Over this season of Hell on Wheels, the show has proven two things: One, it’s a show that can produce compelling TV, regardless of what the first season implied. And two: Hell on Wheels is at its most fun when it decides to just go insane. “Purged Away With Blood” shows off both of its recently discovered skills in an episode that takes chances and makes interesting choices, both things Hell on Wheels hasn’t been known to do well, or at all.
“Purged Away With Blood” focuses on the train carrying Durant to Chicago after last week’s shootout. On the way to get medical attention, part of the tracks is blown up by the Sioux and led by Reverend Cole. He and the Swede (or “The White Spirit,” as the Sioux call him) have given the Sioux a whole cart of guns to fight back against the Hell on Wheels crew ruining their land. Cole wants Durant to publish his insane manifesto, filled with his ramblings like “the crimes of the guilty land can only by purged away by blood,” or Cole will kill everyone on the train. Before now, Cole has been fun drunk, stumbling around the camp, preaching to those who will listen. Now, he’s a deranged shell of who he used to be, ready to kill because he believes that’s what God wants him to do.
Durant has agreed to Cole’s demands, but instead he has his telegraph operator send it to Bohannan, Elam and Lily as a warning message. All three have their own reasons for saving the train. Bohannan’s last remaining friend from his train robbing days, Doc, is caring for Durant on the train. Doc is going to have men waiting to arrest and kill him when he gets to Chicago, as he still is a wanted man. Elam is worried about his baby mama Eva, as she is also on the train caring for Durant. Lily is actually the only one worried about Durant, as opposed to her thoughts on his last week. Durant has told Lily he wants to be a better husband and that when he gets back, sharing his bed with Lily will be over, making all three invested in saving those on the Cole train.
Lily of course wants to take the peaceful way, negotiating with them, but Bohannan wants to go in for the attack. When Bohannan’s attempt to negotiate ends with Cole stabbing a man completely through, Bohannan knows it’s on. As it seems like Durant is finally talking Cole down, Elam and Bohannan attack the train, killing everyone but Cole. He realizes he’s pretty much defeated, so he asks to see his children once again. Ruth and Joseph come to the train, and Ruth finally gives Cole her forgiveness for being a terrible father. However, when Cole tells Joseph all of his actions and his manifesto are his legacy to Joseph and that he still plans on killing everyone on the train, Joseph embraces him and stabs him with Bohannan’s knife.
By the time this ordeal is dealt with, the men have come to arrest Doc. The doc admits to Bohannan that he doesn’t want to die looking at the men coming to kill him and asks Bohannan to pull the trigger for him. Bohannan is shaken, uncertain on how to act. In a surprisingly effective ending, Bohannan—still not wanting to kill his friend—pulls the trigger.
This season has been ready to let the crazy fly and having Reverend Cole’s purging of the wicked was worth the wait. What’s more exciting is what Cole’s insanity has brought about to the Hell on Wheels camp. Bohannan still has no idea that Cole’s plan was actually egged on by The Swede, whose goal seems to just do everything in his power to bring Hell on Wheels down. Also with Durant done with Lily, maybe there will finally be something to the hinted-at romance between Bohannan and Lily. If this happens, maybe Bohannan will feel regret for moving on to someone else and be reminded of his ultimate goal to seek vengeance for his murdered family.
“Purged Away With Blood” also shows it can have its insanity and also have a touching story. The moments between Cole and Joseph have an emotional heft to them, as the son must kill a father he still loves, even after all his recent actions. There’s also some great moments between the doc and Bohannan. Bohannan is usually a man of action, always ready for a plan, so it’s great to see him unsure of what to do, not wanting to hurt those he actually cares about. It’s also rare for Hell on Wheels to make a huge choice the way it does here, killing Cole, rather than just running him out of town or something. HoW usually doesn’t make these kind of big decisions, so killing one of the show’s main characters is a breath of fresh air that rises the stakes in a show that has liked to play it safe.
But now that Reverend Cole is dead, does that the mean the insanity will slow down, or speed up with help from The Swede? Here’s hoping Hell on Wheels doesn’t stop the craziness that makes it compelling when it goes all in.