CORPORATE LINE: The town of Deadwood, South Dakota in the weeks following the Custer massacre is a lawless sinkhole of crime and corruption. Into this uncivilized outpost ride a disillusioned and bitter ex-lawman, Wild Bill Hickok, and Seth Bullock, a man hoping to find a new start for himself. Both men find themselves quickly on opposite sides of the legal and moral fence from Al Swearengen, saloon owner, hotel operator, and incipient boss of Deadwood. The lives of these three intertwine with many others, the high-minded and the low-lifes who populate Deadwood in 1876.
THE REVIEW: Sopranos fans will crucify me—but Deadwood is the best show on television. If you haven’t seen it you are missing out. Sometimes it takes three episodes for action on the Sopranos while not one episode of Deadwood goes by without nonstop action. Deadwood is like a rollercoaster. You never catch your breath as you bounce from one narrative to another. Deadwood has some language that takes a rewind to figure out what is said or happening.
The real reason to watch is the magnificent Ian McShane who plays Al Swearengen. No one in television history throws around the word c**ksucker as powerfully or entertaining as McShane. Tony Soprano is a tough guy but Swearengen has him licked when it comes to ruthlessness and being the kind of character that makes you laugh unintentionally ever episode.
Swearengen is top dog in a cast that is also the best in television. There is no greater ensemble on the tube. We can argue all day long—but I’ll never change my mind about Deadwood. The cast is rich with character and thick with dialogue. I often wonder if I’m not watching a Shakespearian play. This is a show that is tough to jump into from season two—but why would you want to miss season one?
The second season picks up where the brilliant season one left off. How show creator/director David Milch was able to make Deadwood better is beyond me. It seems nearly impossible to maintain the chaotic momentum and yet they moved it forward and made it better. Even with the introduction of new characters doesn’t bog Deadwood down. Some how Deadwood adds half-a-dozen characters and still juggles those balls while continually moving the original cast of characters forward. It seems to be an impossible task taken up another notch.
THE EXTRAS:
Commentary by stars Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane on “A Lie Agreed Upon part 1” – Sadly this is not the strongest commentary. McShane does a decent job while Olyphant offers very little.
Commentary by stars Molly Parker and Anna Gunn on “A Lie Agreed Upon part 1” – A decent commentary that doesn’t give the depth that fans like myself would enjoy.
Commentary by director David Milch on “New Money” – Milch is very interesting.
Commentary by executive producer-director Gregg Fienberg on “Complications” – Fienberg offers interesting production details and historical ones. Often the historical details are more interesting than the production information. Fienberg and Milch should be involved in ever commentary.
Commentary by stars Kim Dickens, William Sanderson, and Dayton Callie on “E.B. Was Left Out” – Sanderson is very interesting (I’ve interviewed him for Season Three) and E.B. is one of the biggest snakes.
Finally, the are a few more commentaries by stars Powers Boothe and Garret Dillahunt on “E.B. Was Left Out”, John Hawkes and Paula Malcomson on “Advances, None Miraculous”, Timothy Olyphant and Anna Gunn on “The Whores Can Come”, Ian McShane and Paula Malcomson on “The Whores Can Come.”
“The Real Deadwood 1877” – This documentary featurette is the best extra on the entire DVD—too bad it wasn’t longer. It goes into the mining and more about the individuals that were drawn to towns like Deadwood.
“Making of Season 2 Finale: Boy-the-Earth-Talks-To”:
– Trusting the process with David Milch – Milch discusses the dialogue and writing the show. It’s amazing to understand his creative process.
– Mr. Wu Proves Out –Keone Young, who plays Wu, goes into the character and also the Chinese and their effect on camps.
– The Wedding Celebration – Don’t watch this extra unless you’ve seen the entire season as it is a huge surprise.
Deadwood Daguerreotypes: photo gallery of characters and historic Deadwood
FRANKLY: The language is raunchy. There is nudity. There is killing. There is chaos. There is action. There is violence. There are laughs. Deadwood is pure bliss of insanity. My wife and I literally had the box set in our hands and watched every episode straight through until two in the morning. There is no way to walk away. Besides, how many shows does it take three or four full viewings to understand and absorb every nuisance?
The Sopranos has never made me want to go back and watch a season over—I’ve already done that with both Deadwood seasons. To get this DVD in my hands knowing that Season 3 is coming up in June is like Christmas in the summer.
+ Charlie Craine
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