Plot Synopsis

After the American Civil War ends, former confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon starts his quest for vengeance to find the man who killed his wife, and heads west to "Hell on Wheels," a lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services Union Pacific Railroad's westward construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Along the way, Cullen is exposed to the railroad's institutionalized greed and corruption, the immigrant experience, and the plight of the newly emancipated African-Americans during reconstruction. The series focuses on the Eastern portion of the construction, and producers described the series as an "eastern" rather than a "western." Season 3, which debuted with a two-hour episode on Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC, opened in 1867, the third year of the building of the transcontinental railroad, and the beginnings of big business, big religion, and the new role of Wall Street in the White House. Bohannon must contend with racism, greed and murder as he single-mindedly leads the Union Pacific in its race across the country against the Central Pacific Railroad. On Saturday, August 2, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC, HELL ON WHEELS returned for its fourth season, with 13 new episodes. The new season will air in two parts with the first 10 episodes running consecutively through Saturday, October 4, before taking a hiatus during AMC's annual FearFest programming, and returning for the final three episodes beginning on Saturday, November 8. Season 3 ended with Cullen Bohannon married to a pregnant Naomi and living in the Mormon fort where the Swede was impersonating church leader Bishop Dutson; Thomas 'Doc' Durant was back in control of the Union Pacific Railroad, which had successfully expanded westward to Cheyenne; and Elam, gravely injured by a bear while searching for the missing Cullen. As Season 4 unfolds, civilization makes its way west with the railroad, bringing with it men who attempt to do with their pens what rougher men did in seasons past with their guns. Conflict between government and big business, ranchers, homesteaders and the railroad will continue to define the drama as all of those interests compete with one another for control of Cheyenne, Wyoming, the "Magic City of the Plains," and the most important railroad hub in the country. Season 4 will also introduce several new characters, including John Campbell (Jake Weber). HELL ON WHEELS returned for the first half of its fifth and final season on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC. Seven new episodes will air this summer, with the final seven episodes of the series following in 2016. In Season 5, Cullen Bohannon finds himself a stranger in a strange land -- the mountain town of Truckee, CA, home to the Central Pacific Railroad. This rough railroad town teems with thousands of Chinese workers, foreign in language, culture and traditions. Despite the challenges of corralling his new workforce, Cullen leads the Herculean effort to tunnel through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, sometimes achieving only inches a day in the race to complete the first Transcontinental Railroad. In addition to Anson Mount and Colm Meaney, Season 5 stars Christopher Heyerdahl, Robin McLeavy, Jennifer Ferrin, Phil Burke and Dohn Norwood, and welcomes new series regulars Tim Guinee, Reg Rogers, Byron Mann and Tzi Ma. AMC premiered the last seven episodes of its fifth and final season HELL ON WHEELS on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT. The last seven episodes is the end of the line for Cullen Bohannon and his work on America's first transcontinental railroad. The final push to finish brings with it a reckoning for Bohannon and the men standing in his path: the bloodthirsty Swede; the mercenary Chang; and the rapacious Thomas Durant. Bohannon contends with corruption, greed and murder as he leads the trek to complete the final stages of the building of the railroad from the Central Pacific through the Sierras and across the Utah desert to Promontory Point. While the railroad's completion is certain, who and what will survive when the golden spike is finally planted remains in question -- with no one more at risk than Cullen Bohannon. In the 70-minute mid-season premiere, "Two Soldiers," the Swede goes on a murderous rampage on the Hatch homestead, and a long-overdue showdown with Cullen ensues.
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On Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT, AMC premiered the series finale of HELL ON WHEELS, shortly after a 13-hour marathon (5:15am-6:30pm) of encore episodes from Season 5. In the series ender, "Done," government hearings, incalculable actions and the golden spike breed new beginnings and endings for those left standing.