Hell on Wheels 4.9: High Noon

One of the best things about Hell on Wheels this - it's 4th - year is the way it has retrieved so much that was great about the classic Western.  The prime example before tonight was the episode that introduced Sidney Snow - or, to be more precise, the brilliant spaghetti Western beginning of that episode.

Tonight's whole episode 4.9 was just as good, and brought back shades of High Noon to the screen.   Cullen is one man against a bunch of tough bad guys, working for the evil Campbell, and led by his new marshall, the same Sydney Snow.  The wise move would be to leave town.  But Cullen is able to put together a stunning counter-strategy that beats Snow and releases the men Cullen needs to move the railroad, including Durant.

Even Louise plays a decisive role, bedding Campbell to distract him while Cullen puts together his plan.  Given that Louise is gay, this a laudable sacrifice, indeed.  Mickey also is fabulous, getting himself nearly beaten to death to smuggle in a key to the prisoners.  Although I figured Mickey was up to something more than getting beaten, the outcome was still satisfying to see.

But I guess my favorite part was the unveiling of the gatling gun, which gave Cullen's forces the decisive and winning edge.  I was glad to see that guy with the beard - one of Campbell's henchmen - get just what he deserved.   Just the sight of his face got my blood boiling.

Season 4 continues to be the best season of Hell on Wheels - best by far, at this point.   And there's more to come, with Sydney still on the loose, and Campbell still in power back in Cheyenne.  This may take U. S. Grant to straighten it out, and I'm looking forward.

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

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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How to Survive the End of the World on Nat Geo: from Biosphere to Frozen Earth

Hey, in case you missed the second episode last night in National Geographic Channel's six-part series How to Survive the End of the World - "Hell on Earth" - it will be rebroadcast this Saturday night (December 21) along with the first episode, "Zombie Earth".

I got to say a few words on "Hell on Earth" about how biospheres - self-contained, fully-enclosed environments, with their own living systems producing recycling air, water, and food - could be a way of helping a small number of people survive the volcanic ash which would cover the Earth in the end-of-the-world Hell on Earth scenario.  And I actually did have some passing experience with the Biosphere 2 out in Arizona in the 1990s  - a real not hypothetical biosphere - having worked on other projects with one of the Biosphere 2's early bio-planners, Carl Hodges.  The system was indeed mainly funded not by the government but a billionaire - Ed Bass - as I suggested on the show last night (see clips below).   And it indeed partially failed, but mainly due to problems in keeping the oxygen at proper levels, and other ecological issues, and not because the inhabitants fell to fighting (though there were some intellectual disagreements among the inhabitants).

Dave Bartell did his customary good job of commenting.  It was good to see him in the bunker last night, but we've once again gone to separate locations deep in the bedrock of Brooklyn, and will be back, with any luck, when the next episode, "Frozen Earth," airs on January 2, but a new time, 9 instead of 10pm Eastern.   See you then!




See also How to Survive the End of the World on National Geographic and How to Survive the End of the World: The Story Continues

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from Evacuate Earth (2012) and Zombie Earth (2013





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