The final series of Deadwood has just ended in the UK. Now, I think this was one of the finest TV shows of the last 20 years, right up there with Twin Peaks. The characterisation, the dialogue - everything was superb.
But dammit - as the final credits rolled I was left feeling very disappointed in the way the whole plot just faded out unresolved. The main protagonist leaves and the building confrontation doesn’t happen.
Did they not know the series was cancelled in time to properly wrap things up or what?
Either way - ‘Swigen’ was one of the all time great dramatic TV characters. A villian, a monster and the viewer was rooting for him. As someone said near the end. When he’s not lying to you he’s the most honest man you could ever meet.
‘Lost’ better not fade out this way, '“because if it does…” (shakes fist angrily at the sky)
Take heart - there will be two four-hour movies next year from the creators, completing the Deadwood saga. They didn’t have time to fix what they were losing by getting cancelled, so they left it as it was to be finalized via the movies. Otherwise, the whole theater troupe storyline would’ve been a complete waste of time, and we all know that can be, right? Right?
Well, I am going by memory at 4:00am, so I may have a wrong number in there. But there will be conclusions, which I feel are quite necessary. If you know anything about the history of the town, you know there’s a very significant event yet to happen in Deadwood, and there are several loose ends that need tied up.
TV movies would be good - but with such a large cast to reassemble I just don’t see it. I just wanted it to feel like some natural conclusion to the story - with all that big build up to a fight, all the him or us stuff with Hurst etc etc.
Then Hurst just buggers off. THE END.
Hell, the last episode of Farscape was more satisfying than that.
This was a lousy ending for a season, let alone a series, in story-telling terms. I remember feeling like that about Twin Peaks, but unlike Deadwood that had run out of steam long before the end (IMHO etc).
Ah well, at least I can look forward to Ian McShane playing the English bad guy in every third movie coming out of Hollywood for the next few years.