That is exactly who and what I’m talking about. It takes us only half a second to see the guy, but the director and the editor spent a good five minutes on this. Why? Why is this guy center screen if he is not supposed to be Utter in with a hairier beard at the sideburns? Something this carefully made, the director doesn’t put a character in that is that much of a look alike without a reason.
I don’t know, but he’s not Utter. I’ve watched the whole series twice, and Utter has nothing to do with Hickock’s death. As AuntiePam points out, he’s not even in town.
I’ll admit that I can’t rely on just my saying he looks the same if I’m the only one. But he looks like he is in disguise to me. And yes, I was well aware that Utter made a big deal about his going out of town. But we didn’t see him go and be somewhere else. Anyway, since I’m outvoted, I’ll just go with it looks strange to me.
This! Charlie Utter, the Deadwood character, was not in camp at that time in that episode.
The director no doubt took a good deal longer than five minutes setting up the scene. There’s a lot going on, and ‘background’ (i.e., Extras) are not as high-priority as Principles. The director was probably like, ‘OK, we need a reaction shot. You,’ taking into account the other reaction shots he was getting and the whole rest of the scene. He’d been working with Dayton Callie and knew what he looks like. To him, this background actor didn’t look like him.
Accidents happen all the time. The first film I ever made (for a film class) featured a violent confrontation in a field of poppies. Everyone commented on my genius of staging a violent scene in a pleasant-looking place. In reality, I was filming in Spring and the poppies happened to be blooming. That was a good accident. Lots of films have good accidents, and some have bad ones. In this case, an extra just happened to bear a passing resemblance to ‘Charlie Utter’. To everyone on the set, he looked different. To most people watching the series, he looked different. There are no secret messages.
The actor looks a lot younger than Dayton Callie. He’s probably an extra without a screen credit. Otherwise I’d suggest looking for a photo, to compare him with Callie. Callie’s face is lined and rugged, and this guy isn’t nearly as worn-looking.
It’s true that we don’t see Utter while he was away, but don’t put any stock in that. I can only think of a couple times when we see anyone outside of Deadwood – Seth and Charlie in episode 5, and Seth in Lead (or someplace) to give a campaign speech in S3.
I don’t remember Charlie making a big deal about leaving town, except that when he left, he was put out with Hickock. I do remember thinking that Hickock without Charlie as his keeper might find some trouble.
Was there anything else that made you think Utter wanted Hickock dead? I think it’s interesting, the different ways people will interpret things.
Their parting was a last parting. “Let me go to hell the way I want to go to hell.” Hickock wrapped up all his business with Alma and the look on his face sitting in the chair with the back to the open saloon was very resigned. Good job on Carradine’s part. McCall, wearing a new suit (where did he get the money?) walks right in, knowing where he was and without any pause walks right over and shoots him.
It’s kinda like Caesar going to the forum on March 15: in some versions, he just knows what is going to happen and does it anyway to go out undefeated except by treachery.
The line was probably foreshadowing. If my memory is correct he was probably talking about the gambling and it doubles to foreshadow his death. I don’t remember the suit, but I do remember Hickock playing poker at the same table for days in a row. Everyone would have known where Hickock was.
And I agree with Johnny L.A. that the actor who you think is Utter was focused on because the director wanted a reaction shot. Having Utter set up the kill would have been inconsistent with the character and his future actions. It would have added nothing to the story for Utter to set up a complicated plot to murder his best friend.
I remember Jack’s new suit, because someone removed the price tag for him. Since he lost all his money playing poker with Bill, maybe he got the suit on credit. Or maybe he took the dollar Bill gave him and had better luck at another table.
I assume he bought the suit so he’d look good for his admirers after he shot Bill Hickock. He didn’t bother to wash up though. He was disgusting, even by Deadwood standards.
Also, that’s just not him. He doesn’t even look that much like Utter.
Like most people I’ll say that it wasn’t Utter in the bar scene. Doesn’t even look like him too much, the guy is younger.
Also why do that if it has no follow up whatsoever. The story shows that Charlie was away and we see him return and find out. For the rest of the run we see that Charlie mourns and respects the memory of his friend. This theory you have is never even hinted at for the rest of the programme.
this is the weeeeeirrrdessst theory I have ever heard…
Yeah, basically no basis in anything.