David Milch’s “Deadwood” remains the best written show yet screened on television as far as I’m concerned. The notion of a ‘slow burn’ was invented to describe this show. Having just finished Season 2 and with the third season waiting in the wings, I am hard pressed to think about any other show that features such well developed characters as this one. Often people use words like “colourful” and “eccentric” when referring to interesting characters. Those terms do not apply to the complexities and psychological dynamics that I’ve come to associate with this show.
For the uninitiated, “Deadwood” chronicles life in the famed town in the American West, emphasising power relations and politics more than anything else. There’s Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), who became the town sheriff at the end of the first season, and Alma Garrett (Polly Walker), the object of his affection. There’s Cy Tolliver (Powers Boothe) and his gamblin’, whorin’ crew. Calamity Jane is somewhere, probably drunk; her acquaintance Utter also remains. The whores, Joanie and Trixie, have their own troubles to sort out. And then there’s the crown jewel: Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), one of the most well written, shaded and perfectly acted characters I’ve seen. As much as Michael Chiklis is Vic Mackey (“The Shield”) and Edward James Olmos disappears into Admiral Adama (“Battlestar Galactica”), no actor can rival McShane’s gritty, layered, apparently villainous Swearengen, who pretty much runs the town and sort out problems in his time, on his terms.
Season 1 opened with Bullock and then essentially followed his character trajectory while incorporating an ever-increasing amount of supporting characters. Season 2 abandons that clear narrative line and somewhat episodic plot for a more continuous, flowing narrative that gives equal screen shares to the vast majority of characters, with Swearengen being at the centre of activities (at least, that is, once the kidney stone passes – a gruelling scene indeed); here, Bullock is but one of many.
The main pleasure of the show remains: the Shakespearean screenplay. An understanding of Shakespeare’s work will illuminate “Deadwood” more than most readings.
Key highlights in season 2:
· Unexpected guests threaten Bullock and Garrett’s relationship;
· Tolliver getting increasingly cocky;
· The arrival of a geologist of sorts, one Mr. Walcott, who oozes trouble;
· The horse incident (beautifully edited);
· Swearengen’s never-ending battle to keep himself on the top of the pile;
Again, don’t expect gunfights and heroes reloading pistols at the speed of light. There is very little physical confrontation in the traditional sense. In a revisionist sense, however, there’s conflict and danger around every corner, even if nary a gun is fired.
