Derailed (Hell on Wheels)

Cullen pursues Cheyenne attackers; Lily sets up her own tent.

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"Derailed," the seventh episode of *Hell on Wheels*' first season, debuted on AMC on December 4, 2011. Mark Richard wrote the episode, and David Straiton directed it. The story begins when a Cheyenne attack derails a train, prompting Durant to send Cullen after the raiders. Meanwhile, Lily leaves Durant's private car and sets up her own tent. As Cullen's pursuit party pushes deeper into hostile territory, tensions rise between him and the Union cavalry officer leading the mission.

Season: 1
Episode: 7
Aired: December 4, 2011
Director: David Straiton

Lore & Background

In the episode, Durant and Lily's train returns from Chicago only to stop for a derailment. Lily tends to the wounded while Durant surveys the damage. The Swede arrives and Durant orders him to have Cullen lead a response team. The Swede notes that Cullen and Elam are wanted for the murder of the two men Cullen killed in the previous episode. Cullen and Elam arrive on horseback, and a confrontation occurs where Cullen draws on The Swede and has a tense standoff until Lily and Durant intervene. Durant orders Cullen and Lieutenant Griggs to track the Cheyenne attackers, with Joseph accompanying them to negotiate with Chief Many Horses. Durant privately tells Cullen to kill the renegade Indians.

Cullen asks Elam to join the pursuit, and they meet Griggs and his eight-man contingent. In Cheyenne country, Joseph explains that Chief Many Horses will know where Pawnee Killer is. Griggs boasts a Confederate sabre taken at Antietam. Around the campfire, Griggs taunts Cullen about the Confederate retreat, and Cullen nearly takes the sword. The next morning, a Union soldier is found hanging, mutilated. Joseph says it is the work of Pawnee Killer. Reverend Cole, after witnessing the train carnage, has a breakdown. Ruth confronts him about his past alcoholism and abuse of her mother; he stops himself from hitting her.

Back at Hell on Wheels, Lily informs Durant she is moving out of his train car into her own tent. Eva advises her to hire a carpenter for floorboards. Eva reveals Indians killed her family but spared her because she had smallpox; they later sold her. Lily describes nightmares about an Indian she killed; Eva says she has invited "big magic." Durant ties Robert's pocket watch to Lily's tent. In the woods, the Cheyenne steal the horses. Cullen suggests returning, but Griggs insists on marching to the village. Cullen realizes Joseph is misdirecting the group to let villagers escape. Griggs's party finds an evacuated encampment; Griggs shoots a young brave dead. As Cullen, Elam, and Joseph aim at Griggs, an arrow pierces his shoulder, and a large Cheyenne war party led by Pawnee Killer attacks.

Reader's Guide

The episode "Derailed" is significant for advancing key character arcs and tensions in Hell On Wheels. It deepens the conflict between Cullen and The Swede, and between Cullen and Griggs, highlighting the lingering Civil War animosities. Lily's move out of Durant's coach marks a shift in her independence, and her friendship with Eva provides a new perspective on the frontier's violence. The episode also escalates the Cheyenne conflict, setting up a direct confrontation with Pawnee Killer. Reception was mixed: TV Fanatic's Sean McKenna rated it 3 out of 5 stars, noting the show's entertaining characters but uncertain direction. Phil Nugent of The A.V. Club gave it an F, criticizing the handling of characters. The episode was watched by 2.51 million viewers with a 0.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic, gaining more viewers and a higher rating than the previous episode.