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"Timshel" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American
television drama series In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...
''
Hell on Wheels Hell on Wheels was the itinerant collection of flimsily assembled gambling houses, dance halls, saloons, and brothels that followed the army of Union Pacific railroad workers westward as they constructed the First transcontinental railroad in 186 ...
'', which aired on January 8, 2012, on
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...
. It is written and directed by
John Shiban John Shiban is an American television writer and producer. He worked in both capacities on ''The X-Files'' and its spin-off ''The Lone Gunmen'', ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', ''Smallville'', ''Supernatural'', ''Legend of the Seeker'', ''Breaking Bad' ...
. In the episode, Cullen Bohannon (
Anson Mount Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series ''Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marvel Co ...
) and the search party find the
Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...
who attacked the surveyor's camp and later derailed a train; Elam (
Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...
) and Eva (
Robin McLeavy Robin McLeavy (born 19 June 1981) is an Australian actress. Early life McLeavy is from Sydney, Australia. She graduated from NIDA in 2004. Career McLeavy starred as Lola Stone in the critically acclaimed Australian horror film, '' The Loved ...
) discuss their future, before getting a strange visitor; and the railroad crew reaches the important 40-mile mark. The episode title has several meanings – from the
Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...
song of the same name, which was heard in the episode, to the actual
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
word translation of man's triumph over
sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...
.


Plot

The Cheyenne renegades attack Cullen and the search party. Bow and arrows and gunfire quickly become a
melee A melee ( or , French: mêlée ) or pell-mell is disorganized hand-to-hand combat in battles fought at abnormally close range with little central control once it starts. In military aviation, a melee has been defined as " air battle in which ...
. Joseph (
Eddie Spears Edward Spears (born November 29, 1982) is an American actor. He is a member of the Kul Wicasa Oyate Lakota (often called "Sioux") Lower Brulé Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. Early life Spears was born in Chamberlain, South Dakota on the Lower Br ...
) rescues Griggs (
Ty Olsson Ty Olsson (born January 28, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Benny Lafitte in ''Supernatural'', real-life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television film '' Flight 93'', and Ord in the PBS Kids animated children's series '' ...
) from Pawnee Killer (Gerald Auger), who moves to kill Griggs, after a young brave had been killed. Pawnee Killer flees into the woods but is shot dead by Joseph with an arrow. The natives are defeated. Griggs aims to resume tracking the Cheyenne villagers, but no one else wants to continue helping him. Joseph and Elam agree that Durant will want proof of victory. They suggest taking the natives' scalps. Cullen declines, but Elam accepts, knowing Durant's $20-per-head bounty.
Thomas C. Durant Thomas Clark Durant (February 6, 1820 – October 5, 1885) was an American physician, businessman, and financier. He was vice-president of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1869 when it met with the Central Pacific railroad at Promontory Sum ...
(
Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ga, Colm Ó Maonaigh; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor known for playing Miles O'Brien in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He has guest-starred on many T ...
) then enlists Elam to do things "off the books." Joseph wants to honor his brother's death by burning his body in a funeral
pyre A pyre ( grc, πυρά; ''pyrá'', from , ''pyr'', "fire"), also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon or under the ...
. The ritual is attended by his father, Chief Many Horses (
Wes Studi Wesley Studi ( chr, ᏪᏌ ᏍᏚᏗ; born December 17, 1947) is a Native American (Cherokee Nation) actor and film producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and awards throughout his career, particularly for his portrayal of Native Americans ...
), who says he mourns the loss of both of his sons, admitting that losing Joseph to the "white man" hurts him more. The McGinnes Brother's theater is back in business with newly acquired pornographic slides. Bohannon affirms his suspicions that his boxing match had been fixed and is offered a bounty of $100 by Sean McGinnes (
Ben Esler Ben Esler (born 1982) is an Australian actor and screenwriter, best known for playing Sean McGinnes in the AMC television series ''Hell on Wheels'', as well as for his role as war hero Chuck Tatum in HBO's '' The Pacific''. Esler is a writer ...
) to kill the Swede. Meanwhile, Elam and Eva cuddle in his tent, discussing their future, when Mr. Toole (Duncan Ollerenshaw) calls to him outside. Toole, his head draped in cloth, is still alive, after the bullet Elam fired into his mouth exited out the back of his neck. Toole begs for forgiveness, and Elam insists that he apologizes instead to Eva. Durant witnesses the Swede (
Christopher Heyerdahl Christopher Heyerdahl (born September 18, 1963) is a Canadian actor who portrayed Alastair in '' Supernatural,'' the Wraith Todd in ''Stargate Atlantis'', Sam in ''Van Helsing,'' "Swede" in ''Hell on Wheels,'' and Marcus in '' The Twilight Saga ...
) conspiring outside his railcar about the man the
Pinkertons Pinkerton is a private security guard and detective agency established around 1850 in the United States by Scottish-born cooper Allan Pinkerton and Chicago attorney Edward Rucker as the North-Western Police Agency, which later became Pinker ...
located. The Swede later enters the bar and proposes a toast to Bohannon and his company for bravely slaying the Indians. Bohannon instead rallies the bar to hit their 40-mile mark, which they accomplish triumphantly the following day. The camp celebrates, including Lily (
Dominique McElligott Dominique McElligott (born March 5, 1986) is an Irish actress. She has appeared as a series regular on ''Raw'' (2008), ''Hell on Wheels'' (2011–2012), ''The Astronaut Wives Club'' (2015), ''House of Cards'' (2016–2017), ''The Last Tycoon'' (2 ...
) who orders a
brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
with Bohannon at the bar. Durant sees them and interrupts to tell Bohannon that he's offering him a "bonus" – information that the Swede is plotting against him, by sending telegrams to the authorities with evidence of Bohannon's past murders. Joseph returns to the church where Ruth (
Kasha Kropinski Kasha Kropinski (born Katarzynka Kropiński 1991) is a South African actress and a classical ballerina. Personal life Kasha was born in South Africa, the daughter of Jacek Kropiński and Debbie Cochrane. Jacek is a filmmaker and Debbie is a for ...
) consoles him over the death of his brother. The two kiss by
lantern A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and h ...
-light. Meanwhile, Griggs returns to the camp, intent on killing Joseph, but finds only Reverend Cole (
Tom Noonan Tom Noonan (born April 12, 1951) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter, best known for his roles as Francis Dolarhyde in '' Manhunter'' (1986), Frankenstein's Monster in ''The Monster Squad'' (1987), Cain in ''RoboCop 2'' (1990), The ...
). The reverend pleads for Griggs's forgiveness of Joseph, but Griggs insists that Joseph be killed. As Griggs turns to leave, the reverend removes the soldier's sword and chops off his head.


Notes

The episode's title has several usages. "Timshel" is a song on the album '' Sigh No More '' by the group
Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...
. The song plays during the episode's opening battle. "Timshel" or "timshol" (תימשל) is also a Hebrew word which has different translations, including "thou will rule," "thou can rule," or the more proper "thou mayest rule."


Reception

Sean McKenna of TV Fanatic rated the episode with 4 out of 5 stars, saying "'Timshel' was a rather enjoyable piece, touching on all of the major characters." However,
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
's Phil Nugent rated the episode a D, stating that ''Hell On Wheels'' "is the work of hacks, people whose lack of personal obsession and conflicted emotions render it an ambiguity-free zone." The ninth episode was watched by 2.29 million viewers and had a 0.7 rating with the 18–49 age range – the series' third-lowest viewership of the season.


References


External links

*
TV.com: Timshel

TV Guide: Timshel
{{Hell on Wheels 2011 American television episodes Hell on Wheels (TV series) episodes