Hell on Wheels Review: Catch That Kid

You'd think the beginning of this Hell on Wheels episode was really just a Western version of the Maury Povich show with Declan Toole and Elam Ferguson claiming their familial ties to the baby, all while the crowds of workers shout around them and Cullen Bohannon attempted to keep order. It was an out of control madhouse.

Of course, the posturing of both sides was settled by the ever annoying Thomas Durant, offering up a reward for the missing child. Suspicious? This is Durant we're talking about.

But, oh wait, doesn't the town need to move before the bad weather sets in? Pretty sure the baby needs to be saved first before anything happens.

And thus, "Searchers" spent a majority of its time on finding the kidnapped kid, illustrating just how far Ferguson was willing to go and the possible wrong path Sean McGinnes might be headed down.

That last aspect was perhaps the most interesting of the hour, especially because we've seen the McGinnes brother already make a deal with the wiley Durant. You'd think after Bohannon called him out the first time, he'd wise up and quit.

Except he took it one step further to help Durant with the missing baby. Even Mickey has taken notice and seems to be distancing himself from his brother Sean. Yet, Mickey still tried to warn his brother to get on Bohannon's side before everything goes south.

I'm curious to see how their relationship unfolds (or falls apart) as things continue and Durant tries once again to undermine Bohannon. In fact, Bohannon might not be so forgiving again.

The rest of the episode consisted of Ferguson and Bohannon riding around on their horses, hunting for the baby. And when the two finally caught up to the baby (alive and well), the two became the nurturing type. Definitely a softer side to these hardened men.

The whole side adventure for these two felt reminiscent or on some level a nod to the 1956 film, "The Searchers," essentially about a group of men hunting for an abducted girl. So, while John Wayne didn't get to ride into the hour and the Native Americans weren't the kidnappers, Ferguson provided that determination to find his daughter.

And I liked that he called up Bohannon on his revenge journey of killing the men who killed his family. It was a similar circumstance, Ferguson trying to do what he felt was right. So, it was good to see Bohannon, without really saying anything, acknowledge it. There's something about doing everything for your family that you can.

While I predicted that Ferguson would accuse Declan Toole of his involvement with the baby (and he did), it was Psalms who was given the task of beating the crap out of him. But the whole scene just felt unneeded. It did reveal Toole was a cop from New York, but of course, not that he was guilty of anything. Just something to give Psalms to do for the episode.

Yet, while the episode meandered around before finally deciding to move the town, I loved the Swede reading a passage to voiceover the characters in the rain soaked area. There was a feeling of impending doom, ominous change or a future that isn't so bright.

Once again, his character barely does anything and yet commands his scenes with such a creep factor that he can keep you on the edge of your seat with the possibility he just might do something crazy.

So, while we can't prove who actually is the father of Eva's baby … at least the child is back safe and sound. Now, everyone can get back to work on the railroad.

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