# Should we stick with Deadwood? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836 "2013-04-16T13:52:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/1 "2013-04-16T13:52:32Z")
My husband and I have been getting the Deadwood DVDs from Netflix. The first season was intriguing. The second season seems to be slowly unraveling. We just watched episode 8 and I’m not sure the writers have a clue where it’s all going anymore. Do they? Is it worth sticking with? ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/2 "2013-04-16T13:56:25Z")
There are a lot of Deadwood fans on this board(I’m one of them); but I suppose it’s not for everyone. I haven’t seen the show in a long time, I don’t remember what’s happening in season 2 episode 8; but I can tell you that sometimes it’s a slow-burn build up. It’s a quality show. Stick with it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/3 "2013-04-16T16:33:20Z")
Warning: the series was expected to run 4 seasons but was cancelled in the third, so some of the plots that were building into a long arc suddenly get clipped and there’s a rushed feeling to the final season. OTOH, Gerald MacRaney’s George Hearst is one of the most despicable (and therefore one of the best) villains in TV history. He makes Al Swearengen seem like Captain Kangaroo by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/4 "2013-04-16T16:42:30Z")
I think the first two seasons are really good and the third is sort of a mess that peters out at the end. So if you’re in the middle of season two and still not into it, you may as well stop. ---
**Author:** ![Slade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/5 "2013-04-16T17:02:07Z")
Even though the third season was truncated rather sharply, it’s still better than 95% of the other TV out there. I think you’d be mad to abandon the show now. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/6 "2013-04-16T17:26:18Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Warning: the series was expected to run 4 seasons but was cancelled in the third, so some of the plots that were building into a long arc suddenly get clipped and there’s a rushed feeling to the final season. > > OTOH, Gerald MacRaney’s George Hearst is one of the most despicable (and therefore one of the best) villains in TV history. He makes Al Swearengen seem like Captain Kangaroo by comparison. It’s worth watching just for Keith Carradine’s Hickok and Robin Weigert’s Calamity Jane. Both of them disappeared into the characters completely. Actually, the entire cast turned in career performances. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/7 "2013-04-16T17:48:27Z")
Something I’ve observed about the show is that story lines converge rather than diverge, which is unusual for television. New characters show up and you have no idea why they’re there for a couple of episodes… and then you do. We’ll stick with it then. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/8 "2013-04-16T18:03:04Z")
At least stick with it through the fifth episode of Season 3, “A Two Headed Beast” with the fight between Dan Doherty and Hearst’s #2 man, Captain Turner. A real honest-to-goodness down and dirty street brawl that is one of the most realistic and the grittiest fight scene ever filmed. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/9 "2013-04-16T20:06:25Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I think the first two seasons are really good and the third is sort of a mess that peters out at the end. So if you’re in the middle of season two and still not into it, you may as well stop. I agree with this. Its going nowhere but down. Bale. Or is it Bail? Not sure now… ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/10 "2013-04-16T21:17:12Z")
I loved every minute of Deadwood, so of course I think you should watch it. Just watch out for the unauthorized cinnamon. Cocksucker. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/11 "2013-04-16T22:15:15Z")
Keep watching. The conclusion to season two is quite satisfying, and even though season three left more story to tell, it was still damn good. There was quite a furor when the show was cancelled – on-line petitions, apologies and excuses from HBO and Milch. People cared. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/12 "2013-04-17T00:37:59Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > At least stick with it through the fifth episode of Season 3, “A Two Headed Beast” with the fight between Dan Doherty and Hearst’s #2 man, Captain Turner. A real honest-to-goodness down and dirty street brawl that is one of the most realistic and the grittiest fight scene ever filmed. Seconded. This scene is amazing. Never seen a thing like it. I’d put it in my top five moments of Deadwood, period. The first episode of season three also has a great moment of Bullock absolutely losing his cool. Otherwise, season three is _largely_ forgettable. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/13 "2013-04-17T02:33:41Z")
My husband wishes I’d give up but I decided to plug on ahead with it. We watched S2E9 tonight, and it held together much better than the previous episode. I’m sorry the doctor wasn’t in it, he’s my favorite character. Mostly I’m just happy to watch the opening credits over and over and over and over and over… ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/14 "2013-04-17T04:35:28Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > At least stick with it through the fifth episode of Season 3, “A Two Headed Beast” with the fight between Dan Doherty and Hearst’s #2 man, Captain Turner. A real honest-to-goodness down and dirty street brawl that is one of the most realistic and the grittiest fight scene ever filmed. Yes. It is one of the best fictional fights I have ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-stick-with-deadwood/655836/15 "2013-04-17T10:30:18Z")
Everyone should watch all of _Deadwood_ and _The Wire_, full stop.