Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai

"Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai"
Hell on Wheels episode

Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott) visits the grave of her husband, Robert.
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 4
Directed by Alex Zakrzewski
Written by Jami O'Brien
Produced by Tony Gayton, Joe Gayton and Jeremy Gold
Featured music Scarlet Town by
Gillian Welch
Production code 104
Original air date November 27, 2011
Guest actors
  • Ian Tracey as Bolan
  • Diego Diablo del Mar as Dix
  • Robin McLeavy as Eva
  • Duncan Ollerenshaw as Mr. Toole
  • Andrew Moodie as Henri

"Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on November 27, 2011 on AMC. The episode centers on Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) continuing his vengeful quest of justice for his wife's murder; Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott) arriving at Hell On Wheels to learn more about her deceased husband's employer, Thomas Durant (Colm Meaney), and his railroad; and Elam (Common) finding solace in the arms of another social outcast, Eva (Robin McLeavy), a prostitute.

Plot

Twenty miles west of Hell On Wheels at a tree-cutting camp Cullen learns that the mysterious "Harper" has already cut and run — direction, north. Hot on the trail, Cullen spots a figure dressed in Civil War garb, atop a horse. While viewing Harper through a pocket telescope, he sees and hears the man firing at him. Cullen returns fire. Harper strikes first, wounding Cullen's horse, which ends the pursuit.

Lily Bell enters the cemetery made for the massacre victims. Thomas Durant approaches the sloppy, blood-stained woman and assumes she is Robert Bell's widow. He assures her that she is safe and asks how she found the town. She tells him that Cullen brought her to safety. He invites her to lodge in his Pullman car for her duration at Hell on Wheels — offering her clothing, food, and a hot bath (none of which she's had access to in quite some time). Before discussing anything about the massacre, her husband, or the railroad business, Lily asks about the reward for her, in order to give it to whom it properly belongs — Joseph Black Moon (Eddie Spears).

Constantly ridiculed that Eva, a local prostitute, will bed anything but a black man, Elam takes offense. She pulls him aside and explains that she will allow him to be a private customer. After their first secret rendezvous, she tells him of the day she was sold to Indians for "three blankets and a horse." They bond over the fact that both of them were considered slaves at one time.

Later, on the street, Reverend Nathaniel Cole (Tom Noonan) condemns Cullen's drinking to "wash away his wickedness." He speaks of the massacre that has been called Bleeding Kansas, a late 1850s conflict over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a slave state or free state. Cole was a follower of John Brown, who opposed the idea of Kansas being a slave state. Brown's supporters planned to kill anyone who owned slaves. Cole admits that he and Cullen were like-minded when it came to slaves, but each had different causes.

The next morning, a shipment of gunpowder, which is used to loosen rocky ground, explodes on a rail car. Cullen and Lily pitch in to help the wounded, while the rest of Hell On Wheels attempt to clean up the damage. Once the situation looks under control, Cullen gives orders for the railroad builders to get back to the business at hand.

Production

The episode was written by Jami O'Brien. It was directed by Alex Zakrzewski. Producers of this episode include: series co-creators Tony Gayton & Joe Gayton; Jeremy Gold and John Shiban.

Reception

Reviews for this episode were positive. TV Fanatic's Sean McKenna thinks the series' characters are finally taking shape. "If you haven't been watching yet, it's time to stamp your ticket because Hell On Wheels is settling itself in as another of AMC's great dramas."[1] IGN's Seth Amitin rated the episode as 7.5/10, saying the overall series still needs direction or "a story that leads its characters into something ... There's just too much going on, without enough focus."[2]

The fourth episode was seen by 3.28 million viewers, and received a 1.2 rating among the 18-49 age group.[3]

Notes

The title of the episode refers to A la claire fontaine, a French song (sung in the episode by Henri (Andrew Moodie) with the following lyrics and translation:

"Il y a longtemps que je t'aime, Jamais je ne t'oublierai." (I have loved you for so long, I will never forget you.)

References

  1. ↑ McKenna, Sean (November 27, 2011). Hell on Wheels Review: Hunting for Harper, tvfanatic.com, retrieved November 28, 2011.
  2. ↑ Amitin, Seth (November 27, 2011). Hell on Wheels: "Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai" Review, IGN.com, retrieved November 28, 2011.
  3. ↑ Seidman, Robert (November 29, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Goes Out on Top + Kardashians, 'Housewives' 'Soul Train Awards,' 'Hell On Wheels,' 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Homeland,' 'Dexter' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 30, 2011.

External links