Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai

Lore & Background

The episode opens twenty miles west of Hell on Wheels at a logging camp, where Cullen learns that the mysterious "Harper" has fled north. While pursuing Harper, Cullen is fired upon and his horse is wounded, ending the chase. Meanwhile, Lily Bell arrives at the cemetery for massacre victims and is approached by Thomas Durant, who correctly guesses that "a southerner"—Bohannon—brought her to safety. Durant offers her lodging in his Pullman coach, and she later delivers the reward for her retrieval to Joseph Black Moon.

Elam, offended by the suggestion that Eva will bed anyone but a black man, is pulled aside by Eva. She agrees to take him as a private customer but insists their liaisons remain secret from white men. At their first rendezvous, Eva tells Elam she was bought from Indians for "three blankets and a horse," and they bond over having both been considered slaves. The Swede reveals to Bohannon that he knows Bohannon killed Johnson, and later pays Bohannon to overlook the Swede taking black powder barrels from the train. Reverend Nathaniel Cole condemns Cullen's drinking and speaks of his own involvement in the "Bleeding Kansas" conflict as a follower of John Brown.

The next morning, a shipment of gunpowder explodes on a rail car. Cullen and Lily help the wounded, and once the situation is under control, Cullen orders the railroad builders back to work.

Reader's Guide

The episode received positive reviews, with TV Fanatic's Sean McKenna noting that the series' characters were finally taking shape and calling Hell on Wheels "another of AMC's great dramas." IGN's Seth Amitin rated the episode 7.5/10, commenting that the overall series still needed direction or "a story that leads its characters into something" and that there was "too much going on, without enough focus." The episode was seen by 3.28 million viewers and received a 1.2 rating among the 18-49 age group. The title, translating to "I will never forget you," refers to characters' lost loves, dreams, homelands, and vendettas, and is drawn from the French song "A la claire fontaine" sung in the episode by Henri.

Did You Know?

• The episode's title translates to 'I will never forget you.'
• Reverend Nathaniel Cole was a follower of abolitionist John Brown during 'Bleeding Kansas.'