I think there’s more to the Nigger General story than we know yet – there seems to be a back story that we’re missing. Hostetler didn’t seem too happy to see the General back in Deadwood, and the General looked pretty nervous when he was talking to Jane. He certainly tried to disappear quickly as soon as he saw the leader of the mob.
In general, a black man with a lot of money isn’t going to be popular with a mob of angry white guys right after the Civil War if they think that the government is trying to screw them out of their claims. I wouldn’t be too surprised if a lot of those guys were conscripts into the Union Army.
The Head Hoople accused the General of stealing his lucky pants. He must have done something when he was in camp before – he moved pretty quick when he saw them heading for the Bella Union.
I’m gonna spend the next week puzzling out MissIzzy’s behavior. I’d like to see her stick around, but she might be too crazy to last.
I got the impression that the mob went after the NG, as mentioned above, to first distract Bullock so that they could get the commissioner.
Once the ‘shooting’ thing is mentioned, based on the speech made by the head of the mob, they wanted him tarred and feathered because a lot of the miners had been drafted during the Civil War and lost family/friends/their sanity, and since this guy was flaunting his Civil War uniform, he was just asking for trouble. The fact that he happens to be black just provided a little more entitlement to the abuse.
I had been wondering why there didn’t seem to be any black people in Deadwood. I thought I had read that after the Civil War that about 15%-20% of the cowboys were black. Why would the Dakota territory be different? Is Deadwood just too new of a town? Maybe black people weren’t coming to Deadwood to prospect because they knew they wouldn’t be allowed to file and own claims?
I noticed something odd during the show. When Seth is leading the commisioner away by the arm, he turns and looks back to the crowd and touched the front of his hat like he was going to tip it. Then came a shot of the street behind him and there was a man in cowboy hat and long duster who seemed to do the same and then turn away. Does Seth have deputys we haven’t met yet?
I have 3 competing theories about the teacher’s behavior, which I’ll put in a spoiler box so as not to offend anybody’s sensibilities:
The previews for next week insinuated that she works for somebody. I think it might be:
- Alma’s grifter father who wants her killed so he can get money from her.
- Her husband’s family who think she did have something to do with her husband’s death.
- Somebody else trying to get at her claim (tolliver?)
http://tastyclips.com/ – interview with Ajaye, with some interesting comments about David Milch.
If MissIzzy is somebody’s agent, she’s doing a pretty sloppy job of whatever she’s supposed to be doing. I don’t think she expected to be fired, and if she did have a game at one time, I think she’s winging it now.
I believe those were the Bella Union security guys. The same one Cy motioned to get ready just before Seth walked into the Bella Union.
I assume the tip of the hat was Seth letting those guys know, “Thanks, I got it from here”
I had the same thought, that Miss I is an agent of Alma’s father; hence the certain knowledge of Alma’s past.
Brad Dourif, I agree, has really shone this year, which isn’t to say that he wasn’t stellar last season. But at some point, you watch the guy and say to yourself, man, this guy is really filling out this role. Dourif, obviously, proved long ago that he could act, but has taken so many bad roles in bad pictures, that you kinda just put him into a category beneath him. Deadwood has really revitalized my opinion of him.
As for the Nigger General, you call him whatever you feel is appropriate. Language in and of itself is value-neutral. As for people’s reaction, their business is to be informed before deciding to be offended or not. This board is supposed to be for intelligent discussion for people who enjoy intelligent discussion.
“The library is closed. All white people must leave.”