Hell on Wheels (2011–2016): Season 3, Episode 1 - Big Bad Wolf - full transcript

Cullen.

It's been a long winter, son.

Stretch out on your bunk.

Get some sleep.

Go away, doc.
You a... you ain't real.

You ain't real.

Your candle is
burning low, Cullen.

Soon it's gonna go out.

That's just the wind.

What that was,
that was just the wind.

Get on out of here!



Get on out of here!

Get out of here,
you miserable son of a bitch!

Get off my damn railroad.

Off my damn railroad.

Sparky?

You know where there's a nigger
with a marked-up white woman?

He's... he's down there
behind the sawmill.

- I'll be damned.
- Yup.

Heard you froze up solid.

Thanks for looking in.

Shut the door!

- Woman's suffering.
- Baby near?

Baby's gonna come
whether you're here or not.

What the hell
that's supposed to mean?



I need you to come with me
to New York. Railroad business.

Right now I ain't got
no stake in no railroad.

Well, I'm the railroad boss,
and this here's a railroad town.

Come with me now or you don't be
here when I come back through.

Take your talk outside, please.

What is it you want me to do?

Watch over me while I sleep.

Against who?

Some you can see, some you can't.

You lost your mind in that snow.

You crazy.

On the contrary,
my negro friend...

I have never
been thinking more clearly.

Say your piece, get your coat.

Train's waiting.

I heard.

Go.

- I can't leave you like this.
- Well, he's right.

The baby's gonna
come either way.

Yeah.

I wanna be here for it.
I said go.

Birthing ain't a man's business.

Best thing you can do
is get us a job.

Hey, BUY-

The negro car's two cars down.

This is where I aim to be.

Now, don't make me
throw you off this train.

It's all right. He's mine.

How come you show up now?

Stopped snowing.

What the hell
happened to your ear?

Some trespassers.

Come on.

Mr. Bohannon?

I'm Clement Beale,
Secretary of Credit Mobilier.

Good, you got my telegram.
Let's go.

Mr. Bohannon, I'm afraid
you've made a trip for naught.

What do you mean "for naught"?

The board of Credit Mobilier

and the Undersecretary
of Railroads

has already filled the position
of Chief Engineer last month.

I tried answering your telegram.

- I knew this was snakebit.
- Now hold on.

Senator Howard hisself
offered me that job last fall.

Senator Howard
lost his bid for reelection.

Frankly, Mr. Bohannon,

word came back to us that
you didn't survive the winter.

- Word was wrong.
- Yes, well, thankfully so,

but the decision
has already been made.

I'm here to unmake it.

Is Durant back in? Is that it?

No. Mr. Durant
is still in Hudson Prison.

- Show me a train back to Omaha.
- You hold your damn horses.

You take me to see
Durant right now.

I won't if this is a vendetta.

Not all at once it ain't.

I'll have some hot water for tea.

A visitor, Mr. Durant.

Good God.

I thought you were dead.
Yet here I stand.

And what the hell
are you doing here?

Wait, don't tell me. No.

- You've come to gloat.
- No, sir.

No.

No. Gloating is not in your character,
is it, Bohannon?

Too much integrity.

That was always your problem.

I came to ask for help.

Haven't you heard?

I'm ruined.

There's nothing
I could possibly do for you.

Even if I wanted to.

Union Pacific offered me a job,
and they gave it to someone else.

I need you to tell 'em I'm their man,
to vouch for me.

Vouch for you?

Those spineless, myopic weasels

are in no mood to listen to me.

You've lost your nerve.

Not so sure you actually
can run the railroad.

And once upon a time,
I told you that you could.

That's why you're here.
You're scared.

I came to see you behind bars
for what you done.

There was a time
you could have done it.

When I was your champion.

When I was your advocate.

Now look at you.

You're tragic.

Your hour has passed.

Your railroad will fail
without me.

It's no longer my railroad.

For now.

The board won't accept you.

You wanna know why?

Because you are not one of us.

You will never be
from Massachusetts or New York.

You will always be
from Mississippi.

You suffer from
a preposterous miscalculation

of possibilities.

Like all southerners,
you're deluded.

And you smell.

What type of dressing
are you requiring today?

Business.

What type of business
might it be?

Railroad, but cut the top
and the overcoat,

- so I can wear this.
- Very good.

Maybe an open frock
with a Fuller waist?

Sounds right.
Inch or two of the cuff showing,

neat in the pants,
and I dress to the left.

And the gentleman's gentleman?

How come I gotta be
a gentleman's gentleman?

Why can't I be
a gentleman plain?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
he's right.

War's given the negro the right
to decide what he wants, so...

What type of suit will you have, sir?

That one there, I can afford.

Yeah, I like that one.
Make that one up for me.

The black man chooses,
and the white man pays.

It's a new reckoning
of the world, Mr. Collier.

That it is, Mr. Bohannon.

And you, sir?

What side do you dress on?

What you mean
what side I dress on?

Psst. Hey.

Thank you, Mr. Bohannon.

And when you're hiring men
for your railroad,

don't forget your Irish kinsmen.
When I land this job,

I'll need two or three. That's for sure.

- Hundred?
- Thousand.

The man you'll need to see is
Three-Piece Duffy down at the Points.

He knows all the railroad men.

If you're with the Union
Pacific, he'll find ya.

He ain't with nobody.
He barely with me.

Mr. Bohannon.

Burn it. But shoot it first.

I think I dress to the right.

Cullen Bohannon.
The board's expecting me.

Elam Ferguson.

This way, sir.

Mr. Bohannon.

We appreciate all you've done
for the railroad.

Both Doc Durant
and the late Mrs. Lily Bell

spoke highly of
your achievements and abilities.

Let's cut to it then.

The job of Chief Engineer
and Senior Vice President

of Union Pacific has been
awarded to someone else.

Yes, sir.
And I aim for it to be mine

before I walk out that door.

What's it a question of? Vision.

And temperament.

Someone whose pedigree
speaks to getting things done

in Washington
as well as out on the plains.

Have you ever been
to Washington, Mr. Bohannon?

I am familiar.

Well, then you know

that even at the highest levels,

it's dog eat dog.

This man you hired,
he's a real dog fighter then?

He comes
with my personal recommendation.

He was the Chief Engineer

of the Westwood
and Upclair Railway.

Yeah, that sounds like
a Shortline Railroad to me.

16 miles, but he oversaw

the building
of two major trestles.

Yes, your son-in-law
comes well-appointed.

Especially with your new role

as Undersecretary
of the Railroad.

And he's a veteran.

Fought with Black Dave Hunter
on the winning side.

All due respect, I don't
doubt your son-in-law's ability

to build pretty bridges
over stony brook streams,

but that's not what we're facing
out west at the moment.

Is this the best map you have?

- It's current.
- It's not very accurate.

Here's where we are.

Plains extend here.

Here's the beginning
of the red desert.

Now we'll be good along here.

Plenty of grazing
for our feed cattle, mild weather.

Here's where we start
running out of water.

I've drawn up some designs...
For water cars.

Here are some designs
for dormitory cars.

Keep the men out of the elements,
healthier, more productive.

- Who will build these?
- We'll build 'em together,

just like we'll build
this railroad.

Now here we start hitting
real Indian country hard.

Shoshone, Crow, Kiowa...
some friendly, some not.

Um, your son-in-law,

has he ever been
in Indian territory?

We've started stockpiling
rail and ties here,

waiting for the Missouri
to thaw.

River's already
breaking up here South.

Saw it myself coming over.

Central Pacific was able to work
through most of the winter.

Collie Huntington

has put them ahead of schedule.

Then the race is on, gentlemen.

No time to waste. Now this...

These are plans for organizing
the rail-layers and tie crews.

Think we can get
more steel laid.

Probably 30% more steel

if we follow these regimens.

Were we to take you on
in some capacity,

you'd be paid in U.P. stock.

We feel that that would
make your involvement

more of a personal investment.

Congressman Ames...

I'm already more invested
than you'll ever know.

There's a lot of graves
along this railroad,

marked and unmarked.

Some I laid to rest myself and some...

Point is...

I make no apologies
for my temperament.

Mr. Bohannon,
I believe you're bleeding.

Surely not from shaking hands
with a shaving razor.

Wolves, actually.

The kind that bite.

Why don't you shake hands
with the new Chief Engineer

of the Union Pacific railroad?

I'd rather shake hands
with the devil.

You may well
before this is over.

You made 'em think
I was your butler or something?

I did, and it worked.
Got the job.

Now we got men to hire.
Let's go.

I don't like this at all.

Safer back home
with them Indians.

Meet me back at the hotel
if we get split up.

I'm on you like a tick.

Show these lads
their place of employ.

Caught a musket ball at
a bowery party the other night.

It's festering a bit.

"Either the ball comes out or the leg
comes off," says the barber.

Pardon the smell.

I'm Cullen Bohannon,

new Chief Engineer of the...
I know who you are...

And who you're pretending to be.

No pretense, Mr. Duffy.

I'm in need of railroad workers.
I know, I know.

Who the hell do you think put the last
two years on to Durant's pay but was me?

I was hoping
we could maintain it similar.

- Pleased with the quality of men, were ya?
- For the most part.

"For the most part."

Thems were the creme
de la creme I sent Durant.

Not the, consumptive
or the weak-backed.

I winnowed 'em clean.
You know why?

Mr. Durant's a fine man.

He backs up his word
with solid gold.

Locked away in prison now.

Because of Tatterducks.

They're jealous of his acumen.

The man's a genius. Wouldn't you agree,
Mr. Bohannon?

Well... reckon even a genius

can run afoul of the law,
Mr. Duffy.

$1,000 in gold coins

for each lot of 500 men
boarded at the station.

McFee counts 'em for me.

Maybe you can have your nigger
there count 'em for you.

That is, of course, if he can count
beyond his fingers and toes.

The ones that fall off the train

or that arrive with rigor mortis
are not my concern.

It's called attrition,
according to Mr. Durant.

Something pretty
you wanna say to me, boy?

The day it's just me and you

is the day
your Irish luck run out.

You gonna let your nigger
speak to me that way, Mr. Bohannon?

He ain't my nigger.

So when do you think you'll be able
to send out the first shipment of men?

Let us see your gold.

I wouldn't show you how much
money even if I had it on me.

So you come around here
wasting my time,

not planning
to commence business?

Mr. Durant would never do that.

How much coin
do you have on you?

Not enough to trouble you,
Mr. Duffy.

It's no trouble at all, sir.

Whatever you have on you
will recompense me

for speaking with you today.

See, I'm a fine judge
of character, Mr. Bohannon,

and I can tell
you have no interest

in dealing with me
or my enterprise.

Now that's the first truth
you spoke since we met.

Now me and my friend here,
we're gonna back out slow,

and this'll be done.

Boy, don't you ever step
out of line like that again.

Don't go for my gun.
Like to got us killed.

Well, you should
have let me have a gun.

My grandpappy
was right about you people.

You mean when he owned us?

Tore a thousand-acre
plantation out of nothing, he did.

Well, you tell your grandpappy
we a free people now.

- You tell him that.
- Free?

Well, shit.

Don't you go telling me
about your freedom, son.

I know all about it.
I'm the one that paid full price for.

You may be free, but you sure
as shit ain't my equal.

Take 'em off.

Take 'em off!

Yeah?

All right.

Shh. Might be the landlady.

Come in.

Mr. Beale.

Mr. Bohannon.

Telegram.

Actually, it's for Mr. Ferguson.

Thank you, sir.

Yeah, he can read.

He's also a free man,
in case you hadn't heard.

Eva had the baby.

Yeah.

What is it?

There you go talking that again.

- I meant is it a boy or girl?
- Don't say.

Boy's fine. Girl's sweet too.

- Just say it's healthy.
- Hey.

You remember this minute,
all right?

Might only come once.

Yes, sir.

I got me a baby.

I'm sorry
for the things I've done.

And...

for the things I left undone.

Feeling like I bit off
more than I can chew, you know?

Course you do.

Take off your gun!

We'll have no guns
in the house of the Lord.

This is not
a shooting gallery, sir.

Reverend Corner.

It's me, Cullen Bohannon.

You married me and Mary Elizabeth Tate
here back in '56.

We... we don't recognize you.

You're welcome to stay
and pray with us, but...

You'll have to leave
the guns outside.

Good day to y'all then.

I did what I was supposed to do.
I voted against Bohannon.

Your job was not
to vote against Bohannon.

Your job was to get everyone else
to vote against Bohannon!

He was very compelling.

Well, you tell that
to your constituents

when the Union Pacific
bankrupts your state coffers.

You promised
that wouldn't happen.

_ No!

No.

Not when I could run things

through that cloddish
son-in-law of yours.

You have got
to get me out of here.

Thomas, I don't think
I can get you out of here.

We frankly have run out
of friendly judges.

There's always
some new appointee,

some... someone freshly elected,
a holder of a lien,

a witness with a faulty memory.

Perhaps a Peeping Tom
or a chambermaid with a tail.

Now you listen to me,
you pissant!

Your fall
will be far greater than mine

if Bohannon is not stopped

and I am
not returned the railroad.

I understand.

Good.

Good.

Looks a lot like
Durant's old car.

It is Durant's old car,
just refurbished.

Better sleeping quarters,
heating throughout.

Can we get a cot in here
or something for Mr. Ferguson

for the ride back to Omaha?

I loaned Mr. Ferguson money
for passage on the negro car.

Mr. Huntington.

Collie Huntington,
head of Central Pacific.

Whoa.

I'm glad I caught you, sir.
Been wanting to meet you.

Especially when I heard
you weren't dead.

Mr. Beale, may I have a moment
with Mr. Bohannon, please?

The package on the desk
contains your issued stock.

Thank you, Mr. Beale.

You're being paid in stock
because the Union Pacific's lenders

have closed their books.

- Government's guaranteeing us.
- Government's in chaos.

Senate wants to impeach
the president for reconstruction.

The House is investigating him

for the assassination of Lincoln.

There'll be no new vote on railroad funding
until next session.

In short, Mr. Bohannon,
you and your railroad are broke.

Got stockpiles in Missouri.

I'll be in Wyoming by fall.

No, you won't, Mr. Bohannon,
regardless of your pace.

I was making 2 mile a day.

Sometimes 5
when the work was good.

You know
what progress I'm making?

12 a day.

12 miles?

12 inches a day.

Through solid granite.

Now that may
not sound like much,

but I'm almost
through the sierras.

And I just received 5,000 pounds
of nitroglycerin

and 11,000 Chinamen
who do not get sick

and are happy to work
with half pay.

Now I am backed
by the Bank of England,

funded by all the tons
of glittering gold

found in the streams
of California.

It's the Golden State,
Mr. Bohannon.

Looking forward to meeting you
there at the border then.

You haven't
read the papers, sir.

My friends in Congress
have just voted

to lift my building restrictions.

Now, once I'm through the
mountains, it's all downhill.

I intend to cross
the California border

and be in your camp
before you know it.

The stretch between Nebraska
and California is mine.

No, sir, it belongs
to whomever can cross it first.

Now, based on your reputation,

I'm offering you a chance
to cross it with me,

but from the west,
and you'll be paid in gold.

Not in some worthless paper.

Well, I... Already gave my word

to the gentleman
at Credit Mobilier,

and that's about all I got left, so...

Board.

All aboard.

Chicago, Omaha,

and all points west.

It was a pleasure to meet you,
Mr. Bohannon.

Board!

Omaha! The stop is Omaha.

Well... look at you.

How you feeling?

She came out kicking
and tearing.

She?

- Can I see her?
- Yeah.

She's moving all right.

- You all right?
- Yeah.

You can't tell much
with newborns.

They're all wrinkled up

and splotchy-looking.

She's beautiful.

Thank you.

She like her daddy.

I'm glad you're back.

- Ladies.
- Aye, Mr. Bohannon.

You look great.
How was New York?

It was an open sewer,
Mr. McGinnes.

My new hat don't fit me either.

Welcome back, sir.

We're all very excited about,
um, our new prospects west,

- aren't we, girls?
- Yes.

It'll be a few more days
before we ship out.

We need to collect some crews.
Actually, um...

Once the word got back that
you're the new Chief Engineer,

workers started
coming in from all over,

began loading up the trains.

That's a nice vote
of confidence, I would say.

Wouldn't you, Mr. Bohannon?

When do we roll out?

At your leisure and signal.

Sir.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Bohannon.

Freedmen ready to get to work?

Damn lowlife scrabble hereabouts

taking all our hard-saved
railroad money.

Treating us like
it's backsliding times.

Yes, sir. Anywhere but here.

Even Hell on Wheels?

Sound like heaven
when you say it.

Don't forget your man
Psalms here when you make

your, Walking Boss list?

There's a lady
on the cowcatcher, Mr. Bohannon.

- Alive or dead?
- I'm not sure what's going on.

Say, Mr. Bohannon,
is that, um...

- Is that Sparky's pipe?
- Was.

Ruth?

I'm so sorry, Mr. Bohannon.

I was gathering my thoughts
for a prayer before we set off.

You can pray with me
if you want.

I'll leave you in charge
of that department.

Heavenly Father,

You have given us a vision
of this railroad

which will bind our nation.

Lord Christ,
when you came among us,

you proclaimed God's Kingdom

in towns and lonely places
such as these.

Grant that your presence
be known

as this railroad
is built across this land.

Have mercy on those
who labor on it.

Send us honest and able leaders.

May peace prevail
with righteousness,

justice with order,
and help us eliminate poverty,

oppression along the way.

And especially eliminate evil.

All this we ask

in God's Holy name.

Amen.

CNST, Montreal