First of all, the cast. Anson Mount plays Cullen Bohannan, a former confederate soldier on a quest to knock off all the people (Union soldiers) responsible for his wife's death, the circumstances of which haven't been revealed yet. Honestly, I've never seen Anson Mount before this show. He seems a good enough actor although his character is a little wooden, but that might be deliberate.
Then there's Colm Meaney as Doc Durant. There was a time when Colm Meaney would pop up in every other movie. I'm not complaining. I think he's perfect for the role. It's still weird to see Chief O'Brien dressed up as a businessman.
The rapper Common (Smokin' Aces) plays Elam Ferguson, a freed slave working on the railroad under Bohannan. I was actually quite impressed with his acting chops. Especially the last episode.
A special mention for Christopher Heyerdahl as the Swede. I still remember him from Supernatural as one of the vessels for the demon Alastair, but he is probably more recently known for his role in Sanctuary as John Druitt. I hope he becomes a recurring character. He's fun to watch.
Two other main characters round off the show. Lily Bell (played by Dominique McEligott.....I think I got it right), holds her own as the damsel in distress. I see a future relationship on the cards between her and Cullen.
And hey.....there's Tom Noonan! He was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to watch this show.
The setting and atmosphere are magnificent. The opening sequence is pretty cool. The groundwork has been set. I hope the show follows through on it's promise. A good western should always grace our TV screens every week.
Tidbits
- It was sad to see Ted Levine get killed in the pilot. I wanted to see more of him. He needs to be on television.
- I'm not going to say the 'D' word. Deadwood. There I said it. Could this be the next Deadwood?
- The gunfight in episode 3 was pretty kickass. Check it out if you already haven't.
- I half expected Jean-Luc Picard or Benjamin Sisko to show up and take Chief O'Brien back to Federation space. The big reveal being this was one of those subspace disturbances that sent O'Brien back in time.
Humph.....disappointing.
More on the show next week.
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