroad, which sets up the rest of this or maybe next season for an ultimate confrontation with Cullen.

I'm hoping it's this season, as the Swede is even more reprehensible than Snow - the Swede is a killer with no sense of humor, driven entirely by his inner demented demons.   You can judge fiction by the power of its villains, and challenge they pose to our heroes.  At this point, Hell on Wheels has two - well, maybe three, if we include Campbell - and I'm looking forward in November to seeing them get their just deserts.

See also Hell on Wheels 4.1-2: Rolling Again ... Hell on Wheels 4.5: New Blood ... Hell on Wheels 4.6: Bear and Sanity ... Hell on Wheels 4.7: Why? ... Hell on Wheels 4.8: Aftermath and Rebound ... Hell on Wheels 4.9: High Noon

And see also Hell on Wheels 3.1-2: Bohannan in Command ... Hell on Wheels 3.3: Talking and Walking ... Hell on Wheels 3.4: Extreme Lacrosse ... Hell on Wheels 3.5: The Glove ... Hell on Wheels 3.6: The Man in Charge ...Hell on Wheels 3.7: Water, Water ... Hell on Wheels 3.8: Canterbury Tales ...Hell on Wheels 3.9: Shoot-Out and Truths ... Hell on Wheels Season 3 finale: Train Calling in the Distance

And see also  Hell on Wheels: Blood, Sweat, and Tears on the Track, and the Telegraph ... Hell on Wheels 1.6: Horse vs. Rail ... Hell on Wheels 1.8: Multiple Tracks ... Hell on Wheels 1.9: Historical Inevitable and Unknown ... Hell on Wheels Season One Finale: Greek Tragedy, Western Style

 
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