Deadwood - General Discussion

[Angeltoes]

If they don't dedicate it to Powers Boothe I'm going to be ticked.

[AimingforYoko]

As last words go, those were pretty good. And appropriate to the character.

[OoogleEyes]

Is there a separate Deadwood the Movie thread?

[LittleIggy]

I wish I could have got a punch in on Hearst. He had two of the most decent guys in the series, Ellsworth and Utter, killed. Cocksucker! I got all teary over poor Charlie.

Edited June 1, 2019 by LittleIggy

[TexasGal]

Lord help me, Bullock being all stoic face of justice is still just all kinds of hot to me. 

[Irlandesa]

For many reasons, I found it hard to watch Season 3 back when it was airing so I didn't.  And I never went back to watch with the show cancelled.  Now that this week is an "in between" week where most series have wrapped but a lot of summer series haven't begun, I took my opportunity to catch up before the movie.  And I struggled. I don't care how good the dialogue is or isn't if the plot doesn't grab my attention and much of Season 3 didn't have the narrative buildup of previous seasons.

I am relieved, however, that the movie was every bit as good as the reviews had promised.  The focus was tight on characters who mattered.  No more theater group.  Even Hearst played a pivotal role rather than simply being "the big bad."  (That's how I felt about him in Season 3. I liked him in 2 and in this movie, though--well not "liked" but could enjoy as a character.) 

And because the plot made sense about characters I cared about, I was able to appreciate the amazing script.

Unlike many of the reviewers, I'd never been a big fan of Alma and Seth so I wasn't as taken with their scenes but, in the end, both she and Martha held significant places for his arc in this episode.  I liked that seeing Martha and his kids reminded him of who he was and what he could live with.  And that last kiss he gave Martha at the end?  Swoon.

BTW, Martha is a saint offering up her husband's hotel as a potential place for his ex-lover to stay.

If that's Al's end, his words were a perfect capper. 

Garrett Dillahunt got to play another role significant to the plot.  In addition to Jack McCall, who killed Wild Bill and Wolcott who terrorized prostitutes and brought Hearst to town, he was the guy in the street who first started to harass Hearst as Bullock was walking him to jail.

I also have to offer a tip of the hat at how they used the flashbacks to fill in the past and chose to use restraint in what they showed. An HBO choosing not to show nudity even though the original clips had it?  Well I'll be.

[DeafAngelboy23]

Deadwood movie is a wonderful conclusion to the TV series. Life is not fair but at least we got something out of this one. My **** you appreciation for all Deadwood alums & they should always hold it in their hearts. 

[Macbeth]

5 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

For many reasons, I found it hard to watch Season 3 back when it was airing so I didn't...

I am relieved, however, that the movie was every bit as good as the reviews had promised.  The focus was tight on characters who mattered...

And because the plot made sense about characters I cared about, I was able to appreciate the amazing script.

I really liked S3, until I didn't. I can't explain why my opinion changed. For me the show lost its way. 

When I heard that Milch was having a hard time getting scripts in on time, and was not as invested- I wasn't surprised that S3 was the last season. 

But the movie is such a lovely present.  Milch's grand prose is such a joy to behold. And the actors were equal to the task of delivering those liines.  

[LittleIggy]

I just love Robin Weigart’s Jane. Her scene in Nuttel’s saloon was both funny and poignant. William Sanderson was hilarious as ever as E.B. Glad he dropped a dime on Hearst.

Great to see almost everyone together one more time.

[Razzberry]

What years does it cover?  Everyone looks pretty much the same, so probably no need for a big time jump.  Jane's still above ground, right?

[Iguana]

Deadwood: the Movie was a lovely way to say goodbye to some of the best characters to ever be on a tv series. Still dirty, violent and profane but also beautiful, caring and lyrical. My thanks to Milch, Olyphant, McShane, Malcolmson, Weigart and everyone else who came together to give us the chance to spend one last weekend them.  

Now break out the peaches and pour me some whiskey, you fucking cocksuckers. 

Edited June 1, 2019 by Iguana

[bijoux]

That was so beautiful, I forgot just how impressive the show’s look was.

3 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Unlike many of the reviewers, I'd never been a big fan of Alma and Seth so I wasn't as taken with their scenes but, in the end, both she and Martha held significant places for his arc in this episode.  I liked that seeing Martha and his kids reminded him of who he was and what he could live with.  And that last kiss he gave Martha at the end?  Swoon.

Neither was I, Alma was always the least interesting to me when she was out if breath being around Bullock, so when the staring started, I just thought, not this again. And I always felt that he and Martha were way hotter maybe because they weren’t meant to be as hot as him and Alma. The kiss at the beginning of the episode was nothing to sneeze at either. But, I will say that I really liked Bullock hugging Alma after she bested Hearst. That touched me. And it was great seeing everyone pitching in to bid against the cocksucker, even Tom piped in. It was such a great scene that I don’t even care that they didn’t think to pool resources. Emotions were running high after all.

3 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I also have to offer a tip of the hat at how they used the flashbacks to fill in the past and chose to use restraint in what they showed. An HBO choosing not to show nudity even though the original clips had it?  Well I'll be.

I was very sceptical when they started because I didn’t see the point of them, since the audience of this movie are the fans of the show and I feared that they would overdo them, but I’m fine with them in the end.

28 minutes ago, Razzberry said:

What years does it cover?  Everyone looks pretty much the same, so probably no need for a big time jump.  Jane's still above ground, right?

1889. I disagree about everyone looking the same. The passage of time could be seen best on Bullock, Sol, Charlie and Alma IMO. Jane on the other hand looked better than ever when she cleaned up.

[Irlandesa]

6 minutes ago, bijoux said:

The kiss at the beginning of the episode was nothing to sneeze at either.

Oh that was very good too.

6 minutes ago, bijoux said:

. The passage of time could be seen best on Bullock, Sol, Charlie and Alma IMO. Jane on the other hand looked better than ever when she cleaned up.

Trixi also looked amazing, I thought.  But otherwise, I agree, most everyone else did look older--almost older than I was expecting with people like Doc and some others.

[Iris987]

I loved it. After being burned by a number of revivals (Arrested Development) I was sceptical but I just sank back into it. It reminded me of why I'm still pissed off at HBO for cancelling it. One quibble- why on earth did they bring back Jeffrey Jones? Was his role that important in the original? All he really did this time  was run the auction and all I could see was his child porn mug shot. Gross. On the other hand, Ian McShane is so fucking good. And I love that Hearst is still the ultimate 'stache twirler. 

[JanetSnakehole]

What an amazing finale to television's finest show. I loved it. Thank you to everyone involved, I feel like I've been given a huge gift. 

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, Iris987 said:

I loved it. After being burned by a number of revivals (Arrested Development) I was sceptical but I just sank back into it. It reminded me of why I'm still pissed off at HBO for cancelling it. One quibble- why on earth did they bring back Jeffrey Jones? Was his role that important in the original? All he really did this time  was run the auction and all I could see was his child porn mug shot. Gross. On the other hand, Ian McShane is so fucking good. And I love that Hearst is still the ultimate 'stache twirler. 

I was surprised to see Jeffrey Jones, too. They kept his role minimal, at least. I did like his character getting a picture of Hearst doing the perp walk.

[Ursula Parrott]

An absorbing and elegiac profile of Milch on the New Yorker.

[catrox14]

Deadwood Movie was fantastic. I actually cried over fucking Al Swearingen. And I loved that Seth Bullock was now the Marshall an my Justified loving heart hoped it was a little meta reference for Timothy Olyphant.

I can at least say that I am pleased these characters had a beautiful fucking ending.

Farewell, my fellow Hoopleheads!  (Said only with love and affection)

Edited June 1, 2019 by catrox14

[bijoux]

There's one thing I'm unclear on. Relatively speaking, the new whore got a lot of attention, so what was her purpose? We got to see hew arrival, meeting Sofia, talking with Al and Johnny, being given baby Joshua to hold... Maybe there was more. But in comparison, Joanie only got to interact with Jane. So, was the new girl just a reminder of Jen? I didn't see it, really, and kept waiting for something more. 

[AuntiePam]

Re Alma and Seth:  It seemed like there's still something between them -- on Alma's part, for sure.  As for Seth, I think he recognizes what Alma's time in Deadwood did to her.  She kicked a drug habit.  She lost two husbands and a baby.  She fell in love with a married man.  And she was shot at.  So I think Seth's embrace was to show that he knew coming back was hard for her and that he appreciated what she did, and acknowledged what she'd lost.  And maybe he still feels a bit of attraction to her.

I liked Jane much better here.  I thought Weigert was way over-the-top as a sloppy drunk and I hated her drunk scenes in the series.  Here, she was lovely, and played Jane to perfection. 

No complaints from me, except the movie could have been longer.  I wanted more time with everyone.

[OoogleEyes]

46 minutes ago, bijoux said:

There's one thing I'm unclear on. Relatively speaking, the new whore got a lot of attention, so what was her purpose? We got to see hew arrival, meeting Sofia, talking with Al and Johnny, being given baby Joshua to hold... Maybe there was more. But in comparison, Joanie only got to interact with Jane. So, was the new girl just a reminder of Jen? I didn't see it, really, and kept waiting for something more. 

Yeah, I'm not certain of her purpose as well.

Regardless, I thought it was a perfect ending to the story. I don't want another movie 

-Fin

[OoogleEyes]

1 hour ago, catrox14 said:

Deadwood Movie was fantastic. I actually cried over fucking Al Swearingen. 

I started crying at Charlie Utter and pretty much didn't stop until the end.

I thought that it was *perfect*

[Ohwell]

I just don't see how the HBO figured that fans would be able to pick up after thirteen fucking years and remember some people/things. 

This isn't to dump on the movie or the actors in anyway, but

Screw You, HBO.

[Macbeth]

1 hour ago, catrox14 said:

Deadwood Movie was fantastic. I actually cried over fucking Al Swearingen. And I loved that Seth Bullock was now the Marshall an my Justified loving heart hoped it was a little meta reference for Timothy Olyphant.

I am such a big fan of Timothy Olyphant, and I don't think he get's enough respect for his acting as he should. 

He played each Marshall so differently in terms of physical bearing, facial expressions and accents. 

And he just doesn't just look older with his silver hair but he moved like an older man with stiff joints. Too much riding in the saddle. And I have seen TO on screen recently and he doesn't move that way at all. 

And Seth burning  Hearst's wood is such a Raylan move. But still very much in keeping with Seth's character. As he says - He interprets the law. 

[OoogleEyes]

17 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I just don't see how the HBO figured that fans would be able to pick up after thirteen fucking years and remember some people/things. 

This isn't to dump on the movie or the actors in anyway, but

Screw You, HBO.

Deadwood fans are rabid fans.  I, for one, made it a point to rewatch the entire series (for the 4th 5th?) time prior to the movie.  I even watched Tell Him Something Pretty right before the movie started 

It worked 

[Julie Firestone]

The movie was a love letter to fans, and as a fan...I'm swooning. This made me so happy and I loved it so much. I didn't rewatch any episodes, but I had no problem getting right back into the swing of things. Somehow, I had no idea it was coming until I happened upon a promo a few days ago, and I had no idea who was in and who was out, so it was just a parade of happy surprises as the original characters just kept showing up. Seriously, if I had to write a review, it would just be a bunch of heart emojis.

[Domestic Assassin]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I just don't see how the HBO figured that fans would be able to pick up after thirteen fucking years and remember some people/things. 

This isn't to dump on the movie or the actors in anyway, but

Screw You, HBO.

One of the HBO channels ran a marathon of the whole series leading up to the movie.  I don't know what more they could have done.

[LittleIggy]

Was the actress who played Sophia the same one who played her in the series?

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, Domestic Assassin said:

One of the HBO channels ran a marathon of the whole series leading up to the movie.  I don't know what more they could have done.

They could have not fucking cancelled the show in the first fucking place.

Cocksuckers.

[AuntiePam]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Was the actress who played Sophia the same one who played her in the series?

No.  The movie Sofia is Lily Keene, whose credits include This Is Us and Young Sheldon.  Series Sofia was Bree Seanna Wall, whose only credit is Deadwood. 

[Tachi Rocinante]

6 hours ago, OoogleEyes said:

Yeah, I'm not certain of her purpose as well.

Regardless, I thought it was a perfect ending to the story. I don't want another movie 

-Fin

They almost made it seem like (perhaps) she would become Trixie's nanny and be saved from a life of prostitution. 

[AuntiePam]

4 minutes ago, Tachi Rocinante said:

They almost made it seem like (perhaps) she would become Trixie's nanny and be saved from a life of prostitution. 

Or that she'd be a companion for Sofia, and maybe go back East with them. 

I guess there's never a real end to a story like this, but I'd like to know if Alma could fall in love again, and what happens with baby Joshua Star, and if the Gem as a dance hall is successful. 

The young ones will be old enough to fight in WWI.

[Ursula Parrott]

On rewatch, I note that the songs being played on the Gem piano are the same ones the Preacher gravitated to in his final days. 

And Wu and his Chinese herbs for Al made my eyes fill. 

In the words of Alma Garrett, "[Deadwood] having so lived in recollection, it is my considerable happiness to see you again.”

 Cast, producer, director & writer panel after the premiere. 

[Iris987]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I was surprised to see Jeffrey Jones, too. They kept his role minimal, at least. I did like his character getting a picture of Hearst doing the perp walk.

I know. It's just.... why are we rehabilitating these people?

On a brighter note, I watched it again today with the hubs and enjoyed it just as much. I always found I had to watch the series a couple of times to understand their way of speaking. I missed some gems on the first watch as well. Al and Jewel together again ' were you singing? I thought someone had stabbed a frog'- I just love him so much.

[LittleIggy]

I wonder what happened to the tit-licker. 😏

[OoogleEyes]

10 hours ago, Ursula Parrott said:

And Wu and his Chinese herbs for Al made my eyes fill. 

OMG yes! Another reason this was hard to watch.....my eyes were filled with tears all throughout the Movie! Joy Sadness Anger  you name it!

Edited June 2, 2019 by OoogleEyes

[OoogleEyes]

15 hours ago, Tachi Rocinante said:

They almost made it seem like (perhaps) she would become Trixie's nanny and be saved from a life of prostitution. 

Isn't that ironic? It's the same thing that Alma tried to do for Trixie.

[walnutqueen]

14 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I wonder what happened to the tit-licker. 😏

Degenerate titlicker is still a part of my vast (no small thanks to Deadwood)  lexicon to this very day.

I shall withhold my comments about the movie until I rewatch it with a less jaundiced eye.

Edited June 2, 2019 by walnutqueen

[JanetSnakehole]

23 hours ago, OoogleEyes said:

Deadwood fans are rabid fans.  I, for one, made it a point to rewatch the entire series (for the 4th 5th?) time prior to the movie.  I even watched Tell Him Something Pretty right before the movie started 

It worked 

It's so funny how this show has branded itself on my brain in even the smallest things... when Trixie said "I'll be good" when she went into labor and Sol ran to fetch Doc, I immediately flashed on Al's boot on her neck. 

I did a bit of a rewatch, but skipped around a lot, mostly avoiding the Theater Troupe, as much as I loved Langrishe. 

[shanndee]

Ack!! I'm glad I decided that I was only going to skim here...the movie doesn't air here until tonight! 

I'll be back after I have seen it...

[millennium]

How wonderful it would be to walk ten years into the past and find everyone you knew still there, still at it, a little older but still the same.   And they're all glad to see you. 

Paula Malcolmson never looked more beautiful.

[millennium]

On 6/1/2019 at 8:04 PM, Ohwell said:

They could have not fucking cancelled the show in the first fucking place.

Cocksuckers.

On the bright side, nobody went mad and incinerated the town and citizens with a dragon.

[walnutqueen]

32 minutes ago, millennium said:

On the bright side, nobody went mad and incinerated the town and citizens with a dragon.

Had a dragon been available to me at the time, I'd have given The Mad King and Dany a run for their money.

[Ohwell]

51 minutes ago, millennium said:

On the bright side, nobody went mad and incinerated the town and citizens with a dragon.

Oh, I'm happy about that.  I'm just mad at HBO.

Cocksuckers.

[Notwisconsin]

I don't remember Calamity Jane ever being referred to as "Calamity Jane" during the series. Just a comment.

[purist]

You guys. YOU GUYS. I'm crying tears of sadness and joy after watching the movie. Seeing all those characters again was wonderful and moving and perfect. Thank you, Milch, McShane, Olyphant, Weigert, Malcomson and all.

I'll take the inclusion of 'Waltzing Matilda' at the end as a small nod to Australian fans (of which I am one).

[attica]

On 6/1/2019 at 11:30 PM, LittleIggy said:

I wonder what happened to the tit-licker. 😏

He was the minister at Trixie and Sol's wedding! Yes, he was!

[benteen]

I thought that it took a while for the movie to get going.  It got good as it went on but like Season 3, Deadwood The Movie didn’t match the brilliance of Season 1 and 2.  There really didn’t feel like there was much of a story there, more of a life goes on sort of thing.

What was the point of all the flashbacks?  This movie was done for Deadwood fans so we didn’t need a reminder of what happened in Season 3.  From what I’ve heard, they weren’t planning to bring the show back or do another movie so all those flashbacks did were chew up valuable screen time.

Using the same argument, what was the point of the new character, Caroline?  To give Johnny Burns a happy ending while chewing up more time with flashbacks?  I kept expecting her to be revealed to be one of the characters long-lost daughter.

I hate to say this but I didn’t even find Al all that entertaining in this movie.  He just seemed like he was skulking around on the balcony, even more than usual and they didn’t have anything particularly clever to have him say anymore.

I appreciated Trixie calling out Hearst though it goes to show you how she’s learned absolutely nothing the past ten years and might be dumber than ever.  The Hearst storyline has really taken up a lot of the show since Season 8.

It was nice to see all of these characters back together and see the town rebuilt and still look and feel exactly like Deadwood.  I always liked seeing progress come to the area, with a train and a telephone there now.

I’ve always enjoyed Robin Weigert as Jane and I was glad to see her finally not back down and put down Harry Manning.

It was nice to see Garret Dillahunt pop up again and apparently Larry (Leon) Cedar did too.

This show continues to have a fascination with a creep like Jeffrey Jones.

I thought they were supposed to reference what happened to Cy.

Timothy Olyphant might not have been the best performer on this show when it originally aired but watching him on Justified (which featured quite a few Deadwood alum) I knew he could bring it and he did in this movie.  I particularly liked his confrontation with Hearst and his men in the town.

Dayton Collie was great as always a Charlie Utter.

I thought one of the gunmen looked familiar and that was because the actor was Don Swayze, Patrick’s brother.

I was also excited to see Hotel Bulloch as a set piece.  I remember seeing an Unsolved Mysteries segment on that hotel years ago.  For the record, some people claimed that Hotel Bulloch was haunted with Seth’s ghost…

I wish it would have been better, like the show was during the first two seasons.  But I was glad to have seen it and the show deserved to have a sendoff. 

[purist]

So you know how I mentioned the song 'Waltzing Matilda' in my previous post? If the movie was set in 1889, the use of that song was an anachronism: the lyrics and tune weren't written until 1895. I can't be mad, though. Looking at the song credits at the end, I noticed that the song Charlie Utter sang at the river was by Joan Baez. I loved all the music in the movie.

[purist]

Here is a wonderful long review/recap by Alan Sepinwall in Rolling Stone. He acknowledges a lot of the shortcomings noted by @benteen above, but decides:

Quote

I don’t give a tinker’s damn, because I was enthralled by almost all of this movie, and a weepy fucking mess for the final half hour.

Me too, Alan. Me too.

Edited June 3, 2019 by purist