





This weekend, we are dealing with yet another sad reality: We still have to wait until November to see the rest of “Hell on Wheels” season 4.

We don’t typically do too much of this in-season, but we actually think that this could be a great time for the fans to open up the floodgates of support and to get AMC to make a renewal for season 5 a little earlier than usual. Why? The simplest answer is that “the show deserves it,” but we’re going to get a little more in-depth than that, with some reasons why this should happen.

1. Solid ratings – We’ve done year-to-year comparisons all season long for the show, and the series has help pretty steady in both total viewers and 18-49 this season compared to season 3. Also, the show is a solid performer in live+3 and live+7 viewing, which happens often when you run new programming on Saturday. Viewer retention is so hard these days; doing this on a Saturday is even more impressive.

2. Withstanding big changes – This show is basically the engine that could. Over the years it has undergone creative changes, and this year it withstood the exit of one of its most-popular cast members in Common. So far, the ratings have not been hurt at all by the death of Elam.

3. Creative strength – Even without Elam, this has been a heck of a great season. Anson Mount is once again wonderful, but so has the rest of the cast. Jake Weber and Jonathan Scarfe have been great villains, and the action sequences and set design are always top-notch.

4. AMC’s reputation – The network has shown a willingness to give early renewals. “The Walking Dead” got a season 6 renewal before it even premiered season 5, and “Better Call Saul” is starting with two seasons. We understand that these are larger franchises, but ten episodes in seems like a feasible amount of time to wait.

5. Viewer satisfaction – Quite frankly, it would be nice to watch the final three episodes without wondering if this is the end of the road. That may be a selfish request, but still.

As always, we welcome some of your thoughts with a comment, and head over here to see some other news, ratings comparisons, and videos. Also, sign up today to get some further TV updates shipped to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo via AMC.)

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