Not only did Deadwood
single-handedly reinvent the western overnight – do a google and see
just how many feature-length westerns are now in the works as a result
– but also it reaffirmed a lot of folks’ faith in quality TV drama.
Sure, its mouth needed a good soapin’, but that was part of its charm.
The
series, created by David Milch, has been TVs feral cat – unpredictable,
wild, and always totally engaging. Revolving around the people of an
outlawed Dakota-district town in the 1870s, the show chartered
Deadwood's augmentation from provisional camp to town, incorporating
themes ranging from the development of communities to western free
enterprise. Though many of the characters are illusory, there’s just as
many real-life figures represented in the series (notably bar-owner Al
Swearengen and reluctant sheriff, Seth Bullock) not surprisingly,
considering their positions, the duo that are most at odds.
Season
3 is no less compelling, with the Wild West getting an almighty
shake-up with the arrival of real-life figure, George Hearst (a wealthy
American businessman, Senator and father of newspaperman William
Randolph Hearst). Played with a slightly underlying psychosis by Major Dad
himself, Gerard McRaney, the character takes over from Al Swearengen
(Ian McShane) as the town’s ‘big bad’ this season – which leads to the
former lead nasty being not only squished down to size, but having to
team up - very unlikely considering their run-ins in the first
couple of series’ – sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant).
Known
as "Boy-The-Earth-Talks-To" due to his skill and obsession with finding
gold, Hearst’s main goal in Deadwood is to control it – and if the
townsfolk don’t simply hand him the keys he’ll force himself on them as
leader. Once it becomes clear that Swearengen, Bullock and many of the
other locals aren’t going to go down without a fight, Hearst calls for
back up – resulting in all-out war for the camp.
Hearst’s nutty
behaviour (the episode where he cut’s off Swearengen’s finger is
grand!) isn’t the only reason (duh!) to watch the show this season;
there are oodles of other compelling plotlines interwoven into that big
fat one. Alma opens the town’s first bank; Wyatt and Morgan Earp come
to town, Steve is paralysed after being kicked in the head by a horse,
and – drum roll! – ‘Calamity’ Jane and Joanie the madam engage in a –
heck, another drum roll! – Lesbian relationship! Saucy, Saucy!
God this show will be missed. It was do damn good. Heck, f***ing good! (It is Deadwood we’re talking about, after all). Rumours persist that a couple of Deadwood
telemovies are in the works but considering the cast have gone and all
got themselves tied up in other jobs… it doesn’t sound like they’ll be
happening too soon, if at all.
R.I.P Deadwood. EXTRASThe extras component of the DVD is shooting nothing but blanks. Extras
on the Region 1 version: Commentary on four of the episodes (by creator
David Milch, executive producer Gregg Fienberg, writer Mark Tinker, and
cast members Robin Weigert, W. Earl Browl, Jim Beaver, and Sean
Bridges); a featurette on the dynamic between Bullock and Swearengen,
and finally, a really interesting historical piece on the era that the
show is set in – fixing on things like the elections of the time, the
mining trade and how education was introduced. None of those special
features are included on the local release.Not even worth the effort! Conclusion:
Movie 90% Extras: N/A 
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