Well, not quite as good as last week, but that was a tough act to follow.
We know Hearst, being a historical person, has to survive. Ditto Star, Bullock and Swidgen. For that matter, so is Jane.
Has Alma got long to live? Will she reconcile with Mr. Ellsworth? My guess is not. I’m guessing she either perishes or sells out to Hearst.
Okay, what’s up with Aunt Lou? Is Hearst her son’s father?
From the previews: Wow! Jane and Joanie? I remember there was speculation about it, but I never saw Jane as Joanie’s type, unless she has a thing for wanting to take care of people.
I thought it was a great episode, with lots of (finally) communication, and a meeting-with-peaches to come.
Hearst is Odell’s father? I didn’t see anything hinting at that. He seemed a bit surprised that Aunt Lou even had a son.
The Liberia-gold thing set me to googling, and I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t know about Liberia’s formation as a refuge for slaves. But they do have gold. Googling Liberia and Gold brought about some interesting stuff involving Pat Robertson, of all people.
Funny that Trixie told Al she “quit” the bank.
Enjoyed Leon’s little speech in the thoroughfare.
Wondering what’s up with Blazanov. His behavior was the only really puzzling part of this episode.
Leon is going to be a wild card. He isn’t dealing to Alma of his own accord and now Cy tells him to. Which way is he going to go?
I am a little lost why Aunt Lou was so intent on getting Odell out of town.
When Steve heard that the Nigger General had almost $1200 I expected him to jump him in the street. I expect a bad ending or that arc.
Interesting how Dan threatened to pop Al one.
Thank goodness they didn’t waste any time on the acting troup subplot.
From Odell’s comments about a gold strike in Liberia. Might be Odell’s planning some kind of scam on Hearst, but even if he’s legit, and he does know about gold in Liberia, his mom doesn’t want him dealing with Hearst. She knows how nuts he is. (Hearst, not Odell.)
Yeah it was pretty clear that Odell is planning on scamming Hearst. NG referred to Odell as “high yellow”… I think there’s some implication that Hearst is Odell’s father.
I don’t think Hearst was surprised that Lou had a son… just that her son was there in camp.
I take it alot of you don’t watch the previews? Re: Blazonof preview spoiler
In the preview, Blazonof explains that Hearst’s telegram was calling for re-enforcements. The violence that he knows is coming is why he was depressed.
I loved the episode. Lots of funny little bits.
Not sure I got the sense that Odell was Hearst’s son. To be frank, he didn’t look half-caste at all and Hearst didn’t appear to even know he existed.
I think it’s more a case of Odell trying to scam Hearst and Aunt Lou knowing Hearst will kill him for it.
Bullock is still my favourite character. Other than Hearst, he is the only man in the camp Al can’t intimidate.
Interesting that Odell was played by Omar Gooding. Cuba Gooding Jr’s brother. They sure do look alike.
I didn’t get a sense that Odell was Hearst son either, just that Odell was planning to scam Hearst in some way.
Without reading Push You Down’s spoiler (I try to avoid previews), my guess is that Hearst’s telegram upset Blazanov. Since Captain Turner is gone, Hearst is probably calling for reinforcements, which reminded Blazanov of the murder of his parents.
I have no idea what will happen with Alma and Ellsworth, but I’d be surprised if Alma doesn’t make it to the end.
I miss Doc, but at least we got a bit of Jewel. And no theater troop storyline at all.
That explains why I thought it might be Cuba at first.
No kidding. I kept thinking he looked an awful lot like Cuba Gooding Jr.
That’s the impression I got as well. Aunt Lou knows he never went to Liberia, since there’s no way he could’ve gotten her telegram and gotten to Deadwood in 27 days, and he wouldn’t have known that she was in Deadwood until he got the telegram.
It was clear when he tried to explain that maybe he just knew Hearst would have her there that they both knew he was full of it.
Huh… That’s not at all what I saw. From their scene talking about Liberia it seemed he had been there. What he had to say about it seemed more first hand than just making stuff up to tell mom.
He figured out that Africa wasn’t much better than the states, and he came back. I also got the impression that Odell had been sent there years before. Lou referring to how much he had grown. Hearst not knowing who he was. Hearst has had Lou for years now. He’d know her son if he had been around. And considering that Lou was most likely a Hearst family slave, that means Odell was also a Hearst possession. And since they established that Odell is “high yellow” meaning mixed, I think that points to who Odell’s father may be. Unless NG was wrong when he called him that.
Odell’s plan to scam Hearst also seems like something a jilted son might try.
Most likely Odell is scamming, but supposing he isn’t: We know that Hearst’s business model isn’t big on fair prices arrived at by way of good faith dealing between equals. Aunt Lou would have good reason to fear for his safety no matter what once he starts doing business with the Great Man.
I thought it was a fantastic episode, and I’m really enjoying the way the show keeps getting more and more blatantly Shakespearean.
These aren’t examples of that, just lines I enjoyed:
“There’s no connection between Hostedtler and Hearst.”
“They both start with H.”
“How’s the fuckin’ ear?!”
“Good, Bullock, good. By dissembling our feelings, we keep the strategic edge.”
“Not assuming you know left from right, or I’d have spoken.”
I’ll agree that he had been there, but not that he came to see her directly from Liberia after getting her telegram, which is what he told her. It seemed like it didn’t occur to him that she would remember how long it had been since she sent him the telegram nor that she’d figure out that he’d have no way of knowing she was in Deadwood otherwise.
I think he’s trying to bring Hearst down for some reason (still not sold on the ilegitimate son angle) and it involves convincing Hearst that he came directly from Liberia.
I hadn’t thought about Odell wanting to bring him down, but it’s possible (especially if Hearst’s his daddy).
More likely a scam, but maybe not that either.
Maybe he just sees his mother working for a wealthy man, and Odell sees an opportunity to be Hearst’s man in Liberia. Or Hearst’s man’s man.
Oh I think we might see a twist here that has Hearst leave Deadwood to see to an interest in Liberia and Odell made Hearst’s man in the camp.
I doubt it, not with what we’ve seen of Hearst and how he feels about African-Americans.
Or were you joking?
I too wondered if Odell was Hearst’s son. Aunt Lou saying, “You won’t take him from me…” and the “high yella” comment from the NG indicate it as a possibility. I didn’t think Hearst was surprised that Aunt Lou had a son so much as he was surprised to see a grown black man he didn’t know in his Aunt Lou’s room. Also, Hearst was in a pissy mood due to his very bad day and was giving Aunt Lou a hard time.
It’s not clear to what Odell’s plan was, just that he had been in Liberia (I do think he went there; Aunt Lou sent him to get him away from Hearst, I thought) and came back sooner than the time when he told his mother he returned. There is gold in Liberia; maybe Aunt Lou doesn’t believe him about that.
I really felt bad for Alma, and for Ellsworth. He blames himself for her drug use, as if she has to be high to tolerate being married to him. I think she’s going to have to break down her wall of icy reserve to convince him otherwise. If she can do this, I think she and Ellsworth will have a chance.
Trixie was awesome this ep, and I loved her conversation with Al. Funny how he shows her his love by cussing her out.
Why did Al cancel Dan’s trip? Is it because the shit with Hearst is going to go down too soon for Dan to get to Cheyenne and back with the reinforcements?
No idea what’s going to happen with Steve and the NG. I hope that, whatever happens, Steve loses.