The BEST episodes of Hell on Wheels
Every episode of Hell on Wheels ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Hell on Wheels!
Hell on Wheels tells the epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on a Confederate soldier (Mount) who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who have 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.
#1 - Blood Moon
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/7/2012
Cullen prepares for battle while the town celebrates.
#2 - Done
Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 7/23/2016
The golden spike, government hearings and unpredictable actions mean new beginnings and endings for the survivors.
#3 - Blood Moon Rising
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/7/2012
Cullen fights to save Hell on Wheels.
#4 - Return to Hell
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/4/2014
Cullen, Durant, and Campbell try to negotiate a settlement on how the streets will be policed; an act of terror strikes Cheyenne.
#5 - Two Trains
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/27/2014
Cullen goes head to head with the new marshal to recover his arrested railroad workers. Campbell confronts Louise over a story.
#6 - Timshel
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/8/2012
A looming railroad deadline throws Cullen and Lily together; Joseph and Elam deal with what their violent mission has wrought.
#7 - God of Chaos
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/2012
In the Season 1 finale, Cullen's past and future collide, impacting his life on the railroad.
#8 - Derailed
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/1/2012
Durant dispatches Cullen and Elam on a mission of vengeance. Lily struggles to find her place.
#9 - False Prophets
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/29/2015
Cullen and Durant meet with President Grant to discuss the future of the railroad; the Swede puts his plan against the Mormons in action.
#10 - The Railroad Job
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/9/2012
Cullen's past catches up with him and threatens the fate of the railroad.
#11 - Revelations
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/18/2011
With Elam's life in the balance, Cullen must decide how much he’s willing to risk. Meanwhile Durant faces financial ruin as Lily confronts the family of her late husband.
#12 - Slaughterhouse
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/26/2012
Cullen struggles to maintain order while Mickey's and Sean's lives are endangered; Lily and Elam clean up a mess of their own doing.
#13 - Eminent Domain
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/10/2013
An unexpected roadblock forces Cullen to make a difficult choice as a reporter arrives in Hell on Wheels. Elam struggles with his new boss.
#14 - Get Behind the Mule
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/5/2013
Cullen grapples with consequences while Elam mounts a rescue attempt. Durant receives Gen. Grant and the U.P. board in Cheyenne ahead of the deadline.
#15 - Fathers and Sins
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/28/2013
With General Grant's deadline only two days away, a gang of riders attacks Cheyenne while Cullen and Elam pay Durant a visit.
#16 - Elam Ferguson
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/13/2014
Cullen attempts to reconnect with Elam upon his return. Durant takes matters into his own hands while putting an old problem to rest.
#17 - Immoral Mathematics
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/13/2011
Lily encounters natives in the wilderness. Cullen is questioned in regards to his recent actions against others. Meanwhile, Durant continues his push for political gain through his persuasions.
#18 - The White Spirit
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/23/2012
In the aftermath of tragedy, Lily and Cullen struggle to maintain order in Hell on Wheels. Meanwhile, Elam makes plans for the future.
#19 - Bread and Circuses
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/4/2011
A bare-knuckle brouhaha between Elam and Cullen is spurred by Durant's latest attempt to deal with the railroad's financial crisis.
#20 - Pride, Pomp and Circumstance
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/11/2011
Durant challenges the Cheyenne to a competition in an effort to bring a halt to ongoing negotiations. Meanwhile, Elam and Cullen try to prevent bloodshed in town.
#21 - One Less Mule
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/7/2013
Durant files an injunction against Union Pacific, threatening Cullen's position; Elam deals with a dangerous newcomer.
#22 - Railroad Men
Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 7/16/2016
The race to finish the railroad comes down to inches, forcing all parties to contemplate the end of the line, and what the future holds for them.
#23 - Big Bad Wolf
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/10/2013
After a hard winter, Cullen and Elam travel to New York to secure their positions on the railroad as Durant fights for his legacy from prison.
#24 - Purged Away With Blood
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/16/2012
Despite fighting to save his own life, Durant must try to keep the railroad from going under. Meanwhile, Cullen comes to the aid of an old comrade.
#25 - Escape from the Garden
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/9/2014
As Cullen plans an exit from Fort Smith, he challenges The Swede; when a new adversary arrives, Cheyenne feels his presence.