For fans hooked on Westerns like Yellowstone that explore the unforgiving grip of frontier justice, it’s time to take a hard look at a different series: Hell on Wheels. This AMC gem might’ve flown under the radar during its original run, but make no mistake, it packs the same high-stakes drama that keeps Yellowstone fans coming back for more. Set during the aftermath of the Civil War, Hell on Wheels trades ranches for railroads, and it’s got all the trademarks of a frontier saga.
The story centers on a former Confederate soldier on a quest for revenge, which leads him to the Union Pacific Railroad. Like Yellowstone, Hell on Wheels doesn’t waste time picking sides and throws its characters into situations that test their loyalties and force impossible choices. It’s a show made for fans who crave their drama with a side of blood, dust, and betrayal, and perfect for Yellowstone fans who just can’t get enough.
Hell on Wheels Tells the Story of the First Transcontinental Railroad
Hell on Wheels follows former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), who is on a personal mission for revenge after the murder of his wife during the Civil War. His search for justice leads him west, where he ends up working on the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad.
Cast of Hell on Wheels | |
|---|---|
Actor | Role |
Anson Mount | Cullen Bohannon |
Christopher Heyerdahl | The Swede |
Dominique McElligott | Lily Bell |
Robin McLeacy | Eva |
MacKenzie Porter | Naomi Hatch |
The show follows the town of Hell on Wheels, which moves with the progress of the tracks. Across its five seasons, Cullen rises through the railroad ranks and gets pulled into larger power efforts, both political and personal. Along the way, he crosses paths with real-life historical figures, clashes with Union Pacific bosses, Native tribes, and rival companies, all while trying to keep the peace in a lawless frontier.
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Guns, Blood, or Betrayal Abound in Hell on Wheels
If viewers are going into Hell on Wheels expecting a buttoned-up period drama, think again. This is the Old West with all the grit and shootouts that come with it. The show wastes no time getting its hands dirty, throwing viewers into a world where power changes hands fast, and violence is often the only language that gets results. From ambushes and backstabbing to brawls in muddy camps, Hell on Wheels makes it clear that building a railroad through hostile territory is anything but straightforward.
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Across its five seasons, alliances are tested, loyalties shift, and no one—not even Cullen—is safe from betrayal. Whether it’s double-crossing politicians, outlaw gangs, or corporates in waistcoats, the show delivers Western action with a modern edge. And it’s not afraid to get brutal, either. Tensions with the Native American tribes are a major part of the show’s story, and the threat they pose is as real as anything else in the Wild West. And when the tribes fight back, the show doesn’t hold back.
The show won and was nominated for several awards, including the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Fictional Drama in 2015.
But Hell on Wheels doesn’t just rely on shootouts to stay interesting; the political scheming hits just as hard. The deeper Cullen gets into the railroad world, the more corrupt and cutthroat things become. There’s always someone pulling the strings, and someone else getting crushed under the weight of it. And just when you think the show might slow down, it throws another curveball. Characters disappear, towns burn, trains derail, and nothing stays stable for long. Hell on Wheels thrives in its action and is a show where no one’s past stays buried and every decision has a price—usually paid in blood, bullets, or both.
Why Fans of Yellowstone Should Watch Hell on Wheels
While Yellowstone centres on ranches and generational struggles, Hell on Wheels offers a different slice of American mythology, but one that hits many of the same notes. Both shows dig into the darker side of progress, the cost of legacy, and the violence that comes from trying to hold on to power in a lawless world. If Yellowstone is about preserving land, Hell on Wheels is about conquering it, and neither show shies away from the price that comes with that fight.
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Bohannon feels like a spiritual cousin to Yellowstone’s John Dutton. He’s a man of few words and heavy burdens, hardened by war and grief, and forced to make impossible choices. He’ll do what needs to be done, and if that means shooting a man dead in broad daylight or striking a deal with the devil, so be it. Much like Yellowstone, Hell on Wheels thrives on shifting loyalties between its characters. Good and bad aren’t always clearly defined, and even the so-called heroes are capable of crossing lines. Each character has skin in the game, and everyone’s just one bad choice away from becoming the villain.
Bohannon was inspired by figures like Union General John “Jack” Casement, who was a chief engineer for the Union Pacific, and Major General Grenville Dodge, who also worked on the railroad.
And perhaps most importantly, Hell on Wheels understands that legacy is forged in blood, sweat, and sacrifice. Just like the tracks stretching westward, the consequences in this world are permanent. For fans of Yellowstone looking for their next fix of high-stakes frontier drama, Hell on Wheels is the series that deserves a first or second look.
Hell on Wheels Has Been Slept On Since Day One
Despite delivering five solid seasons of frontier drama, Hell on Wheels never got the attention it deserved. When it premiered in 2011, it was overshadowed by AMC’s bigger hits like Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. Because of that, it never had the same marketing push or viral buzz, and as a result, it stayed in that underrated sweet spot: beloved by the fans who found it but missed by the wider audience.
Hell on Wheels concluded its five-season run on AMC with a series finale that attracted just 2.5 million viewers, a low number compared to others at the time.
Ratings-wise, Hell on Wheels held its own for a while, even becoming AMC’s second-highest rated drama at one point. But the numbers were never enough to turn it into a cultural phenomenon. Part of the reason Hell on Wheels didn’t break out may have been timing. The “prestige TV” wave was hitting hard, and Westerns weren’t exactly trendy. It leaned into classic Western tropes at a time when most shows were trying to reinvent the wheel. That worked against it in the moment, but it’s exactly why the show holds up so well today. Now, with Yellowstone and its spin-offs dominating TV, viewers are finally hungry for this kind of storytelling again, and Hell on Wheels has it in spades.
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Hell on Wheels might’ve wrapped up its final season years ago, but it’s still not one to be missed. With shows like Yellowstone putting modern Westerns back in the spotlight, now’s the perfect time to revisit—or discover—one of AMC’s most underrated gems. It’s a series that dives headfirst into the bloodshed that defined the building of America. And just like the Duttons, Cullen Bohannon and company are willing to burn the whole thing down if it means getting what’s theirs. So, for viewers who’ve already binged their way through Yellowstone and its spin-offs and are craving another story soaked in sweat, revenge, and frontier justice, Hell on Wheels is waiting. It’s got the drama and the characters to keep Western fans hooked.
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Anson Mount
Cullen Bohannan
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Colm Meaney
Thomas ‘Doc’ Durant
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Christopher Heyerdahl
Eva
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Christopher Heyerdahl
The Swede
