The Tuba Player

You know the one, the one that Major Bendix shoots after taking Durant's joking remark seriously ("will somebody please shoot him"), in season 3.

This scene was obviously written as a gag, but how does it fit with the narrative? This was a deliberate murder in front of several officials, including Grant, and all of whom were completely unphased by this act. In fact, the only one who showed the slightest bit of disbelief was Durant. And these were the same people who had previously presided and/or witnessed at a hearing, determining whether Bohannon's character were fit for a man in charge of the railroad - focusing on his penchant for killing. Why was Bendix not arrested on the spot? I realise the scene was just written in for laughs, and in Police Squad/Man With the Naked Gun this sort of gag would have been expected. But Hell on Wheels isn't supposed to be a crazy-comedy, hence my reaction at the lack of reaction in this scene.