Deadwood - July 30th

Cafe Society
21

I was actually really sad for Steve. His chracter was one of my favorites since he was introduced. He’s just such an asshole but you could see some glimmer of humanity in him. I believe the horse was the same one that ran down William and injured Steve. It looks like it got him in the end anyway.

I thought it was pretty clear that Jane and Joanie had sex. Jane had that awkward morning after demeanor about her.

The actor plot is boring as all hell. I like what they say about the camp with their prescence but I don’t need more than one scene an episode with them.

Since we haven’t seen Martha do anything this season it was nice to have her in an actual scene. I assume the “sweetness” she referred to was actual sweetness, like a kiss goodnight, and not sexual. I seem to recall Martha and Seth having another euphamism for sex.

Wow, did the Odell plot not go anywhere or what? All we got out of it was a good speech by Hearst abut how the camp should be destroyed because they don’t recognize that the rich make the rules.

Again the show seriously condenses the length of time it take anyone to get to Deadwood. Hearst sent that telegram asking for reinforcements roughly a day and a half ago. Where the hell did these guys come from? Yankton? Cheyenne?

I’m disappointed in the actors playing the Earps. Morgan looks creepy. And Wyatt has no charisma compared to the other cast. The setting up of a fake ambush and repelling of a stage is somethign the Earps were accused of in real history so I liked that. I do really like how Seth reacts to them. The scene where Seth confrotned Morgan in the street about the tools was great. You could see the look of “Holy shit am I going to have to shoot these two assholes over TOOLS!?!” on his face.

With the back therapy, I think Langrisshe is/was just trying to get close to Hearst to learn more about him. The most important thing he learned was that Hearst is just as gullible and suseptible to suggestion as anyone else.

Did I just miss it or did the previews for next week not even mention the Earps. And long ago I heard they were only showing up for one episode…I’d be seriously pissed if there were yet another plot point that was never followed up on.

This season started off fantastic… but has steadily been spiralling out of control and not in a thrilling way. Our core character are still fantastic but there’s a lot of fat on this juicy steak.

22

The telegram asked for additional reinforcements (25 <i>more</i> bricks.) I suppose that that was the first wave.

23

I think HBO could do a whole spin-off series based on just Bullock’s facial expressions. And Al’s.

I’m glad the old actor fellow finally kicked the bucket. What. Was. The. POINT? I keep thinking the actors’ storyline is going to converge with another major storyline but I’m becoming less and less convinced with each episode. Langrishe could have given Hearst the fake back treatment without his entire acting troupe even being in Deadwood. Maybe the moving of the schoolhouse will become a major plotpoint somehow?

I don’t think Jane and Joanie slept together. I think Jane’s awkwardness stemmed more from not knowing how to react to genuine tenderness and concern from another human being.

24

I need to watch again (which I do anyway, all week) – to figure out why Hearst was so upset with Aunt Lou.

Any ideas?

25

He wasn’t upset with Aunt Lou. He’s just pissed abut the camp. He took a bit of it out on her though. He also chided her for being superstious… then he gets taken by Langrisshe’s hokum fake chiropractor schtick.

26

The transcripts are posted now. So Cy had been buttering up the Earps by letting them win and having the whores pay them attention for free. Then he sees Hearst’s men come into town and tells Con, “Take them amateurs off the fucking sugar tit. Mr. Hearst brought the pros to town.”

27

I disagree. He gets upset with Aunt Lou when she exceeds what he feels is her place. Inviting Odell into her room a few eps back qualifies. So does coming to him about sending the broach to Odell when she should just be coming to get his boots. He’s also more suspicious of Odell now because the conversation about the broach gave away Aunt Lou’s fears that Odell is trying to scam him.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who liked Steve. I really thought there was a good person in there somewhere. I hope he’s not gone for good.

28

Except he was already angry when the scene started so that doesn’t make sense.

29

I still think Hearst is pissed at Aunt Lou. She invited Odell into her room without getting his permission. She was late with their dinner. She bothered him about the broach when she should have just been cleaning his boots. And on top of that, her son some may be running a scam on him. To me, he seemed particulary irritated at the point when he was asking her why she thought Odell may meet with some bad luck before reaching New York.

I’ll watch again though to see if I change my mind.

30

After a third viewing, yeah, Hearst was having a bad day before Aunt Lou showed up. He saw the paper. His back hurt.

But like Ass for a Hat said, his temper didn’t improve when Aunt Lou had the nerve to ask him to do something for her. Hell, she was even going to pay somebody. I wonder what three weeks’ wages amounts to.

It’s all take and no give with Hearst. What a great character he turned out to be.

31

I got the impression from Jack’s explanation to Al that he thought Hearst’s problems were psychosomatic and that mystical healing routine was a placebo. I thought Jack was mocking Hearst for his gullibility when he called to him on the balcony.

I was sort of dissapointed in NG’s petty one-sided food fight with the helpless Steve. It just seemed childish and nasty, though I suppose it would be understandable, given the way Steve treated him. I was also dissapointed in Jane because I kind of expected her to rise above her dislike for Steve, if only to help the Doc.

32

A lesser man than the NG would have killed Steve and gone to San Francisco with nary a word. Instead, the NG stayed on to take care of the horses. Yeah, he threw food at Steve, who was never much more than vile to him, but he also cleaned it off and tried to care for him. The NG is all right. Steve got better than he deserved, really.

33

There were a lot of nice little touches in this episode. At the start, Seth and Martha have an argument. As he leaves the house, I mention to RogueGF, “I feel sorry for the next person he runs into.” It turns out to be Sol.

paraphrasing:
Seth: “Has Hearst seen the letter?”
Sol: “I dunno.”
Seth: “You don’t know fucking much, do you?”
<pause>
Sol: “Wanna fight?”

Seth has just enough time for a small smile before the stage and the Earps arrives.

Later, some interesting things play out after Morgan cheats the new hooker at the Gem (she’s quite nice for the Gem’s standards, btw) and Johnny comes to collect. Johnny approaches Morgan with a shotgun, which Morgan comments on. Johnny sets the shotgun down on the bar. Dan casually reaches for the shotgun and takes it behind the bar. As Johnny explains to Morgan how things are going to be, Wyatt walks up and assesses the situation. He makes a casual glance in Dan’s direction and immediately reaches for his cash to pay Johnny. Wyatt knew Dan had the drop on them.

Speaking of Johnny, is it just me or is he finally catching on and showing that he has a brain? He seemed very protective of the new hooker. That in itself could end badly.

Con even showed half a brain this week in signalling to Leon to let Wyatt leave with some winnings.

Was Richardson actually reading the paper or was he just looking for illustrations and hoping to absorb the stories through osmosis?

I agree that Hearst was already angry and looking for someone to take it out on when Aunt Lou showed up, but I think there is more to it. Although Hearst seems at times to be the least racist person in Deadwood (next to Jane anyway), it’s kind of a double standard. If it’s a gesture he initiates that makes him feel magnanimous (letting Aunt Lou stay in the hotel, eating and walking with Odell), all is well. However when Aunt Lou allows Odell into her room or asks a favor of Hearst, it’s a problem. It may have nothing to do with their skin color and more to do with Hearst wanting Aunt Lou to know her place as his employee. Let’s hope Hearst never catches The Little NG with Aunt Lou.

Speaking of the NG, I didn’t see anyone mention the reason why Steve was telling himself that he wanted NG to stay. Steve had no idea of how to do bookkeeping and was afraid to drink and forget his accounts.

Last, I saw the new Miami Vice movie last night. It almost felt like watching Sunday night HBO. I saw Sol, Blazanoff, and Julius Caesar. :wink:

34

Thank you for reminding me. That was great. Sol and Silas Adams are the only two characters that really makes jokes on the show that are meant as jokes.

35

And when he tested Al earlier in his office, (“I’d also say you’re fucking free with your reprehending tone.”), with his back to the door, I got the impression that he knew Dan had just pulled his knife out.