As evil as Swearengen may be, he knows how to administrate a town. The way he handled that smallpox epidemic was amazing. He was even right about changing the word “gratis” to “free” in the paper. He knows his people. I think he’s maybe the most interesting character. He’s completely iredeemable morally, but he’s also smart, he can be witty, even charming when he wants to be, and he’s a born leader. If he had a conscience he could have been a good candidate for political office. He’s the closest thing that camp has to a mayor, and the funny thing is that he does a pretty good job of it if he has to. He probably saved the camp, or at least he greatly reduced the damage that could have been done. Where would Deadwood be without him?
Sober and horny.
Be fucked.
Man, that Jane is a hoot.
Marc
Best line from episode 6 – Al to a non-working whore: “You’d better be sittin’ on a payin’ dwarf!”
You’re right about Al’s qualities. The writers are doing great work with these characters. There are no good guys or bad guys, in the traditional sense.
I adore Rev. Smith, but he’s too sweet to last, I’m afraid.
Right now, I like Cy more than I like Swearengen. Normally I enjoy characters who are morally depraved and completely irredeemable, but so far, ol’ Jim has just bored me. Until tonight’s episode.
Also, I have officially added Montana to my pantheon of Extremely Yummy and Fuckable Fictional Men. He rounds out the top five. We didn’t see much of him tonight, but we saw enough, and he was droolworthy in the previews for next week.
Yes, I am extremely shallow. But Montana has the combination of personality traits that really appeals to me. It’s not just because he’s a pretty face.
I like this series more and more every week.
Seth, Jane, Doc, and even Bill all seem to be good guys in the traditional sense to me. Sure, Jane my be crazier then a shit house rat and swears enough to make a sailor blush but she’s essentially a good person. Al, Cy, and E.B. all seem to be bad guys in the traditional sense.
Marc
True, there some ‘good guys’ in the traditional sense (and ‘bad guys’), but the writers have made all the characters so complex and well-rounded that they aren’t always on one side or the other (except for perhaps the Doctor, Sol and the Reverend). Seth, while a good guy, goes out hunting for Bill’s killer instead of bringing him to another territory to try him in real court. The writers have done great job on this show.
Swearengen did pull through to save the camp tonight, but only for his own benefit. It’s not like he was feeling benevolent toward the other residents, he just doesn’t want his income flow prematurely ended.
It was also shocking to hear the little blonde girl speaking some english tonight. Trixie is quite the teacher.
Montana isn’t fictional exactly. Nor is Swearengen.
As for the other qualities ascribed to him, I can’t say.
I thought the Reverend had something other epilepsy and his seizure was a symptom of the smallpox, perhaps he knows that he’s a goner. I don’t know if people in 1876 knew about brain tumors or other neurological problems.
I liked the touch when Dan complained about how there were no baseball scores in the paper. “That new league just started up and there’s a team in Chicago.”
Which was indeed true, the National League started play in 1876 and there has been an NL team from Chicago ever since. However, St. Louis would have been the closest team to Deadwood.
I know. But for my purposes, he is. I like the writers’, directors’, producers, and actor’s protrayal of the man, whereas I know nothing of the man himself.
I know it was for self-serving reasons. My point was not that he was virtuous, just that he was efficient. If he’d wanted to be a good guy he would have been a natural political leader.
The way E.B. is always chattering away to himself is the reason I have begun referring to him as E.B. Gollum 
pepperlandgirl:
Just so you know you’re not alone in your Timothy Olyphant-lusting, I have to tell Mrs. Chastain who he is every stinkin’ week we watch. I swear, the woman can remember transgressions I committed six years ago, but can’t remember week-to-week who the hot male lead on the show is.
All I usually have to say is, “Remember Todd Gaines the drug dealer from the movie ‘Go’? Same dude.” :rolleyes:
Hey, she forgives me a little Alyson Hannigan lust, so I can give her this one.
I was impressed by Alma’s “performance” when E.B. came to check whether or not she was doped up. The widow’s got some brass…er…guts.
The only thing scarier than Al and Cy going to war with one another is Al and Cy becoming partners. While I doubt either one would be willing to share the top spot, it does lead to some interesting possibilities.
I’m having a hard time figuring out Bullock, though. There’s got to be something in his backstory that explains why he goes so far out of his way to show respect for the dead, while demonstrating so much contempt for the living.
Loved Jane’s exchange with E.B. That was classic.
And is it just me, or does Dr. Cochrane perpetually look like a hunted animal? The guy could seriously use a drop or two of laudanum.
I guess I mean in the traditional western movie sense, where the characters only had one side to show us.
Seth lacks patience; he can be rude and short-tempered and single-minded, and his sense of morality and justice could use a little loosening up. Jane strikes me as self-destructive and bullheaded, and she will act against her own self interest. Doc is pretty much a 100% good guy so far, but there’ve been a couple of times when he’s been interrupted and it’s looked like he’s doing something he doesn’t want people to see. Bill fell victim to his own celebrity, not his fault, but he did shoot the Mason guy a bit too quickly, didn’t he? In an old western, Bill would have been forced to allow Mason to draw on him.
In a town like Deadwood, as loose as everyone ELSE’S sense of morality and justice is, I don’t think he needs to loosen up at all.
Forgot to mention this earlier, but you know who this show really needs?
Billy Bob Thornton. I can’t explain it, but I just think he’d fit in perfectly.
I have nothing more to report.
*Forgot to mention this earlier, but you know who this show really needs?
Billy Bob Thornton*
Agreed. I also think that Tom Waits would be brilliant on the show. Actually for the first couple episodes, every time I saw Charlie Utter, I’d think that Waits should be playing him instead.
Because Billy Bob could go toe to toe with Elsworth in regards to swearing?
I liked this episode. The preacher really creeps me out though. He seems to be a little bit too much of a zealot. I could see him commiting just about any act if he thought it was in God’s name.
E.B. is cracking me up. How long can he keep that up before Al over hears him?
Things aren’t looking good for Trixie. Her bruises just faded too.
I’ve thought that Doc was hiding something since the first episode. With the pace that things seem to be moving, I would guess that we will find out what it is sooner rather than later.
I think we saw some inkling that Sol fancies Trixie. Seth ignored Trixie earlier because he is a family man, although he hasn’t sent for his wife yet.
I think the minister’s problems are twofold:
- he has epilepsy
- the actor who plays him isn’t listed in the opening credits, just the end. Hence, I don’t think he’s long for the show. You might as well give him a red shirt and beam him down on to the surface of an unexplored planet.