Probably the best thing that could have happened to Hell on Wheels is the show setting an end date. When AMC announced a few weeks ago that Hell on Wheels would have a final season—and since this is AMC, this final season would naturally be split up over two years—I was excited because of the urgency this would give the show. Hell on Wheels has had its share of meandering episodes, almost as if the series didn’t know what to do with the amount of episodes that had been ordered. Now, it’s time to finally wind down.
Season Four of Hell on Wheels seems like it’s been all about getting Cullen Bohannan back to a place of solitude—back where he started out. Even though the season began with Cullen getting married and having a new son, he soon sent them away from him. In the past few episodes, Cullen had to murder his best friend Elam “Bear Man” Ferguson, and watch his unrequited love, Ruth, head to the gallows. It’s been a rough season for Cullen, so it’s no wonder that at the end of last week’s episode, he wanted to quit the Union Pacific and start a new beginning. “Further West” is the fantastic new start for Cullen, which just so happens to also be the beginning of the end.
This episode is a great parallel to the pilot of the series, but instead of everyone arriving to the camp, everyone is now leaving. Campbell kicks out Mickey, and Eva leaves with him to watch over his corral of prostitutes. Campbell and Doc fight over the last piece of Cheyenne Campbell doesn’t own: The Chicken Hill, with Doc finally losing the last piece of property in the territory he owned. Cheyenne is now a shell of what he once knew it to be, which is a great opportunity for a fresh start.