I think I might have it down:
So basically, Swearengen gets his little hotel buddy to sell what he thinks is a bogus claim to rich boy. After rich boy buys the “bogus” claim, Swearengen soon realizes that claim he sold ain’t so bogus after all. He then employs his skeevy hotel friend to buy back the claim. The thing is though, rich boy’s wife isn’t selling.
Is that basically it in a nutshell?
(I was a little tipsy when I watched the pilot.)
You mean the pilot episode or the first few episodes? I think you’re describing the arc of the first few, but I suppose I’ll spoiler box it anyways. Basically, you’re right though.
[Spoiler]Yes, the idea is that they sell the Eastern dandy the claim that they presume is pinched out.
IIRC, what makes it a bit more complicated plot-wise is that Farnsworth and the Irish guy conspired to raise the price without Swearengen’s say so, and so Swearengen is worried that this will arouse suspicion from the Eastern dandy’s backers/parents who might send the Pinkertons out to do some “investigvating” (i.e. skull-cracking.) But when the claim turns out not to be pinched out, fear of the Pinkertons becomes the pretext by which Swearengen (via Farnsworth) tries to buy the claim back from the (savvier than expected) widow.[/Spoiler]
Er, that’s Farnum, not Farnsworth. :smack:
Good news, everybody!
Yes, Swearingen was worried that the raised price would mean the Dandy would send back east for more money, and that would cause his people back home to get suspicious and send investigators. That’s why he tried to kill the deal he himself had set up, and why he was made at his fellow swindler.