Photo Credit: AMC/Chris Large
Photo Credit: AMC/Chris Large

Kara has already astutely covered Bohannon'due south evolution in "The Game," and aside from being overly concerned that Bohannon was going to lose his equus caballus, the other thing that stuck for me about this episode of Hell on Wheels is that I think something is seriously going on with Eva, and it'due south not going to go whatever improve now that her baby is missing.

Eva's been a compelling character since the jump. Nosotros've watched her evolve from a kidnap survivor and mistreated prostitute to a dutiful married woman to a woman who decided to live openly with the man she'd loved all along, and brainstorm a family. In the middle of all that, she's been plagued past a sense of doom, and she articulated equally much to Louise concluding calendar week in "Range War," when she said she worried about her ability to bring on bad things, peculiarly in light of Mr. Toole's suicide. That foreboding was compounded when Mr. Toole'south brother, Declan, arrived, essentially to stake his merits on her and her daughter. And now we have an Eva who is merely short of terrified.

When last season closed out, and this flavor brainstorm, we went with the notion that Eva was existence truthful nigh the timing of her pregnancy–the child she was carrying was Elam'southward. The infant arrived, and Eva explained her light pare every bit early on days, and then we didn't question it. Last night, Declan proclaimed that the girl reminded him of Mr. Toole and his own son, and Eva didn't protest. So, maybe, Eva fudged the timeline and her daughter is non Elam'due south, or maybe she tin can see a silvery lining in Declan's offer to just whisk them out of Hell on Wheels. We don't know.

While Eva'due south been wrestling with all this, she's been alone. Elam'south been away, putting himself in jeopardy (mostly at Bohannon's insistence) pretty much at every turn. We know from what Elam has said that this worries Eva, and we saw her finally express those concerns to Mr. Durant, of all people–a man whose life she saved and with whom she shares an unlikely bond. He offers her and Elam a mode out with stock on the railroad. And he confuses her further when he gives her the article Louise has written about her and her head swims.

Later, when she asks Elam to read it to her, she tells Elam she doesn't recognize that person. He insists that she is, and then he gets bogged down in Louise'southward clarification of him as Eva'due south "freeman lover." Elam misreads it as Eva wanting to exist perceived a certain way in the big urban center, and peradventure leave him. She tells him he'southward her man, period, and goes after him, telling him information technology'due south not about him or Declan. It'south nearly her, and her fear for herself and her actions, and what she might do to the infant, and that she's non the same since the infant. And there it is–she doesn't know herself anymore.

She shows him the stock and tells him she wants them to get out–together–so they can all be safe. Elam walks away from her and the argument isn't finished. We segue to the scene with Bohannon and Louise and then we hear Eva screaming that the baby is missing. Everyone comes running and Bohannon finds a cut in the back of the tent where somebody has snatched her away. Next calendar week, the search is on and Eva is incosolable.

Then, my takeaway, and I'm thinking a few steps alee–only this was where my brain went–is that Eva is probable suffering from Postal service-Partum Low–and kudos to the show if they're going to go there in the middle of a 19th century Western. I worry for Eva if that is what it is, considering they tin't give it a name, and treatment is unlikely for a woman in that situation, time, and place, but it'south a great storyline for Robin McLeavy to play. She'south already done phenomenal work with such a broad-ranging character up to now, and I know she will completely deliver.

This flavour, we've seen Eva assistance others–she did what she could for Dick in the flavour opener, and she tried to help the young prostitute who's dying–she kept her from bleeding out and she gave her the proper noun of a dr. to run into when Mickey evicted her. But she hasn't been able to get a grip on herself. She tells Durant that she doesn't experience worthy, or valuable, and he assures her that she is, but she can't see information technology.

And when Declan comes calling and offers her a solution, and the tiniest bit of daylight is there considering in the very least, she wouldn't be alone, you tin understand where she might rationalize his choice as a programme B. I call back she loves Elam. I think she wanted her daughter to be his, but I'thousand not then sure anymore that she is.

I hope the arc doesn't play out that, within the fog of PPD, Eva had a hand in the disappearance of her child to force a resolution and a way out when she couldn't come across one clearly.  The upside, if in that location is one, to a short season, is that we'll get there before long enough. This continues to be such a good bear witness. I'g so glad we got a tertiary season.

Hell on Wheels airs Saturday at 9/8c on AMC.