The second season of the AMC western-drama television series Hell on Wheels premiered on August 12, 2012 and concluded on October 7, 2012. The series was created and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton who wrote and co-wrote two episodes. They also serve as the show's showrunners. In addition to the Gaytons, Jeremy Gold, John Shiban, and David Von Ancken also serve as series executive producers. The second season was met with favorable reviews from critics with the premiered watched by just over 2.5 million viewers. The numbers were down significantly from the first season's premiere and finale.