Deadwood: a Timeless Gem

[DGS49]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

The lead actor/heavy is/was British, so Iambic Pentameter was right up his alley.

That's good acting, because one doesn't even detect a trace of it while he's playing his character. He was on some late-night show and I was shocked when he opened his mouth.

It's a great series, I'd say a little too much cussing, though.

 

[Ringel05]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

I watched about 15 minutes of it, too dark for my tastes.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

I watched about 15 minutes of it, too dark for my tastes.

I watched it with my buddy and his wife..and slipped out to the shed beforehand..

 

[Ringel05]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

The lead actor/heavy is/was British, so Iambic Pentameter was right up his alley.

That's good acting, because one doesn't even detect a trace of it while he's playing his character. He was on some late-night show and I was shocked when he opened his mouth.

It's a great series, I'd say a little too much cussing, though.

Damian Lewis (Richard Winters - Band of Brothers) is English.

 

[Ringel05]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

I watched about 15 minutes of it, too dark for my tastes.

I watched it with my buddy and his wife..and slipped out to the shed beforehand..

Don't get me wrong, I love many of the westerns for their entertainment value even though they and Deadwood are typically a collection of dime novel and Hollywood myths and exaggerations.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

I watched about 15 minutes of it, too dark for my tastes.

I watched it with my buddy and his wife..and slipped out to the shed beforehand..

Don't get me wrong, I love many of the westerns for their entertainment value even though they and Deadwood are typically a collection of dime novel and Hollywood myths and exaggerations.

I forgot you're a stickler for historical stuff.

 

[Pilot1]

Deadwood is one of my favorite series, bar none. Yes, it took me a bit to get over the language, but then I got used to it. They were supposed to do two Deadwood movies a few years after the series ended, but the producer either died, or left, so it has take until now to do it. Spring 2019 release! I can't wait!

Deadwood - Movie What to Know So Far

 

[Ringel05]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

I watched about 15 minutes of it, too dark for my tastes.

I watched it with my buddy and his wife..and slipped out to the shed beforehand..

Don't get me wrong, I love many of the westerns for their entertainment value even though they and Deadwood are typically a collection of dime novel and Hollywood myths and exaggerations.

I forgot you're a stickler for historical stuff.

Sometimes it can be somewhat annoying when watching all the anachronisms, all the historical "license" in westerns or just about any historically based movie/show which is why I watch for entertainment value only in most cases.
The ones that are really funny are the old ones supposedly set just post Civil War where everyone is wearing 1930s "work" clothing, wearing 1920s cowboy boots, carrying 1886 Winchester rifles, 1873 Colts in 1930s holster rigs with turn of the century "cowboy" hats and 1910 saddles........

 

[Marion Morrison]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

I watched about 15 minutes of it, too dark for my tastes.

I watched it with my buddy and his wife..and slipped out to the shed beforehand..

Don't get me wrong, I love many of the westerns for their entertainment value even though they and Deadwood are typically a collection of dime novel and Hollywood myths and exaggerations.

I forgot you're a stickler for historical stuff.

Sometimes it can be somewhat annoying when watching all the anachronisms, all the historical "license" in westerns or just about any historically based movie/show which is why I watch for entertainment value only in most cases.
The ones that are really funny are the old ones supposedly set just post Civil War where everyone is wearing 1930s "work" clothing, wearing 1920s cowboy boots, carrying 1886 Winchester rifles, 1873 Colts in 1930s holster rigs with turn of the century "cowboy" hats and 1910 saddles........

I knew the inaccuracies would irk you like that.

Supposed to be 1876, guy has metal - cartridge wheel gun with ivory handles and 60s sideburns and Vitalis.

 

[Pilot1]

You've gotta love it though. The 50's and 60's had to be the worst purveyors of Western accuracy. Many of us grew up with the movies, and tv shows that blatantly portrayed something that was not. I have a feeling the real "Wild West" was nether wild, nor that interesting day to day. I always loved how each era had the current hair styles, and even somewhat style of dress of the times in which the movies, and shows were made. Even Star Trek was not immune lol!

 

[Ringel05]

You've gotta love it though. The 50's and 60's had to be the worst purveyors of Western accuracy. Many of us grew up with the movies, and tv shows that blatantly portrayed something that was not. I have a feeling the real "Wild West" was nether wild, nor that interesting day to day. I always loved how each era had the current hair styles, and even somewhat style of dress of the times in which the movies, and shows were made. Even Star Trek was not immune lol!

Here's a good documentary, Gary Cooper, Montana born rancher even though he did spend much of his early school days in England.

 

[DGS49]

You have to ignore the anachronisms. Otherwise, you can't appreciate the story.

 

[Ringel05]

You have to ignore the anachronisms. Otherwise, you can't appreciate the story.

Like I said I enjoy the movies for their entertainment value though I often cringe at the Hollywood myth of the old west but only in movies that are supposed to be at least close to historically correct. Others Like Silverado and the Magnificent 7 are pure Hollywood entertainment for entertainment's sake only, don't expect them to be historically correct I just expect to enjoy them. Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, Young Guns were just more of the Hollywood myth with a microscopic dose of historical accuracy but enjoyable all the same.
About the closest I've seen them come to historical accuracy in costume, weaponry, etc was (believe it or not) John Wayne in Rio Grande.

 

[evenflow1969]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

If ya like Deadwood, have you tried Justified? Also very good.

 

[Montrovant]

Prompted by my son, I began bingeing on Deadwood a few weeks ago. I believe it's an HBO thing, but with my plan I can watch any episode at my leisure. I started with the pilot, and am now almost finished with the third and final season. Plot-lines are consecutive. There are rumors of a Made-4-TV movie in the works, continuing the story line. The series was critically acclaimed and ended for no apparent reason. Probably the cast just got bored with it and wanted to move on. Several of them are outstanding and accomplished actors.

Deadwood is an 1870's gold mining boomtown with no government, and is not formally affiliated with any U.S. state or territory (at least initially). It is populated and fed by a mob of crude men with the intention of getting rich quickly, something that happens often enough to keep the flow coming in. The town initially consists of a bar/whorehouse, a hotel, and the necessary ancillary businesses that one would expect to encounter in such a boomtown circumstance. There is a sizable Chinese community that provides some food and other services to the community, but there is very little interaction - other than absolutely necessary - between the Anglo and Chinese communities, and oddly enough, there are no truly bilingual people in either community.

The culture is outstandingly crude and the language optimally profane, with every sentence punctuated by variations of the "F-word" and the word "gentleman" uniformly replaced by "C*cksucker." The beverage of choice is whiskey and many of the characters are in some state of inebriation at all times. The cast includes many historical figures, such as Buffalo Bill Hickok and "Calamity Jane," and I understand that many more of the characters are based on real people.

The dialog is - if you pay close attention - presented in Iambic Pentameter, like a Shakespearean play. The vocabulary is priceless, much of it obscure. Much of the communication is by innuendo, and the main character, one Ed Swearington, NEVER says anything directly, so it is imperative that the viewer pay close attention at all times.

But if you can get past all that, it is a GREAT series, with complex and rewarding story lines, priceless characters and situations, and entertaining portrayal of life in a fictitious boomtown in the American West. Well worth the time to watch.

Like Game of Thrones, however, it does not work well for the casual viewer. If you pick an episode at random it will be near meaningless and impossible to fully understand. You have to go through the process from the beginning.

I will miss it when I'm finished with it in a few days.

If ya like Deadwood, have you tried Justified? Also very good.

Sure, they both have Timothy Olyphant, but they are pretty different shows.

 

[Montrovant]

I'm excited for the Deadwood movie. The show was great. Hopefully they can recapture some of the magic after so many years.