Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Hell on Wheels. You have been warned.
In a strange move, this entire episode did not feature Cullen, and focused solely on the aftermath of the kidnapping from last week. The episode was focused primarily on Mickey, with a good bit of Durant as well. I like both characters, but we see so little of them these days on the show, it was just a little strange to see an entire episode focused on them, especially this late in the game. After this episode, there is only three episodes left, and we get nothing of Cullen? Seems like a weird choice for me, but just keeps furthering my thoughts on where this show is headed...anyway, on to the show.
The episode starts with a flash forward, showing Durant some years after the events of the show, and it looks like he is a bit down on his luck. He's selling a ring to make some cash, and then he goes to dinner with Huntington. Durant insists on picking up the check, and it becomes clear it is more than he really should be spending. He goes back to his home by himself, and apparently passes out or possibly just died alone. It wasn't very clear which, but I do think we can assume that Durant is going to likely die alone with all the enemies he has made over the course of the show, so I guess we will go with that.
Back to the current time of the show, and we are seeing the fallout from the botched kidnapping job from last week. Everyone is discussing what the best course of action is, while Mickey is talking to his cousin about how he messed up. We also get to see an old face, as Campbell shows up to deal with the problems going on. He says they won't negotiate, and sends out a search party to try to find Durant.
Meanwhile, Mickey comes up with a scheme of his own, telling Durant to trust him. They just have to give Campbell no other option but to pay the ransom. When the search party shows up at the cabin where Durant is being "held," a trap has been set and the building blows up when they enter. Another ransom note is left, telling them that they have to pay $250,000 or they will return Durant's dead body. Campbell agrees to pay the ransom, but is on to Mickey, as he has him followed.
Eva has also figured it out, and goes to talk to Mickey. She says that she knows he is involved, and Mickey tells her what he did. She tells him that he has to kill his cousin before anything else bad happens, which makes Mickey angry, probably because he knows she is right. Mickey goes to Campbell and tells him that he thinks his cousin may have been the one to take Durant, leaving his own part out of the story. Mickey returns to where his cousin is keeping Durant and tells him that he told Campbell. He says they should take the money and go back to Ireland.
Back at town, Louise tells Maggie that Durant was lying to her, and thinks that Durant set the whole thing up. This causes Campbell to hold off on paying the ransom, calling Durant's bluff. Telling the soldiers to bring Mickey to him, it is discovered that Mickey has left town and now everyone knows he is in on it.
Mickey tells Durant what he is planning on doing, and then Maggie shows up with $50,000 to take Durant back. Maggie realizes that it's Mickey, Durant takes advantage of the situation to try to get loose. In the process, Maggie gets shot, and Mickey kills his cousin. Maggie dies in Durant's arms, which is the ultimate sacrifice for all of his schemes.
Durant and Mickey return to town, and fabricate a story about what happened. Campbell asks Durant why Mickey's cousin didn't kill him as well, and Durant just says he doesn't know why. With nothing definitive, Campbell has no choice but to let Durant go. As Durant leaves, Campbell tells him that Maggie sold her hotel to save Durant. Durant doesn't respond, just walks out. Mickey goes to Eva and tells her that he did what she said he should do. And then they do the business, because that seems to be the answer to everything on this show in this final season.
The episode was okay, and it really showed that nobody in this show gets to have a happy ending, as everything just keeps getting worse for everyone. Even though Cullen was nowhere to be found, we still got to see Durant lose the only good thing left in his life, all because of his own stupidity. And we get to see Mickey fall apart of sorts, as he had to kill his cousin and live with the consequences of his own actions. But now, I wonder why the episode happened at all. The kidnapping, and then this episode entirely, seem like side notes that could have happened several seasons ago even, not at almost the end of the series. I don't feel that these characters need fleshed out more, instead, they need to have their final resolutions put in place, and I don't think this episode was that. Three episodes to go, and I continue to say "we will see what happens," but I feel that this excuse is starting to get old. The last three episodes can't get here quick enough, so I can finally see where all this is headed and I can move on. And no, I don't mean any of that in a good way at this point.
My rating for the episode is 6/10
No comments:
Post a Comment