The Overlooked Anson Mount Western Series Star Trek Fans Need To Watch

"Strange New Worlds" is not only the best "Star Trek" show in decades, but it's also a series with one of the greatest heads of hair on TV thanks to Anson Mount. Above all else, "Strange New Worlds" understands the simple appeal of seeing characters in fun, diverse situations and, like the original "Star Trek," is constantly exploring different genres. The results have varied from a catchy musical episode that also served to provide some tremendous character introspection to a fun crossover with the characters from the animated "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

Thus, fans of "Strange New Worlds" know the appeal of exploring new worlds, unusual locations, and different types of storytelling, even with a relatively small ensemble. So, before they dive into the show's latest season, fans of Anson Mount's gloriously and unjustly handsome Captain Pike should check out another show he did, one that also understands the appeal of vast landscapes, introducing new worlds, putting its characters in strange and unfamiliar situations, and having a great head of hair — "Hell on Wheels."

The show premiered back in 2011 on AMC, right in the middle of the "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," and "The Walking Dead" hype train. And though the series never caught as much cultural or critical acclaim as those three, it did manage to become popular enough to last for five seasons, serving as a precursor to the Western TV boom of the last decade.

"Hell on Wheels" starred Mount as Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier who joins the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad in the late 1800s in an attempt to track down the soldiers who murdered his wife and son during the Civil War. Soon enough, however, he finds himself a foreman and eventually a chief engineer on the unprecedented project, encountering nothing but greed, corruption, lies, and deadly struggles in the process. Indeed, across five seasons, Cullen gets pulled into political conflicts, crossing paths with historical figures and finding himself in the middle of violent disputes with railroad bosses, rival companies getting a piece of the pie, Native tribes, and his own workers.

Like "Strange New World," "Hell on Wheels" is a show with stunning production design, bringing to life the monumental task of building the railroad and the small communities that grew from that endeavor. It also features elaborate practical sets, big action set pieces, and a compelling ensemble of characters brought to life by the likes of "Silo" veteran Common.

Much like "Yellowstone" and its spin-offs, "Hell on Wheels" ultimately deals with the cost of legacy, the futility in trying to conquer a land in the name of "progress," and the larger dark side of enterprise. Mount is similarly fantastic at capturing the anguish and dry humor of Cullen, a protagonist who, like Pike, is weighed down by history (albeit his past rather than his knowledge of the future). Given Pike's adoration of Westerns and cowboys, this is a show even he would love.