Hell on Wheels (2011–2016): Season 1, Episode 5 - Bread and Circuses - full transcript

MAN: It is good to make this sacrifice where
the sun can look down and see you.

It is a great privilege to dance with the sun.

The sacrifice will be hard,
but you are strong and brave.

You will not give up, as I did not give up

when my father brought me to this place.

(EXHALES DEEPLY)

Follow the sun all day and pray.

If you are strong and true,

your sacrifice will be rewarded
and you will have a vision.

(CHANTING)

MAN: Mighty fine job, Mr. Bohannon.



(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)

Ahem.

Ma'am.

It's not your manners, Mr. Bohannon.
It's your manner.

Beg your pardon?

Yesterday, when everyone
was running from the disaster,

you walked calmly in.

You are their hero, Mr. Bohannon.

Lily! I just heard from your father.
Everything is arranged.

I'm assuming you're here to see me?

Yes, sir.

Payroll didn't come in
on the train this morning.

Mr. Bohannon, one of the reasons
I spared your neck

was because I thought you
were a capable man. Was I mistaken?



No, sir, but the men are already grumbling
about not getting their pay last week, sir.

Yes, well, see the Swede about petty cash.

Mr. Durant, that won't cover the men's pay.

Of course not, you idiot.
It's for the walking bosses.

But keep quiet about it.
We don't want a riot on our hands.

So keep the men in line until you get
your money trouble sorted out.

My problems are no concern of yours,
Mr. Bohannon.

Actually, today, Mr. Durant,
your troubles are mine.

But y'all go have yourselves
a nice picnic, all right?

Reverend?

I can find someone else to help with this.

Just a moment to catch my breath.
(PANTING)

(MEN URGING HORSES)

MAN: Get the hell out of the way.

We need to ride out
and speak to Many Horses immediately.

My father's people
won't feel threatened by four men.

Well, these men are the eyes
of the Union Army.

The tip of the spear.

Let's go.

SEAN: Business has been slow, Mr. Swede.

We will pay you though.

- Yeah.
- We just need a little more time.

Well, thank you, gentlemen.

Thank you for telling me
that you are unable to pay what is owed.

I shall give you a little more time.

See, I told you Mr. Swede
was a reasonable man.

Yeah.

SEAN: No, you didn't.

(SPEAKING IN MOCK SWEDISH)

He just took one of our slides.

REVEREND: Are you sure we can find him?

Yes. But they're not going
to be happy to see us.

Why is that?

These rituals,
they're not meant for white man's eyes.

(MEN WHISTLING AND WHOOPING)

Father?

It's Ruth.

Your daughter.

What are you doing here?

Mother died.

I came to find you.

Well, we'll send you to the mission
in Council Bluffs.

They'll take care of you.

- The mission sent me here, they said...
- Yea.

You're not staying here.

I have nowhere else to go.

She can stay in the church tent.

At least till we get back.

I'll decide where you go when we return.
In the meantime, there's a bed in the back.

Thank you, Father.

How long has it been since you've seen her?

Twelve, fifteen years.

I don't exactly recollect.

And you're just going to leave her here?

In a place like this?

(SCOFFS)

You're right.

There are some things I need to tell you.

There's...

Bacon in the bear box and coffee and flour.

Don't let the drunks stumble in
and sleep on the pews.

There's a butcher knife under that altar
if you need it.

And just, you know,
try to make yourself useful.

Don't leave the tent.

You know, unless, it's on fire.

Understood?

"Either the roof or mum's hair

"was set ablaze by the Harrigan brothers."

Those bastards. Did they say
if they were able to put the fire out?

(CREAKING)

- What the hell is this strange wind?
- The bloody last page is missing.

Jesus! It's a whirlwind!

Where did you...

No, no, no, no!

Bloody hell.

What are you...

I thought you said
you were going to give us more time.

You asked for a little more time,

and that's what I gave you, a little more time.

Ah!

MAN: Put your backs into it there, boys!

Come on, work, you mules.

Hey, up! I want all the walking bosses
right here, right now.

Come on, Mr. Toole.

Y'all are getting paid to work the men
until the payroll situation gets figured out.

Again? If they aren't paid,
they'll strike, Mr. Bohannon.

Then you keep quiet as long as you can.

Hey, now, walking bosses only.

I am a walking boss.
Tell 'em you made me a walking boss.

Get back to work.

This about all you walking bosses
getting paid again

and we ain't getting paid again, right?

Tell you what, you keep your mouth shut
and you keep your job.

Get back to work. Come on!

Someone needs to put that boy in his place.

2,000 miles due west lies the Pacific Ocean
and yet I remain stranded here,

blocked by the great Rocky Mountains.

The Rocky Mountains?
They are some 500 miles from here.

Beyond that rise, the Platte River forks.

Do I follow it to the north or south?

A mistake here and we could miss our strike
on the Rockies by hundreds of miles.

I'm assuming you strike the mountains
at any route you take.

The problem is not
striking the mountains, Lily.

The problem is crossing the mountains.

And you think Robert
was the only person who knew the way?

It took him seven years and my open purse,

but, yes, he told me he'd found it.

Surely there'll be other surveys?

Oh, yes. (LAUGHS)

Yes, someone will build this railroad,

but without the secret which Robert
took to his grave, it will not be me.

If I'm remembered,
it will be as the man who failed.

Unfortunately, Robert will probably
not be remembered at all.

Pay up, I'm gonna buy me a double hot soak.
And liniment.

And a bottle of whiskey
that don't burn going down.

We ain't getting paid.

Well, they ain't pay us last week.
I was figuring on double pay today.

You might as well put that tool down
and go back to camp.

That's where I'm gonna be.

CULLEN: Hey! Hey!

It ain't quitting time.

It is for me. I done worked for free
my whole life, I ain't doing that no more.

You get back in that cut.

Get down off that horse
and put me in the cut.

I don't need some slave uprising
on my hands this day.

That's how you see it?

All I see is some field hand
acting like a house boy.

Take off that gun. Take it off.

(MEN CHEERING)

- Come on.
- Give it to him now, boy!

Excuse me.

Mr. Bohannon!

(PANTING)

I hired you to run these men
to build my railroad,

not to wrestle in the dirt
with your former chattel.

- What is the meaning of this?
- CULLEN: Payroll!

Lack of.

And who told the men there is no payroll?

I did.

Then you told them nonsense.

Gentlemen,

I see that unfounded rumors
have caused tempers to flare.

Believe me, the payroll is en route,
merely delayed.

As for you and your sparring partner,

Mr. Bohannon, I suggest

you settle your differences
like the gentlemen I know you all to be.

(MEN AGREEING)

This evening, when you have
completed your work,

I suggest a pugilistic match

between Mr. Bohannon
and his Negro nemesis.

- A real fight.
- MEN: Yeah! Yeah!

And to compensate you
for the tardiness of your well-earned pay,

I will donate 10 cases of whiskey
for your refreshment.

(MEN CHEERING)

I didn't know you had a daughter.

Well, now you know.

Why don't you ever speak of her?

Are you really going to send her away?

You know, Jesus says,

"If any man come to me
and not hate his father

"and hate not his mother and
his wife and his children and his own life,

"then he cannot be my disciple."

I don't think I have enough hate in my heart
to be a good Christian.

Whoa! Whoa!

(RATTLING)

- Black Moon.
- Father.

Why you have brought this man
to our sacred place?

(RATTLING)

He's putting a curse on you.

He calls you Black Spider
because you trapped my son in your web.

Joseph came to Christ on his own free will.

Is that so?

Tell me,
do you have no children of your own?

I had... I have a daughter.

Who has just returned to him. Praise God.

Where has she been?

I left her.

You abandon your child and steal mine.

What kind of man are you?

A flawed one.

Father, Reverend Cole has come
because he's concerned for our people.

REVEREND: Chief,
the soldiers have already come.

Yeah.

Four soldiers on horseback.

But more will come, enough to wipe out
all the human beings from the world.

REVEREND: But there may be another way.

If you come to town, we discuss peace.

I will come, but only if my son
Black Moon asks me to come.

Please come.

For me.

(MEN SHOUTING)

THE SWEDE: Come inside, gentlemen,

and witness the greatest contest
in the history of Hell on Wheels!

The finest corn liquor,
compliments of Mr. Thomas Durant,

President of the Union Pacific Railroad.

WOMAN: Hey, over here.
Give me one of those.

You must be able to spell your name
to wager, you morons.

Now, who just flung down that silver?

This here's enough peppers
to make a Mexican cry.

It'll probably kill you.

MICKEY: Sean's putting
everything we got on you.

I thought you were broke?

We put the magic lantern up for collateral.

- Sure that was a good idea?
- Sure.

The whole town's betting on you.

(CHUCKLES)

There's time enough
if you want to place a bet on yourself.

No.

I ain't doing this for money, Mick.

Then why are you doing it?

Hmm.

That man needs to be put in his place.

There's only one thing he understands.

What if, God forbid, you were to lose?

(GRUNTS)

That ain't gonna happen.

You win this fight, they're gonna kill you.

And if you lose, they're gonna kill you
for thinking you could win.

You don't understand.
This is something I gotta do.

Why? Because you're half white
or because you're half black?

All my life folk been telling me who I am.

One white man tell me I'm a slave,
another one say I'm free.

Tonight, I say who I am.

(CROWD CHEERING)

Hello.

Tonight and one night only,
you will be allowed in.

One sign of misbehavior
and I will throw you all in chains.

Understood?

Good.

You are welcome. Come in.

- Yeah. That's it.
- (MEN BOOING)

Your corner here. Mr. Ferguson's corner.

Bloody hell.

Look at what the bowels of the place
have shat out.

(CROWD BOOING)

(SHATTERING)

Get the bloody hell out.

What do you think you're doing?

MAN: Make way for Mr. Bohannon!

(CROWD CHEERING)

Come on! Come on!

You gonna win this fight, hear?

You gonna win this fight for us.
You hear me?

(CROWD BOOING)

- Jesus, he is a big buck, Mr. Bohannon.
- Ain't all about the brawn, Mick.

Now, this fight is going to be a fair fight.

(MEN LAUGHING)

No grappling below the waist.

No eyeball gouging.

No biting.

No unnecessary kicking.

Now, the fighters will come
from their corners and toe this line.

Mr. Dix is going to be the referee...

(CROWD CHEERING)

...for this contest.

- No! Not fair!
- Now, I assume both fighters

are ready to fight.

(ALL CHEERING)

Toes on!

(BREATHES HEAVILY)

MAN: Come on!

Fight!

MAN: Keep them back, will you?

(GRUNTING)

(CHEERING)

(BOOING)

All right, boys, back to your corners.
Back to your corners.

Thirty seconds!

Out of the way.

Sit down.

The bank is denying the request
for a credit extension.

Reply.

If credit not extended forthwith,

will call in all shares of aforesaid bank stock

to be joined by other four major investors.

Stop.

Anticipate collapse of bank
by close of business tomorrow. Stop.

And send.

Samson brought the temple down
on his head.

I will happily do the same.

- Give him a fat lip, Mr. Bohannon!
- He already has two, lad!

Get in there and fight, boy. Fight!

Get him!

Knock him down!

Get up now. Come on, get up!

Knock his nappy nigger ass out!

Punch his black ass back to Africa!

Get up! On your feet.

- Get up.
- Get up.

Are you gonna start fighting or what?

- Huh?
- MAN: Come on, fight!

Got to see this, now.

MAN: Break 'em up. Stand 'em up.

Get up!

Give us some room!
Give us some room! Back it up!

Get him to the corner, now.

Hell's wrong with you?

(PANTING)

- Are you seeing what I'm seeing?
- What?

He ain't fighting.

(COUGHS)

Hell's wrong with you, boy? Huh?

Is it 'cause you ain't never hit
no white man before?

Is that it?

Look here, son.

That man who sired you,

that won't your father.

That white man who raped your mother.

Ya hear?

Same man done beat you all your life

with his foot on your neck.

Huh?

Same man who say he your master
when you supposed to be free.

Huh?

Look over here.

That's him sitting on his soft white ass.

I want you go over there,

and I want you to kill him.

You hear? You go kill him.

You ain't gonna do this for us.

Do this for you.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(CROWD CHEERING)

(GRUNTING)

MAN: Take a knee, Mr. Bohannon.
Take a knee!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

Back off!

- Come on!
- I knew you could do it! I told you, boy!

Come on!

You're all right. You're still in this.

You still got it, Mr. Bohannon.
You still got it. Don't worry.

Take a breather, boy. Take a breather.

RUTH: "Lend to thy neighbor
in time of his need,

"and pay thou thy neighbor again
in due season."

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

Excuse me.

(GRUNTING)

That's all right, that's all right.
We almost did it.

We almost did it.

Ms. Bell?

Where have you been?
I looked all over for you.

I took a walk.

And then I heard all the commotion.

It's a little vulgar for a lady's taste, I'm afraid.

(LILY SPEAKING IN LATIN)

Ah!

I'm afraid my Latin
is a little undernourished.

Bread and circuses.

Huh.

You engineered this fight,

as a distraction, until you could get payroll.

Just like the Romans did with unruly crowds.
Give them food and spectacle.

I think you overestimate my abilities, Lily.

I hope not, for all our sakes.

Holy mother of God,
you had us worried there.

I thought, for a wee bit, we'd lost our wager.

Right, Sean?

Sean?

(INAUDIBLE)

Shall I walk you back to the car?

(SIGHS)

I have Robert's maps.

And, yes. He found the route.

To the Rockies?

And beyond.

And you've had them all this time?

I have.

I knew it! I knew it!

Oh, I could strangle you
and embrace you at the same time.

- Where are they?
- They're in a safe place.

Ah!

(INHALES SHARPLY)

How much?

What Robert is owed.

- All right. Let's go. Let's go.
- (GASPING)

All right. That's right. That's right.

You gonna do this. All right?

Time!

Now, boy. Now!

Here you go. You got it.

You got it.

One more time. Get in there.

MAN: Come on, Bohannon!

Get up!

Get your hands up.
Get your hands up. Hit him!

Come on, man. Come on!

Come on, Bohannon.

(PANTING)

That's right. Get in there.

It's over! It's over!

(CHEERING)

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

(INAUDIBLE)

(COUGHING)

Why are you so glib?

We just lost everything.

I bet it all on the darkie. (CHUCKLES)

30-to-1.

We're rich, Brother.

What'd you use?

The liniment? Mmm?

It was a little pepper powder
to the eyes, was it?

Are you trying to get us both killed?

And Mr. Bohannon
being our only friend and all.

This is my only friend.

(GROANING)

Are you all right?

Never better.

Good.

- Did you enjoy the fight?
- Very much.

Good.

(GROANS)

Thank you for the water.

(GRUNTS)

(CHUCKLES)

Ah.

(INDISTINCT)

Next.

Gregory Toole,
walking boss for cut crew three.

And to be completely honest with you,
Mr. Bohannon,

we thought you had more in you.

Mmm. (SPITS)

Life does have its surprises,
don't it, Mr. Toole?

Next.

Elam Ferguson.

Walking boss, freedmen cut crew.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(PANTING)

You've done it, my son. The sacrifice is over.

Father.

I was blessed.

I had a vision.

I've seen the great steel beast.

Its breath was smoke.

It shook the ground.

I killed it.