The railroad building is nearly done, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t plenty of obstacles on the road to success.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 10 put Cullen back to work, determined and focused to get the job done.

And while there were explosions and death during the hour, it wasn’t as exciting as it should have been.

Using nitroglycerin to blow a hole through the mountain at a much quicker pace was a great, if not dangerous, idea.

Cullen needed to make up for lost time, and the dangerous tool seemed to be the best option. And I liked how it initially required Jim’s expertise to teach Bohannon while also revealing how he lost one of his eyes.

But even with the conversation about being careful with the nitroglycerin or the fatal accident that stopped Jim from helping further, I never felt concerned for the main characters or if the job would get done.

First, there was the sex scene between Cullen and Mei, which seemed like a dumb decision especially since they were so close to the nitroglycerin. I know that he’s become invested in being with Mei, but c’mon, man.

Then there was when the two of them worked together to put another explosive into the mountain, ever so carefully drilling in a new hole. But who was worried that Bohannon was going to die?

Sure, he had the look of concern on his face, and he might have believed it was possible, but there just wasn’t really any tension there. There’s no way Cullen is dying with episodes left of Hell on Wheels Season 5.

As for Mei dying, that wasn’t going to happen either because the two just got together. Plus, Chang is probably going to find out about her not being a boy that will spin everything on its head and put her in danger then.

Though I do wonder if Cullen and Mei will get to be together even after the series is over. All his talk of losing everyone he’s cared about and just keeping the scars? Let’s hope that path diverts when it comes to Mei.

I also was surprised that Cullen didn’t reflect a bit more on leaving Naomi and William behind, especially when it came to Jim’s decision to choose his family over the railroad.

Cullen is clearly determined to finish the railroad, but I thought at least some moment of him thinking of his son or something would have come up. Granted, he is pretty good at keeping his feelings quiet when around most people.

The Durant ordeal was destined to end badly, but it does make me wonder the repercussions from killing Martin.

My problem with Martin’s death though was I never really cared about his character. He was there from time to time, and often I forgot who he even was.

It’s disappointing he had to die because the story required the kidnapping to go south to throw a bigger wrench into Durant’s problems.

It makes you wonder how Maggie and Mickey will respond. And will the ransom even be paid for Durant like he said it would?

I’m glad to see the focus has returned to the railroad, and I’m getting more on board with the Mei and Cullen relationship. Unfortunately, the hour just felt like it was chugging along. I’m just ready to move on toward the next stop on this final leg of Hell on Wheels Season 5.

What do you think of Mei's relationship? What will be the repercussions of Durant's plan? Sound off below, and be sure to watch Hell on Wheels online now!

Quotables from Week Ending June 24, 2016

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Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.