"Hatfields & McCoys" episode two filled with revenge and murder

Bill Paxton in "Hatfields and the McCoys"

/ Chris Large/History Channel

(CBS News) "Hatfields & McCoys" has quickly become a full-fledged hit for The History Channel. The three-part miniseries already scored record ratings after its premiere on Monday night, becoming the top-rated non-sports telecast in basic-cable history.

And critics are hooked.

Pictures: Kevin Costner
Read more: Noel Fisher: Cast bonded on "Hatfields & McCoys" miniseries
Read more: "Hatfields and McCoys" scores record ratings
Read more: "Hatfields & McCoys" feud plays out on The History Channel

Entertainment Weekly summed it up well: "'Hatfields & McCoys' is engrossing and enlightening about a squabble that proves to be a lot more than the bumpkin brawl of pop legend. By the end of this installment, the disagreement has escalated in their minds as 'startin' another Civil War,' and the power of this miniseries is that it feels that way to us, too."

In episode two, when the McCoys murder Anse's younger brother, the Hatfields ride out to get revenge - and once again, it's bloody. Friends, neighbors and outside forces soon join the feud, and hostilities between the Hatfields and McCoys bring West Virginia and Kentucky to the brink of war. Romance continued, too, between Johnse Hatfield and Roseanne McCoy.

Next up is the finale, airing Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT. In part three, Bad Frank's raids force the Hatfields deeper into the mountains, while the impulsive Johnse sets his sights on another McCoy woman and the ruthless Nancy McCoy spies on the Hatfields. And, of course, the feud continues, leading to a shattering New Year's Day battle.

"Hatfields & McCoys" stars Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton and Tom Berenger.

Actor Noel Fisher, who plays Cotton Top Mounts, the illegitimate son of Ellison Hatfield, told CBSNews.com the cast bonded on the set.

"It was one of the more communal experiences I've had on a project," he said. "Basically getting to work with that many people in Romania, where none of us had been before, was a really wonderful experience because we all got to bond. We are very much a family now."

Tell us: What did you think of episode two of "Hatfields & McCoys"?

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Kevin Costner

[colvinatch]

Finally the "History" channel is actually doing something historical for a change instead os some half baked reality show!