One glimpse into the Wild West town of Deadwood will make you want to be a part of it.
Well…maybe for an hour.
And only if you are the right person.
“Deadwood” has been on my watch list for a while and I finally caught it. The HBO original series aired 36 episodes between 2004 and 2006. Each episode is roughly one hour in length, and the series can be treated as a really long movie.
The series itself is a period piece as much as the setting. 2004 was the era of anti-heroes and powerful cable series’ outdueling network television. Every scene is shot like a feature film. Every character is compelling to witness. Every episode is economical in its storytelling.
“Deadwood” takes a real place in time and real people from history and adds a touch of artistic license to craft a fun and thrilling story.
The year is 1876. The unincorporated territory of Deadwood is literally lawless; the land claim is in dispute between the United States and a native tribe. There is no sheriff. There are no rules. Brutality reigns supreme.
The series features a vast scope of characters – many of which are based on real people. Unlike a traditional wester, there are no good guys. The residents of Deadwood are all bad to varying degrees. Some more so than others. And all are doing whatever it takes to survive.
Every actor looks and feels the part
Timothy Olyphant plays Seth Bullock; a former lawman who relocates to deadwood with his friend Sol (John Hawkes) to start a hardware store. Ian McShane plays Al Swearengen – owner of the Gem Saloon and the defacto kingpin of Deadwood.
Al Swearengen runs his outfit like a primitive mob boss, complete with hired goons and a cold blooded soul. Brad Dourif plays the town doctor. Keith Carradine and Dayton Calliedisplay their machismo.
The women are gorgeous and the men are rugged
Powers Boothe portrays Cy Tolliver – a sleazy saloon owner who rivals Al Swearengen. This is easily my favorite character. I love Powers Boothe in ‘24’ and ‘Sin City’ and here he brings his perfect overbearing tendencies to the forefront. Cy Tolliver is an entrepreneur – when the deck is stacked in his favor (literally and figuratively). There is one incredibly harsh scene in season 1 which I won’t spoil – you’ll know when you get to it. Powers Boothe is a perfect fit for this character.
There are great female characters as well – despite the limitations of the time period. Alma Garret (Molly Parker) plays a New York socialite whose husband is searching for gold. Trixie (Paula Malcomson) is a, shall we say prostitute who is far smarter than any of her customers.
Kim Dickens and Anna Gunn display beauty and tenacity. Robin Weigert is unrecognizable as female gunslinger Calamity Jane.
The setting of Deadwood is exactly as one would expect. It’s like RDR2 – full of abrasive language and quite brutal. Its dirty, life is short the whisky is hard. Death is imminent at every step. Even the name is chilling.
If you have never watched “Deadwood” I highly recommend it. Even if you shy away from westerns, it’s much more than that. Grab a free HBO trial and binge it in a week.
“Deadwood” can be streamed through HBO
