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Season 3: Hearst Was a Dick

Wilowy

By Wilowy
in Deadwood [V]

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Catherinewriter

Catherinewriter

I had such hatred for Hearst that I could hardly bear watching Season 3 (which I do think, in many ways, lost a lot of the collective glue that Seasons 1 and 2 had). Hated him more than McCall, more than Cy, more than E.B. Just sheer hate. Wow, got that out.

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Wilowy

Wilowy

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Three for me was uneven, and yes, coming a bit unglued, which to me reflected Milch's state of mind and behavior, as well. 

But it was still better than 90% of the other stuff out there. 

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honeywest

honeywest

(edited)

The most gruesome TV fight scene ever and a sex scene with Con Stapleton. I couldn't watch either.

 

The first time I saw this episode, I was so afraid that Dan would drown in a mud puddle that I looked up the cast on IMDB and saw that W. Earl Brown was in the whole series till the end. Then I knew the right person would die. Now, why couldn't Adams or someone have shot Hearst while he was undefended?

Edited by honeywest
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Wilowy

Wilowy

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He's a spoiled, entitled, sociopath who wholeheartedly believes his own press. Functioning lunatics sometimes come into power when more rational men step aside (witness Hitler), and in that stage of the country's development, rough tough (and especially rich) men who showed intelligence and ambition were uplifted. 

 

Hearst didn't like anyone standing up to him. He wasn't used to it, and he fully intended to crush anyone who challenged his ownership of town Alpha. That was his modus operandi all his life. 

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Wilowy

Wilowy

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Well, technically it was libel, but you can't libel the dead and he was a public figure so...

 

Still, when Deadwood's cancellation was announced there was steadfast rumor that it was the Hearst estate that saw to it. Some still believe it.

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Wilowy

Wilowy

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I don't.

 

Most of it came from the old HBO Deadwood boards as it was happening. I'm sure a specific google search might yield some of the answers you seek, Catherinewriter.

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

A little scene I'd forgotten about was when Alma was being shot at*, and Al vaulted over his balcony railing to arrive at her side at the same time good old Charlie Utter did.  Much as I loved these particular two working in concert; upon this re-watch I was moved by the swashbuckling, tousled-hair Al in an embarrassingly fan-girl fashion.

 

 

* fuck me to tears if I didn't type "shit at"; spellcheck didn't catch it, but I try to read before posting.  :-)

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Wilowy

Wilowy

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Right? Even though two seasons before he might've been the one taking aim. The shifting loyalties, earned, were one of my favorite things about this show.

 

You might be a snooty fucking cunt, but you're OUR snooty fucking cunt, and woe to any fucking cocksucker who tries to lay waste to you. 

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

(edited)

Oh, Willowy, I am sappy enough to want to have seen the evolving relationships between the widow Garret-Ellsworth and Mr. Swearengen, and even more so, Seth and Martha Bullock.  Such rich promise ...

 

 

ETA - for the first time ever, I noticed a "wardrobe malfunction" in the scene between Trixie and Alma after the attempted shooting.  Trixie has a wrist/glovey thingy on both hands, but when she gets up to close the door on Trixie, her right hand is bare; after closing the door, it's back to the wristlet, and after she sits back down at the table & lights a match - bare handed again (this time BOTH wrists).

 

and that is probably the last time I am visually observant and totally illiterate (wrist/glovey thingy indeed).

Edited by walnutqueen
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mizkat

mizkat

He's a spoiled, entitled, sociopath who wholeheartedly believes his own press. Functioning lunatics sometimes come into power when more rational men step aside (witness Hitler), and in that stage of the country's development, rough tough (and especially rich) men who showed intelligence and ambition were uplifted.

 

Hearst didn't like anyone standing up to him. He wasn't used to it, and he fully intended to crush anyone who challenged his ownership of town Alpha. That was his modus operandi all his life.

 

I liked Hearst in that he was a worthy villain. What I didn't like was that in order for him to be all-powerful, Al had to be basically impotent. Him trying to bide his time and keep Bullock in check got annoying, especially since there was no payoff (Hearst killed Ellsworth and then he left, big whoop). But I've always seen it as a huge flaw in the writing and in my fantasy Deadwood world Al outsmarted Hearst in the end and that's why he left.

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mizkat

mizkat

And in closing, Fuck you, George.

 

Because that can't be said enough. 

 

Did anyone care about the Aunt Lou storyline? I put that second to the theater group as filler and time wasting. 

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Wilowy

Wilowy

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I did care about Aunt Lou. I was always afraid for her. I would have liked to have seen her become a regular fixture in the camp, away from Hearst. But that didn't happen. So many missed opportunities...

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Catherinewriter

Catherinewriter

I also was continually afraid for Aunt Lou. I think the arc could have been stronger, but it was the only one with more than a single black character, so that was okay with me. I hated the wasted time with the theater group, though I love Brian Cox. What is the point, I kept muttering and griping to myself.

We're never going to get over this, are we? Years from now we'll still be offering critiques, damning Milch, etc.

And good point, Walnut Queen. No matter how much of a threat he was to the men, Hearst was even more terrible to see around women - I kept wondering what he was going to do next.

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

(edited)

Just checking in to say "Fuck you, George, you dick!"

 

Or, you cocksucking motherfucking titlicking whoremongering yellow-bellied liver-lipped son-of-a-cuntbitchfucker dick.

 

 

Oh no, that's just my cat when  I'm mad at him - Hearst deserves worse.  ;-)

Edited by walnutqueen
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Pallas

Pallas

Maybe the worst thing about Hearst is the impression that he wasn't taken in by Al's final desperate strategem, and knew that Al, anyway, would perceive that.  And realize that Hearst was saying he couldn't waste another minute being bothered by the doings of this piss-poor camp and its penny-ante people, that he had great affairs to attend to, in the larger world.

 

The same impression he gave to Seth, when Bullock seethed at him one last time.  Bemused and bored more than exasperated, and already tracking his next find, from his seat above the fray.   

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honeywest

honeywest

I think Hearst would be pleased/amused to know that his saying "Kill the whore" could make Al kill an innocent woman. That kind of power would be even more important to him than seeing his real assailant punished.

 

Good thing the Doc didn't waste any anesthetic on him when he was removing that bullet.

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

Hearst may have wanted to perpetuate the myth of The Boy The Earth Spoke To, but I think that was a load of crap to cover a sometimes lucky and always ruthless sociopath who capitalized on his defects of character.

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Catherinewriter

Catherinewriter

"I think Hearst would be pleased/amused to know that his saying "Kill the whore" could make Al kill an innocent woman. That kind of power would be even more important to him than seeing his real assailant punished."

Honey West, excellent analysis. Isn't it incredible that seven years after the end of this series we're still mining (sorry) it for meaning, humor, history, etc. I love it, and I am so sad and angry.

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Kel Varnsen

Kel Varnsen

Did anyone care about the Aunt Lou storyline? I put that second to the theater group as filler and time wasting. 

I am about half way through season 3 now. So far I don't really care for Aunt Lou and her story. That said I would happily take more Aunt Lou and more theatre group if it meant they they could have eliminated the biggest season 3 time waster. To me that would be all the useless crap with that asshole Steve the Drunk. I mean at least with the theatre stuff there is a bunch of interaction with Al and Joanie. So far in season three Steve has gotten a bigger storyline than Charlie, Joanie, Jane or Saul.

 

I am even wondering if the guy who plays Steve is a friend of Milch or something. Because if you compare how he plays a drunk and how over the top it is to how Robin Weigert plays Jane (who is drunk most of the time as well) he really isn't as good.

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Catherinewriter

Catherinewriter

And I might add, just because it needs saying regularly - "Fuck you, George."

 

I'm continually reminded of how poor many current shows are when compared with "Deadwod," and long for an announcement from HBO that they'll start reairing the episodes soon, perhaps as a holidayi present.


To amend my previous post, I would except "Fargo", "The Americans," "justified," and a few others from my judgment about current shows. But truly so much dreck, so much soap opera disguised as real drama, so much supernatural crap. My, I'm really angry today, right? 

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walnutqueen

walnutqueen

(edited)

And I might add, just because it needs saying regularly - "Fuck you, George."

 

I'm continually reminded of how poor many current shows are when compared with "Deadwod," and long for an announcement from HBO that they'll start reairing the episodes soon, perhaps as a holidayi present.

To amend my previous post, I would except "Fargo", "The Americans," "justified," and a few others from my judgment about current shows. But truly so much dreck, so much soap opera disguised as real drama, so much supernatural crap. My, I'm really angry today, right? 

 

Absolutely right, Catherinewriter.  There just aren't many show that live up to the quality of Deadwood to this day (and I still haven't found a single one to be as eloquent, nor one I love more).

Edited by walnutqueen
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honeywest

honeywest

Last Friday's season (series?) finale of The Knick distressed me and left me feeling a great sense of loss. It wasn't Deadwood, but it was the closest any other show has come for me.

 

And since an important episode of The Knick took place in San Francisco: Fuck you, Hearsts.

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purist

purist

(edited)

I'm re-watching Season 3 and so far it's not as bad as I remembered (I'm up to episode 7). One thing that was just as remarkable as I remembered was the fight between Dan Dority and Captain Turner. If there was an award for the best bare-knuckle fight in TV history, it would surely win. Like, it only went for a few minutes, but it was so incredibly well choreographed and filmed and performed ... WOW.

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He's a spoiled, entitled, sociopath who wholeheartedly believes his own press. Functioning lunatics sometimes come into power when more rational men step aside (witness Hitler)

Oh boy. This comment was prescient, @Willowy.

Edited by purist
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Mindthinkr

Mindthinkr

On 12/12/2016 at 11:41 PM, purist said:

I'm re-watching Season 3 and so far it's not as bad as I remembered (I'm up to episode 7). One thing that was just as remarkable as I remembered was the fight between Dan Dority and Captain Turner. If there was an award for the best bare-knuckle fight in TV history, it would surely win. Like, it only went for a few minutes, but it was so incredibly well choreographed and filmed and performed ... WOW.

Quote

Totally agree. I just watched it for the first time and it was totally believable and it felt brutal. 

Does anyone know what was causing Doc to cough up blood? TB? 

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