Deadwood: The Complete Third Season (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Deadwood" either is your cup of tea or isn't, and if it isn't, then you probably have no business even considering prchasing these DVDs; the third season in't gonna change your mind. If it IS your cup of tea, and you're just wondering whether or not the third season meets the high marks set by the first two seasons, allow me to answer: it does. In some cases, it even surpasses them.
The third season finds the camp in a general tizzy about the upcoming elections for mayor and sheriff, and Al Swearengen in a bit more specific tizzy about the impact the arrival of George Hearst has had on his life and livelihood. In a sense, the entire season is about the power play between these two titans, with Cy Tolliver trying to edge himself into the mix somewhere and Seth Bullock trying to figure out what his place is in the whole mess.
Amongst the other plot threads explored in this season: Jane's growing friendship with the increasingly troubled Joanie Stubbs; Alma's opening a Deadwood bank; the feud between Steve and Hostetler; the oddly touching relationship between Trixie and Sol; Elsworth's marriage to Alma, which may not prove to be the bed of roses he had hoped for; the appearance in town of the Earp brothers, and of a troupe of actors; and, of course, Seth Bullock's ever-present willingness to be grumpy with the wrong person, Farnum's weasly nature, and Merrick's desire to write about it all.
The plots don't matter much, though. The dialogue and the acting are what make this show great. "Deadwood," in its three seasons, had so many iconic moments that it makes most other shows look like film-school projects in comparison.
In addition to the regular cast standouts -- Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, W. Earl Brown, William Sanderson, Brad Dourif, Molly Parker, Powers Boothe, Robin Weigert, and so on, ALL of whom do Emmy-caliber work -- I think special mention needs to go to Gerald McRaney, who turned up right at the end of season two but becomes an integral character in the third. His portrayal of Hearst is just awesome. Not that he's better than anyone else on the show; he just immediately fits in with the tone of the show, so much so that it really feels as if his character had been there all along, lurking in the shadows somewhere.
Much has been written about the fact that HBO decided to cancel the series, and pretty unexpectedly; but don't fret too much about the show ending on a cliffhanger. Not all plot points are resolved, but there is at least a sort of closure; it's like the first two seasons, where it feels as if a chapter has ended, but the novel will continue. Well, it looks like the novel WON'T be continuing -- HBO has claimed that there will be two two-hour movies to wrap things up, but no filming dates seem to have been set, and it's been months since anyone had anything to say about that project -- but if the series has to end with the close of the third season, I won't feel as if I was cheated too terribly badly. I'd prefer it had run for ten or twelve years, but hey, we're lucky the doggone thing ever even got made.

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(Rolling Stone) "The Best Drama on Television" is back with the third season on DVD! Timed to coincide with Father's Day, HBO will release Deadwood: The Complete Third Season DVD on June 12, 2007. Watch as the lawless era of Deadwood comes to an end. This DVD is loaded with bonus features including two featurettes, audio commentaries and more.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryFeaturette

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Deadwood - The Complete First Two Seasons (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here in Oregon, we have a reputable Shakespeare company in Ashland, and my wife and I make annual pilgrimages to see the latest productions.
I mention this autobiographical trivia because I couldn't put my finger on why DEADWOOD seemed so familiar to me. It was not because I've seen westerns before, because DEADWOOD is profoundly different from any western that's ever been made.
And then I realized it: This is the equivalent of modern-day Shakespeare.
Lest the good reader think I am overreaching, let's review DEADWOOD's merits: Layered storylines, exemplary casting and acting, pathos and comedy, gritty realism... but most importantly, the language, my God, the LANGUAGE!
Much has been made of DEADWOOD's incredibly salty lingo, but I think discourses on the show's profanity unfairly overshadow the fact that the lines these characters deliver are pure gold. In Deadwood, conversations are masterful displays of timing and wit, and even lowly characters like Farnum get delicious speeches that plumb their souls, please our ears, and stir us if we are willing to listen. Just like the Bard wrote!

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1876. In the Black Hills of South Dakota lies Deadwood, a lawless town inhabited by a mob of restless misfits ranging from an ex-lawman to a scheming saloon owner to the legendary Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The richest gold strike in American history provides the backdrop for HBO's next great drama.

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Deadwood: The Complete Seasons 1-3 (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, "Deadwood" has the most constantly profane and racist language, and graphic sex and violence I have ever seen on mainstream film. So, those who are offended by material of this nature should not watch. But if you can get past that, "Deadwood" is brilliant.
Let me begin by giving an example of the writing. In the following scene, Al Swearengen, Deadwood's ruthless leader, deplores the fact that the self righteous Sheriff, Bullock, is too involved in his adulterous affair with Alma (who controls a rich gold mine) to focus on the political struggles the community is facing in its attempt to be annexed into the United States. Swearengen watches Bullock leave the hotel after being with Alma. One of Swearengen's men remarks that Bullock means no disrespect. Swearengen replies:
"Horror is, you are f**kin' right. He don't know if he's breathin' or takin' it through f**kin' gills. He is that f**king c**t-struck. They're afloat. In some fairy f**kin' bubble, lighter than air, him, her snatch, and his stupid f**kin' badge...Self-deceiving c**k-sucker I am, I thought, when America took us in, Bullock would prove a f**kin' resource. Look at him, stridin' out like some randy, maniac Bishop."
"Deadwood" is a true western because it is the story of the creation of a community on the frontier. The town of Deadwood was born when gold was discovered in the Black Hills, lands ceded to the Sioux by treaty. All kinds of non-Native Americans, Europeans, and Chinese invaded the area. This action was illegal under the laws of the United States and, of course, considered grounds for war by the Sioux. So, the people who founded Deadwood, of every class, were all true outlaws. And Deadwood had no law but custom and the knife and gun. In three seasons, "Deadwood" tells the story of how the town was founded and ultimately annexed to Dakota Territory.
Many of the characters portrayed are based on historical personages. Formost among them is Al Swearengen the "Bloody King of Deadwood," who operated the town's first saloon and bordello. Swearengen is played by Ian McShane. It is the role of McShane's career and he is astounding. As the episodes progress, Swearengen's charachter evolves to amazing complexity, far beyond the simple villain he at first appears. We come to root with guilty pleasure for Swearengen, the murderer and whoremonger, and to admire his cunning as he allies with Bullock and others who attempt to hold their own against even worse and more powerful and morally corrupt forces; Cy Tolliver, the despicable overlord of a competing gambling house, Wolcott, mining engineer, serial killer of prostitutes and agent of the ruthless, implacable mining magnate, George Hearst, and against corrupt and idiotic politicians from Yankton who would deprive Deadwood's founders of political rights of self determination.
The thing I enjoyed most about "Deadwood" is the fact that it is brilliantly and blatantly Shakespearian. Scenes of high drama are artfully alternated with comic vignettes. A number of characters actually engage in soliloquies with strange yet understandable sentence structure. It is surprising and pleasing to see how well such scenes work in a western. For example, Swearengen keeps the head of a dead Indian in a box. When he is beset by fools, his lackeys, Swearengen, like Hamlet to Yoric, confides his feelings, questions and stratagems to "The Chief." In one such scene, Swearengen complains to The Chief about one of his men. Swearengen says:
"Dead, and without a body, you still outstrip him for intelligence."
There are a few pure and good souls represented in this savage work. Calamity Jane, played by Robin Weigert is a true Shakespearian "wise fool." In one of my favorite scenes (it made me laugh and cry) Calamity visits the grave of the murdered Wild Bill Hickock, who she adored. It is her custom each night to tell Wild Bill the news of Deadwood. On this night, she is joined by Charlie Udder, Wild Bill's other closest friend. She allows Charlie to tell Wild Bill the news. But he breaks down. He asks Calamity:
"Can I...can I tell `im some more tomorra?"
Calamity replies with kindness:
"Sure. What the f**k you askin' me for? I don't make the rules."
The scene is at once melancholy, hilarious, and profound. And there are many such scenes in this brilliant masterpiece.
"Deadwood" is an innovation, in the American western, so profound that it will be studied by many over time. Whether it will ever be matched is an open question.




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(2007) Timothy Olyphant; Ian McShane

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Deadwood: The Complete Second Season (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Deadwood is perhaps the best show HBO has made, and that's saying something. There is no other TV show, barring perhaps 'The Wire', which is written with such a keen ear for dialogue and with such fleshed out characters. Season 2 is just as good, if not better, than the first series. It moves with slightly more pace and some of the more interesting characters, such as Cy Tolliver and Alma Garrett, are explored in greater depth. Tolliver - played by the incredible Powers Boothe - truly becomes a force to be reckoned with in this second series. The powerplays between him and Al Swearengen make for some of the most interesting television one could hope to see.
Among other things, we see in season two the return of Bullock's wife and son; the softer side of Al Swearengen; a sadistic geologist with a keen eye for gold; and blood-letting between Mr. Wu and a chinese rival from San Francisco. Throughout, we are treated to a healthy dose of Deadwood's trademark violence and profanity, the latter of which rolls of the tongue with surprising eloquence. Swearengen makes certain curse words sound as if they are as natural as 'if', 'and' or 'but'.
Ultimately, the most outstanding features of this series are the following:
1) Al Swearengen - again, as in the first series, Ian McShane is amazing.
2) Cy Tolliver - Powers Boothe devours every scene he's in.
3) Seth Bullock - Timothy Olyphant's sheriff walks the streets of Deadwood like a cauldron about to teem with furious anger. The addition of his wife and son, and his illicit affair with Alma Garrett, add further tension.
Pick up series two when it comes out. Strangely, it's already out here in Australia!

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1877. A new day is dawning in the Black Hills outlaw camp of Deadwood. For better or worse, times are changing, and the transformation from camp to town is imminent. Unsavory new arrivals - looking to cash in on the lucrative anarchy -- and a government of outsiders usher in an era of hard decisions and brutal power struggles among the camp's founders, all learning the hard way...fortune comes with a price.DVD Features:3D Animated MenusAudio CommentaryDocumentariesFeaturettePhoto gallery

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Deadwood: The Complete First Season (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)The best kept secret on television is Deadwood, a semi-true story of the lawless town in South Dakota that popped up during the gold rush days of the 1800's. The real Deadwood boasted legendary residents like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock. Both figure prominently as characters in the TV series but are far from the only great characters on display.
Perhaps you've heard of the series, but never gave it a look. Or perhaps you were warned by others that the language was so profane as to render it unwatchable. True, the series isn't for anyone under the age of 18, but it must be understood that this semi-historical piece was written to represent the actual dialect and social tenor of the region at that time. Deadwood was a rough place without real law, and gold was on everyone's mind. All the elements for great drama were there. Greed, corruption, deceipt, innocence, morality (or a lack thereof), hope, hate, fear, addiction, murder, jealousy and love. Deadwood truly represents a kind of sociological study of human evolution within a laissez faire society.
It was clear from episode 1 that the new Deadwood series on HBO was something special. By episode 4, I was certain that Emmy nominations/awards were imminent. The show was largely ignored by the Emmys, likely sufferering from a combination of "newcomer syndrome" and overshadowing by The Sopranos. But make no mistake, it was more than worthy with the actors comprising a splendid balance of the familiar and the unfamiliar. Regardless of fame however, there isn't an off performance to be found in the season. Nor is there a grossly derivitive one. The characters are all satisfyingly deep, nuanced and often downright quirky.
The writing, as is the case with most HBO original series, was entirley engaging with a character and rhythm all its own. It is to be savored as a fine wine or concerto. Unlike many adult drama series on the "other networks", Deadwood never loses its momentum. There is no need to manipulate the audience with cheap antics to get them to care week to week. The story, actors and writing take care of that. Each episode flows to the next with amazing fluidity while always maintaining an anticipatory mood.
There is really no need to get into plot points as it would require a review the size of the Deadwood script and would involve spoiling much of the drama that one should experience as purely as possible. Suffice it to say if you enjoy adult themed series such as The Sopranos, you will love Deadwood. Even if you don't like westerns, it won't matter. The acting, writing, and plot are just that good. Give it a chance. You won't be sorry.

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(HBO Dramatic Series) 1876. In the Black Hills of South Dakota lies Deadwood, a lawless town inhabited by a mob of restless misfits ranging from an ex-lawman to a scheming saloon owner to the legendary Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The richest gold strike in American history provides the backdrop for HBO's next great drama.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryFeaturetteOther

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Deadwood: The Complete Series (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Of all the TV series I have watched beginning to end, Deadwood is the one I keep coming back to. Even though I've seen every episode countless times, I still pick up something new with each viewing. It still makes me laugh. It still makes me think. It still gives me chills, and it still makes me cry. It is a brilliant man, executive producer and head writer David Milch, at the peak of his powers as a storyteller. Watching Deadwood is like reading a 1200 page novel from 150 years ago. Broad themes in a small setting, complex and conflicted characters, and detailed scenery make for a completely immersive experience.
The plot of the series revolves around where order and community come from. Deadwood was settled outside of U.S. territory in the 1870's after a gold rush, thus leaving it in complete anarchy. Each of the three seasons is well-structured in terms of conflict. The first season deals with how the inhabitants of the town arrange themselves in this lawless town. The second season has the varying factions band together to thwart an invasive government. The third season pits the now-legitimate town against the hyper-capitalism of mining magnate George Hearst. Within that structure is several smaller stories that both manage to stand alone and meld with the larger themes.
The real strength of Deadwood is the characters. Milch has created perfectly fleshed-out portrayals of historical figures and some made-up ones, too. Saloon owner Al Swearengen is a ruthless operator who cannot help but long for an easier, more peaceful way. Sheriff Seth Bullock demands justice from those around him, but constantly surrenders to his temper and his libido. Calamity Jane is a many layered character, tough and kind, offensive and caring, vulnerable and impenetrable all at the same time. These are only a sampling of the many deep and conflicted characters in the show. By the third season, there were nearly 30 cast regulars, all of which were people you genuinely cared about.
The only thing that could keep people away from Deadwood is the language. Milch is a lover of dialogue, and he writes in complicated verse. More than one viewing is required to even catch the most basic plots and motivations. What can be equally off-putting is the vulgarity. Those with sensitve ears can expect to be bombarded with f-bombs on a semi-sentence basis. If you're having a hard time getting through the first couple episodes, check out the extras on the first season. Milch explains why he wrote the way he did in a way that made perfect sense to me, both from a creative and an historical sense. In those extras, he will divulge a lot of spoilers, but it's far better to experience the series than be turned off by its profanity.
The Complete DVD set, in addition to the many commentaries and extras included in the original single season releases, contains new material that makes the upgrade worth it. Milch explains where he would've taken Deadwood had he been allowed to continue it in the most valuable addition. A lengthy roundtable discussion with the actors is very entertaining. Also included is actor Titus Welliver giving a handful of convincing impressions of actors auditioning for the part of Swearengen. The size of this set also equals one single season release, so if your shelf space is limited, the complete series set gets another plus.
In closing, Deadwood affected me more than any TV show I've ever watched. I jumped out of my chair to cheer on Dan while he fought Hearst's man Captain Turner in a brutal fight to the death. I quote Calamity Jane's beautiful description of a revealing dream. I cried when Jewel asks Doc to "give her a whirl." I could feel the joy in the town after Tom Nuttal's big ride. For anyone who wants the most out of their TV shows, Deadwood is truly perfect.

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The Black Hills of South Dakota. Witness the birth of an American frontier town - and the ruthless power struggle between its just and unjust pioneers.In an age of plunder and greed, the richest gold strike in American history draws a mob of restless misfits to an outlaw settlement where everything - and everyone - has a price. The settlers, ranging from an ex-lawman to a scheming saloon owner to the legendary Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, share a constant restlessness of spirit, and survive by any means necessary. Welcome to Deadwood...a hell of a place to make your fortune.

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