Viva la Mexico

Lore & Background

The episode opens with a band of masked robbers hijacking Thomas Durant's payroll train. A guard shoots one robber in the shoulder, who removes his mask to reveal Cullen Bohannon. Hawkins, the gang's leader, gives Cullen his cut of the stolen money. Cullen insists they save money to start a Confederate colony in Mexico, but Hawkins prefers to celebrate and rob more trains. Doc Whitehead, an old friend, extracts a bullet fragment from Cullen's shoulder and apologizes for involving him. Later, at a trading post, former Union soldiers provoke Cullen into a fight after comments about Southerners.

At the railway office, Lily Bell reports slow construction and complains about the foreman. Elam informs Durant the payroll train was robbed again. The Swede, now working as undertaker and custodian after being tarred and feathered, offers to restore order, but Durant declines. A prostitute is found murdered; the Swede loads her body onto his wagon. Lily gives the Swede money for a proper burial, while Durant dismisses the murder because she was a whore.

Cullen recognizes Elam as a guard on another train and demands to be first aboard. During the robbery, Cullen enters the payroll car and orders Elam to hand over the money, claiming he is saving Elam's life. Elam refuses, and Cullen calls off the robbers, saying Elam overpowered him. Cullen urges the gang to head to Mexico, but Hawkins wants one more train. Cullen relents. Durant chastises Elam for letting Cullen live, but Elam offers to help get Hell on Wheels back on track; Durant hesitates due to Elam's race but says he will consider it. Sean and Mickey sell real estate; Ruth asks for more time on rent. Nell strikes a protection deal with Sean for 10% of her profits, on condition they kill the murderer. Lily tells Durant the Sioux consider the land across the river sacred, but Durant disregards her. Doc urges Cullen to leave the gang. During the next heist, Cullen points his gun at a bandit terrorizing a mother and child; the bandit knocks him out. Cullen wakes in a prison wagon, jokes with a fellow prisoner, and later watches a firing squad kill that prisoner.

Reader's Guide

"Viva la Mexico" serves as the second-season premiere of Hell on Wheels, resetting the narrative after the first season's conclusion. The episode was watched by 2.45 million viewers and received a 0.6 rating among adults 18–49. Critical reception was fairly positive. Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club gave a B− grade, calling it "somewhat provisional" and noting the split between the problems of last season and the show's potential. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix also gave a B−, describing it as "a solid, meat-and-potatoes example of a genre (Westerns)" but adding that most characters were "still thin and unengaging" and their stories "seem to be moving in circles." Sean McKenna of TV Fanatic rated it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "engaging" and full of "pure Western fun." The episode establishes key plot threads for the season: Cullen's flight and moral conflicts, the railroad's westward push, and the growing lawlessness of Hell on Wheels.

Did You Know?

• It aired on August 12, 2012 on AMC as the season premiere of the second season.
• Critical reception included a B− grade from both The A.V. Club and HitFix, and a 4 out of 5 star rating from TV Fanatic.