Hell on Wheels

2011·Show
57Episodes in5Seasons·TV-14
IMDb8.3Metacritic648.1Rotten Tomatoes73%89%
Episode ratings

Where to watch

Paramount+PhiloAMC+The RokuSpectrum On Demand

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

Hell on Wheels fingerprint

High energy, strong craft, light on feelings.

Energy

Brutally violent and tense

Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.

  • Violence9
  • Tension8
  • Adrenaline7

Heart

Melancholic

  • Melancholy7
  • Pathos6
  • Catharsis5

Humor

A little humor

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Dark Humor4
  • Wit & Wordplay3
  • Physical Comedy2

World

History, crime, and war

Lived-in and easy to get lost in.

  • World Immersion8
  • Dialogue Centrality7
  • Rewatchability7

Craft

Standout characters

  • Intrigue9
  • Character Depth8
  • Direction7

Style

Functional look and sound

  • Cinematography7
  • Editing7
  • Music Composition7

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightPartner WatchSolo WatchBinge-FriendlyThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You need an uplifting moodYou want fast pacingGraphic violence bothers you

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Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every show. Select a row to see all of them.

Episode ratings

IMDb rating of every episode, one row per season
SeasonEpisode 1Episode 2Episode 3Episode 4Episode 5Episode 6Episode 7Episode 8Episode 9Episode 10Episode 11Episode 12Episode 13Episode 14
IMDb rating of every episode, one column per season
Episode
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10
Episode 11
Episode 12
Episode 13
Episode 14

About

All roads lead to hell.

The epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on Cullen Bohannon, a Confederate soldier who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who killed his wife. His journey takes him west to Hell on Wheels, a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time.
WesternPost-Civil WarTranscontinental RailroadRevengeHistorical DramaGrittyBleakPolitical IntrigueAmerican Frontier

Actors

Anson Mount profile

Anson Mount

Cullen Bohannan

Colm Meaney profile

Colm Meaney

Thomas 'Doc' Durant

Robin McLeavy profile

Robin McLeavy

Eva

Common profile

Common

Elam Ferguson

Dominique McElligott profile

Dominique McElligott

Lily Bell

Christopher Heyerdahl profile

Christopher Heyerdahl

The Swede

Jennifer Ferrin profile

Jennifer Ferrin

Louise Ellison

Phil Burke profile

Phil Burke

Mickey McGinnes

Tom Noonan profile

Tom Noonan

Reverend Cole

Ben Esler profile

Ben Esler

Sean McGinnes

Dohn Norwood profile

Dohn Norwood

Psalms

April Telek profile

April Telek

Nell

MacKenzie Porter profile

MacKenzie Porter

Naomi Bohannon

Eddie Spears profile

Eddie Spears

Joseph Black Moon

Tim Guinee profile

Tim Guinee

Collis Huntington

Jake Weber profile

Jake Weber

John Campbell

Kasha Kropinski profile

Kasha Kropinski

Ruth Cole

Angela Zhou profile

Angela Zhou

Mei

Byron Mann profile

Byron Mann

Chang

Ted Levine profile

Ted Levine

Daniel Johnson

Bruce Ramsay profile

Bruce Ramsay

Journalist

Wes Studi profile

Wes Studi

Chief Many Horses

Jesse Lipscombe profile

Jesse Lipscombe

William

Ian Tracey profile

Ian Tracey

Bolan

Diego Diablo Del Mar profile

Diego Diablo Del Mar

Dix

Sharon Taylor profile

Sharon Taylor

Squaw

Duncan Ollerenshaw profile

Duncan Ollerenshaw

Mr. Toole

Ian Kilburn profile

Ian Kilburn

Harper

Brian Jensen profile

Brian Jensen

Teamster

Grainger Hines profile

Grainger Hines

Doc Whitehead

Timothy V. Murphy profile

Timothy V. Murphy

Bauer

Virginia Madsen profile

Virginia Madsen

Hannah Durant

Sydney Bell profile

Sydney Bell

Ginny

Kal Weber profile

Kal Weber

Senator Howard

Chris Ippolito profile

Chris Ippolito

Young Engineer

Wayne Duvall profile

Wayne Duvall

Senator Metcalf

Scott Michael Campbell profile

Scott Michael Campbell

Duffy

Matthew Glave profile

Matthew Glave

Dick Barlow

James Shanklin profile

James Shanklin

Aaron Hatch

Lara Zaluski profile

Lara Zaluski

Sara

Chelah Horsdal profile

Chelah Horsdal

Margaret Palmer

Siobhan Williams profile

Siobhan Williams

Naomi Hatch

John DeSantis profile

John DeSantis

Irish Worker

Damian O'Hare profile

Damian O'Hare

Declan

Brent Briscoe profile

Brent Briscoe

Jimmy Two Squaws

Adam Beach profile

Adam Beach

Red Bear

Tayden Marks profile

Tayden Marks

Ezra Dutson

Victor Slezak profile

Victor Slezak

Ulysses S. Grant

Kevin Davey profile

Kevin Davey

Paddy Quinn

Aleks Paunovic profile

Aleks Paunovic

Anton Hersch

Joel Jackshaw profile

Joel Jackshaw

Aubrey

Colby French profile

Colby French

Mike Malone

Serge Houde profile

Serge Houde

Oakes Ames

Mo Brings Plenty profile

Mo Brings Plenty

White Feather

Peter Benson profile

Peter Benson

Marshal Jessup

Colin Cunningham profile

Colin Cunningham

Gambler

Jann Arden profile

Jann Arden

Madam Pauline

Sean Millington profile

Sean Millington

Monroe

Jonathan Scarfe profile

Jonathan Scarfe

Sydney Snow

Gregg Henry profile

Gregg Henry

Brigham Young

Michael Horse profile

Michael Horse

Native American

Sara Canning profile

Sara Canning

Charlotte Royce

Michelle Thrush profile

Michelle Thrush

Smiling Crow

Lauren K. Robek profile

Lauren K. Robek

Mrs. Hatch

John Lacy profile

John Lacy

Virgil Farnsworth

Pippa Mackie profile

Pippa Mackie

Tess

Luke Roessler profile

Luke Roessler

Willam Bohannon

Chris W. Cook profile

Chris W. Cook

Mormon Escort

Paige Patterson profile

Paige Patterson

Josie Rose

Josh Caras profile

Josh Caras

Phineas Young

Tzi Ma profile

Tzi Ma

Tao

Barry Flatman profile

Barry Flatman

Jack Nobels

David Wilson Barnes profile

David Wilson Barnes

Martin Delaney

Andrew Howard profile

Andrew Howard

Dandy Johnny Shea

Julian Black Antelope profile

Julian Black Antelope

Broken Wing

Kevin Blatch profile

Kevin Blatch

Judge Webber

Rebecca Olson profile

Rebecca Olson

Arabella

Jason Schombing profile

Jason Schombing

Pawn Keeper

Tighe Gill profile

Tighe Gill

Shorty

Ty Olsson profile

Ty Olsson

Griggs

Rob Hay profile

Rob Hay

Irishman

Julian Richings profile

Julian Richings

SLC Records Clerk

Chris Enright profile

Chris Enright

Charles Collier

Crew

Directed by:
David Von Ancken, Adam Davidson, Neil LaBute
Written by:
Mark Richard, Jami O'Brien, Tony Gayton
Produced by:
John Shiban
Composed by:
Laurelyn Dossett

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Questions about Hell on Wheels

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Hell on Wheels legally?

Paramount+PhiloAMC+The RokuSpectrum On DemandPlexLionsgate+ Amazon ChannelsXumo Play

Hell on Wheels is included with a subscription to Paramount+, Philo, AMC+, and Spectrum On Demand in the United States. You can watch it free with ads on Plex, Xumo Play, and Amazon MX Player. You can also rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is Hell on Wheels worth watching?

75
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly. It's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 75/100 (IMDb 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes 73%, and Metacritic 64). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

What is Hell on Wheels rated?

TV-14ViolenceStrong languageSexual content

It's rated TV-14 in the United States. Content advisories: violence, strong language, and sexual content.

How many seasons does Hell on Wheels have?

5 seasons

It has 5 seasons with 57 episodes.

Do critics and audiences agree on Hell on Wheels?

Critics69
Audiences84

Not quite. Audiences rate Hell on Wheels higher (84) than critics (69). It's more of a crowd-pleaser than a critics' pick.

When did Hell on Wheels air?

It ran from 2011 to 2016 and has ended.

What language is Hell on Wheels in?

English

It was made in English. Produced in Canada, United States.

In how many countries can I watch Hell on Wheels?

35ARATAUBEBOBRCACHCLCOCRDEDOEC+21

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for Hell on Wheels in 35 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.

What tropes does Hell on Wheels use?

Roaring Rampage of RevengeRefuge in AudacityOirelandDeterminatorLevirate MarriagePolitically Correct HistoryWhere da White Women At?ConfessionalSmug SnakeArtistic License – GeographyCard-Carrying VillainRailroad Baronand 125 more

TV Tropes lists 137 storytelling tropes for Hell on Wheels, including Roaring Rampage of Revenge, Refuge in Audacity, Oireland.

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