Big Bad Wolf

"Big Bad Wolf" is the first episode of the third season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels, which aired on August 10, 2013, on AMC. The twenty-first episode of the series is written by Mark Richard and directed by David Von Ancken. In the episode, Cullen Bohannon attempts to obtain engineer control of the Union Pacific Railroad, while an imprisoned Thomas C. Durant (Colm Meaney) wishes to prevent that. Elam (Common) and Eva (Robin McLeavy) welcome their new baby. Plot Alone in his snow-covered burned-out caboose, Cullen hallucinates seeing Doc Whitehead (Grainger Hines), who tells him that his candle will soon go out. Cullen runs outside to a riverbank, splashes water on his face, and hears a wolf howl. Cullen fends off its attack and scares it off. Cullen finds the train engineer frozen to death and takes his tobacco pipe. He then walks to the train engine, breaks ice away, and starts a fire in its firebox. With the engine cranked up, he drives it away from the destroyed town. He arrives in Omaha, Nebraska and describes Elam and Eva to ask their location. He finds a shotgun in his face when he knocks on Elam's door. A very-pregnant Eva lies on a bed behind Elam. Cullen orders him to accompany him to New York or lose his place on the railroad. Eva insists Elam go as they need the work. In New York City, Clement Beale (Ben Ratner), Secretary of Crédit Mobilier, greets Cullen and Elam with news that the Chief Engineer position has already been filled. Cullen has Clement take him to see Thomas Durant in Hudson Prison, where Cullen asks Durant to vouch for him to Crédit Mobilier. Durant refuses. They won't listen to him and, besides, Cullen is not a Yankee.