Deadwood (TV series)

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Deadwood
Deadwood title screen
Created byDavid Milch
StarringTimothy Olyphant
Ian McShane
Molly Parker
and Powers Boothe
Country of originUSA
No. of episodes28
Production
Running timeapprox. 0:60 minutes
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseMarch 21, 2004 –
present

Deadwood is a weekly American television drama that premiered in March 2004 on HBO. The series is a Western set in the 1870s in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. At the time, Deadwood (a real town in the modern state of South Dakota) was little more than a makeshift camp, but it was a popular destination for those prospecting for gold in the Black Hills. The series charts Deadwood's growth from camp to town, incorporating themes ranging from the formation of communities to western capitalism.

Deadwood features many historical figures, such as Wild Bill Hickok, Seth Bullock, Sol Star, Calamity Jane,Al Swearengen, and George Hearst. The plotlines involving these characters include historical truths as well as substantial fictional elements. Some characters are fully fictional, although they may have certainly been based on actual persons. Despite much of the factuality in the program, the ending credits contain the following disclaimer: "With the sole exception of the well known historical events and persons portrayed, the characters and events depicted in this television series are fictional and any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and unintentional".

The show was created by David Milch (NYPD Blue) who also serves as executive producer and head writer. The theme music was written by David Schwartz.

The third and final season premiered on June 11, 2006, and will be followed by two feature-length TV movies, to be broadcast on HBO, that will tie up various series plotlines.

Template:Spoiler

Cast and characters

Main article: Characters of Deadwood
Actor Character Based On Profession in Deadwood
Timothy Olyphant Seth Bullock Seth Bullock Sheriff/Owner of Star & Bullock Hardware.
Ian McShane Al Swearengen Al Swearengen Businessman/Owner of The Gem Saloon.
Molly Parker Alma Garret Unknown/No Basis Widow of claim seeker, now married to prospector Ellsworth.
Powers Boothe Cy Tolliver Tom Miller Owner of rival saloon, The Bella Union.
John Hawkes Sol Star Sol Star Co-owner of Star & Bullock Hardware.
Paula Malcomson Trixie Tricksie of the Gem Former prostitute at The Gem Saloon.
William Sanderson E. B. Farnum E. B. Farnum Innkeeper of The Grand Central Hotel; Mayor.
Kim Dickens Joanie Stubbs Molly Johnson Former hostess of The Bella Union/Co-proprietoress of brothel, The Chez Amis.
Garrett Dillahunt Francis Wolcott L.D. Kellogg Sociopathic geologist who worked for George Hearst. Committed suicide by hanging.
Robin Weigert Calamity Jane Calamity Jane Follower of Wild Bill Hickok/Frontierwoman.
Dayton Callie Charlie Utter Charlie Utter Owner of freightbusiness/traveling companion of Wild Bill Hickok.
Brad Dourif Doc Cochran Lyman F. Babcock The physician of the camp.
Anna Gunn Martha Bullock Martha Bullock Wife of Seth, mother of the late William. School teacher in Deadwood.
Jeffrey Jones A. W. Merrick A. W. Merrick Editor of camp's press, The Deadwood Pioneer.
Jim Beaver Ellsworth Unknown/No Basis Prospector/ husband to Alma Garret.
W. Earl Brown Dan Dority Dan Doherty Henchman to Al Swearengen at the Gem. Part of Al's inner circle.
Titus Welliver Silas Adams Unknown/No Basis Negotiator for Swearengen. Part of Al's inner circle.
Sean Bridgers Johnny Burns Johnny Burns Gem Saloon worker/henchman. Part of Al's inner circle.
Larry Cedar Leon Unknown/No Basis Worker for Cy Tolliver at The Bella Union.
Peter Jason Con Stapleton Con Stapleton Worker for Cy Tolliver at The Bella Union.
Keith Carradine Wild Bill Hickok Wild Bill Hickok Gunslinger of the Old West; murdered at Nutall's saloon.
Geri Jewell Jewel Unknown/No Basis Handicapped cleaning woman at the Gem.
Keone Young Mr. Wu Tong leaders Representative for the Chinese population of the camp; owns a pig pen.
Bree Seanna Wall Sofia Metz No Basis adopted daughter of Alma Garret; sole survivor of an attack on her family.
Garrett Dillahunt Jack McCall Jack McCall Unemployed, classless camp member, murdered Wild Bill Hickok in Nutall's #10 Saloon.
Richard Gant Hostetler Unknown/No Basis Runs the livery stable. Black man who can read and write (uncommon in 1877).
Josh Eriksson William Bullock No Basis Deceased stepson of Seth Bullock; biological son of Martha Bullock and Seth's brother Robert.
Sarah Paulson Miss Isringhausen Unknown/No Basis Tutor to Sofia Metz, secretly a Pinkerton.
Franklyn Ajaye Samuel Fields Samuel Fields General of African American troop; keeper of horses.
Ray McKinnon Reverend Smith Henry Weston Smith Deceased minister of Deadwood.
Alice Krige Maddie Unknown/No Basis Deceased madam of the Chez Amis.
Zach Grenier Andy Cramed Andy Cramed Gambler who brought Small Pox to Deadwood, Minister of the camp.
Leon Rippy Tom Nuttall Billy Nuttall Owner of Nutall's #10 Saloon.
Stephen Tobolowsky Hugo Jarry Hugh McCaffrey Commissioner for Lawrence County, Dakota Territory.
Gerald McRaney George Hearst George Hearst Successful California businessman and prospector.
Ralph Richeson Pete Richardson Unknown/No Basis Cook at the Grand Central.
Gill Gayle The Huckster Soapy Smith Con man, known for his prize soap sell swindle.
Gale Harold Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Legendary lawman from Dodge City, Kansas.
Brian Cox Jack Langrishe Jack Langrishe Flamboyant stage promoter.

Notable plots

Main article: List of Deadwood episodes

Season 1 (2004)

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File:DeadwoodSeason1 DVDcover.jpg
Deadwood Season 1 DVD cover
  • 1876
    • Seth Bullock leaves his Montana sheriff job to establish a hardware business in Deadwood along with friend and business partner, Sol Star.
    • Characters met along the way include Al Swearengen owner of The Gem, a local brothel, Wild Bill Hickock, the infamous gunslinger of the west, Calamity Jane who is Hickok's accomplice and friend along with Charlie Utter, Amos Cochran the town doctor, E.B. Farnum the proprietor of The Grand Central Hotel and A. W. Merrick, the town's personal press reporter.
    • Brom Garret, a businessman from New York is deceived in a confidence game (involving a gold claim) with Swearengen and Farnum.
    • The Metz family, residents of Deadwood, quickly leave the town for their native Minnesota. On the road, they are all murdered and scalped except Sofia Metz. Swearengen claims the murders were committed by "heathens," though they were actually perpetrated by road agents under his employ.
    • Bullock and Star ask for a piece of property owned by Swearengen. Swearengen gives them a hard time but Bullock puts Star in charge of negotiating and the deal ends semi-successfully.
    • Cy Tolliver and his entourage purchase an abandoned hotel across from The Gem. When renovations are complete, Swearengen learns that he will gain competition. The Bella Union, a more luxurious brothel, is established shortly after although many patrons stayed loyal to Swearengen.
    • Garret soon learns that his gold claim is worthless and demands Swearengen reimburse his money. Swearengen asks henchman Dan Dority to see that Garrett has an "accident". Garret is thrown off a cliff and his body brought back to Deadwood - only for Dority to discover the claim is a rich one.
    • Garret's widow, Alma Garret, asks Wild Bill Hickok for help regarding her gold claim and renewed interest from Swearengen's henchmen. Hickock sizes up Swearengen and asks Bullock to help Garret with her claim. He agrees.
    • During a poker game, Wild Bill Hickok is shot in Tom Nuttall's #10 Saloon by Jack McCall.
    • Jack McCall is put on trial for Hickok's murder. The jury finds him not guilty, however he leaves soon after.
    • Alma Garret takes custody of Sofia Metz when Calamity Jane disappears on a drinking binge following Wild Bill's murder.
    • Bullock pursues McCall to bring him to justice. On the way, he beats to death an Native American who intended to kill him for violating territory. Bullock and Charlie Utter then find McCall hiding at a boarding house and take him to Yankton for trial.
    • Andy Cramed, a con man and card shark with previous dealings with Tolliver, arrives in Deadwood to start a scam. Instead he falls ill with plague at the Bella Union, and Tolliver has him abandoned in the woods to die. He is found by an inebriated Calamity Jane who comforts him.
    • Smallpox breaks out in Deadwood which causes a need for vaccines. The afflicted are housed away from the camp in a tent. Cramed recovers, and Jane aids Doctor Cochran in caring for the sick.
    • Flora and Miles Anderson are two con artists who arrive in Deadwood under the pretense of looking for their lost father and for work. Miles finds a job as a sweeper in The Gem and Flora as a harlot at the Bella Union. They are soon murdered by Stubbs and Tolliver on his orders after they attempt to rob the Bella Union.
    • Charlie Utter establishes a postal and freight business in Deadwood which includes deliveries to Cheyenne.
    • The senior members of the community form a municipal government to prepare for future annexation, as well to bribe the territorial legislature to ensure the titles, claims and property already in Deadwood remain secure in the future.
    • Swearengen bribes local Magistrate Clagett to quash a murder warrant.
    • The ailing Reverend Smith becomes a regular guest at The Gem which angers Swearengen. He quickly shoos Smith out.
    • Alma's father, Otis Russell arrives with plans to secure Alma's new found wealth to both pay off his debts and fulfill his own greed.
    • The U.S. army arrives in Deadwood to celebration and a parade.
    • Bullock confronts a self-confident Otis Russell in The Bella Union who attempts to threaten him with the future safety of his daughter should Bullock stand in the way of his aquiring the Garret gold claim, but is promptly beaten and ordered to leave.
    • Bullock, still enraged, suggests to Dan Dority it would be in both his and his boss's best interest to have Otis Russell killed. He later comes to his senses, and has Mr. Russell placed under protection of the military.
    • Bullock meets Alma at her hotel room and the two make love.
    • A dying Reverend Smith is euthanized by Al Swearengen.
    • Tolliver attempts to bribe General Crook to leave a garrison in Deadwood (no doubt to his own ends) but is promptly turned down.
    • Swearengen hires Magistrate Clagett's toll collector Silas Adams to murder him when he attempts to extort Swearengen further over the murder warrant. Silas performs the deed and allies himself with Swearengen as his agent.
    • Bullock volunteers to become sheriff as the cavalry ride out, the former Sheriff Con Stapleton having been bought out by Cy Tolliver.

Season 2 (2005)

Deadwood Season 2 DVD cover
  • 1877
    • Alma Garret hires a tutor, Miss Alice Isringhausen to tutor young Sofia.
    • Bullock and Swearengen have a heated argument regarding Bullock's affair with Alma Garret and Swearengen's concerns regarding Bullock's focus. The fight begins and ends when Bullock throws Swearengen and himself over the Gem balcony.
    • Seth Bullock's wife Martha and their son William arrive in Deadwood.
    • Bullock tells Alma that because of his wife's arrival in the camp that they either leave camp, or not see each other. Alma understands and agrees that it is better that they remain and only see each other for business reasons.
    • Calamity Jane resurfaces drunk and manages to support Bullock and Utter persuade Swearengen down to return Bullock's items. A truce is made when Swearengen returns Bullock's gun and badge.
    • Swearengen is diagnosed with kidney stones and suddenly collapses in his office with the door locked. He is discovered days later. Cochran then performs a crude surgery with some success.
    • Joanie Stubbs opens her own brothel, The Chez Amis, with her partner Maddie.
    • Francis Wolcott, a geologist working for George Hearst arrives in Deadwood and soon makes his presence felt at the Chez Amis - who has paid for most of the prostitutes transport in order to cater to his selective tastes, to the distress of Joanie Stubbs.
    • Alma discovers she is pregnant by Bullock and is persuaded by Trixie to accept a proposal of marriage from Ellsworth, who is in charge of her gold claim, who Trixie has persuaded to propose to Alma to save her humiliation.
    • Alma fires Miss Isrighausen who then goes to Adams and the two begin to see each other.
    • Samuel Fields, "The Nigger General", returns to camp (had been there before, "between seasons"), tries to enlist Hostetler in his schemes and gets rescued from an angry mob (headed by a roustabout named Steve) by Bullock.
    • Miss Isrighausen convinces Silas Adams to allow her to meet with Swearengen. At the meeting Isrighauson admits she is an agent of the Pinkertons and was employed by Alma Garret's in laws to attempt to frame Alma with her husbands death through Swearengen. Swearengen agrees to play along, but reveals to Ms. Garret later that he intends to blackmail Ms. Isringhausen for her benefit due to his hatred for the Pinkerton agency.
    • Cy Tolliver learns of Wolcott's sexual proclivities and baits him, leading Wolcott to murder two of Joanie Stubb's whores: Doris and Carrie, followed by Maddie when she attempts to extort him. Cy Tolliver takes care of the murders and pardons Wolcott.
    • Hostetler catches a drunken Steve in the livery stable performing an act on Bullock's horse in revenge for Bullock's treatment of him. With Fields' help and threat of violence, Hostetler coerces a confession of bestiality from Steve, one only to surface should Steve make trouble for either of the black men.
    • Stubbs sends the remaining whores away so that they will not be murdered under Wolcott's wrath.
    • Stubbs confides to Charlie Utter the murders, extracting a promise from Charlie that he never repeat the information. Charlie Utter confronts Wolcott in line for food at Farnum's hotel, pulling him into the street and assaulting him, without explaining the real reason for the assault.
    • Having come into possession of Hickock's last letter, Charlie leaves to deliver it to Hickock's wife as an isolated Joanie Stubbs begins a friendship with Calamity Jane.
    • Hugo Jarry, a Yankton commissioner tries to persuade Swearengen and Tolliver, two of the prominent figures in Deadwood to become part of Dakota territory rather than Montana. He ends up siding with Swearengen.
    • Alma Garret, with the help of Sol Star establishes a bank in the camp.
    • William Bullock is trampled by a horse that escaped after a failed neutering.
    • The camp is in vigil shortly after young William is injured. William dies hours after. The funeral is attended by many of Deadwood's citizens, and the service is conducted by former card sharp Andy Cramed, who is now an ordained minister.
    • George Hearst arrives in Deadwood and finds out about the murders of the prostitutes by Wolcott's hands and fires him. Wolcott soon hangs himself and Hearst purchases the Grand Central from Farnum.
    • Tolliver blackmails Hearst for 5% of every Gold Claim he has acquired in Deadwood, lest he reveal a note he purports to have been written by Wolcott confessing his crimes as Hearst's agent.
    • With Hearst's blessing, Mr. Wu and Al's henchman plan an invasion in Deadwood's Chinatown. The operation is successful as Mr. Wu slits the throat of his rival, Lee.
    • Alma and Ellsworth marry at a ceremony conducted by Andy Cramed at the Grand Central.
    • With a great degree of dealing and double-dealing on behalf of Swearengen and Silas Adams, the official papers confirming Deadwood's annexation into Yankton territory are signed by Bullock and Swearengen with Hugo Jarry present.
    • Tolliver is stabbed by Andy Cramed outside the Bella Union.

Season timeframe

File:Ep20 al cheers.jpg
Al Swearengen
  • Season 1: Summer/Fall 1876: Soon after Custer's Last Stand, the first season of Deadwood takes place six months after the founding of the camp. Most of those who live far and outside of the camp have dreams of living in Deadwood to get richer and have a gold claim; however, when they arrive, new citizens find that Deadwood is unlike it has been told. It is a lawless, godless place where greed and corruption rule and in order to make your fortune you have to make yourself something.
  • Season 2: End of Spring/ Early Summer 1877: One year after the events that occurred previously in the camp of Deadwood, Seth Bullock has become the Sheriff with Charlie Utter as his deputy, what was once a lawless place has miraculously become orderly. The camp is progressing swimmingly with many inventions that later have become a necessity such as the telegram and a bank. Former Bella Union hostess Joanie Stubbs has formed her own brothel called the Chez Amis. Both a well-connected geologist and a government official have arrived at the camp to the dismay of the other residents. Al Swearengen is still known as the "unofficial" head of the camp. Seth Bullock's family have arrived in town which forced a breaking off of his relationship with Alma Garret and balancing out time between his work, sheriff's duties, and family.
  • Season 3: Mid/Late Summer 1877: Six weeks after the events of the Second Season, the first steps of civilization and law begin to enter the town; as well as the interests of larger, more powerful entities - in particular Hearst and his mining company. Deadwood preps itself for its first elections as it enters the Dakota territory, with Seth Bullock vs. Harry Manning and Sol Star vs. E.B. Farnum.

Use of profanity

From its debut Deadwood has drawn attention for its extremely explicit, modern profanity, especially among the more coarse characters. It is a deliberate anachronism by the creator with a twofold intent. As Milch has explained in several interviews and on the DVD commentary tracks, originally the characters were to use period slang and swear words. Such words, however, were based heavily on the era's deep religious roots and tended to be more blasphemous than scatological. Instead of being shockingly crude (in keeping with the tone of a frontier mining camp), the results sounded downright comical (Milch says it "..made everyone sound like Yosemite Sam.")

Instead, it was decided the show would use current profanity so the words would impact modern audiences as the blasphemous ones did back in the 1870's. In fact, the character of Mr. Wu seems to know only three words of English — the mangled name of one character ("Swedgin"), "San Francisco", and his favorite derogatory term for those he dislikes, "cocksucka."

The other intent of the frequency of the swearing was to signal the audience of the camp's lawlessness in much the same way that the original inhabitants used it to show they were very aware they were living outside "civil society".

Historical divergence

In addition to the use of fictional characters that interact with real life Deadwood inhabitants, some liberties have been taken in regards to the known events of the time and great liberties taken when it comes to real personalities:

Wild Bill Hickok's Funeral
While the series suggest that the internment of Wild Bill was a sparsely attended affair, it was in fact quite the opposite. While Charlie Utter was indeed away when Hickok was killed, he returned and was the person who claimed the body. He placed an ad in the local paper and attended the funeral.
Gem Variety Saloon
This was not built until 1877, the second of Al Swearengen's Deadwood establishments. In 1876 when Bullock and Starr arrived, Swearengen ran the small Cricket Saloon which featured prize-less "prize fights" of bare knuckled brawls among miners as the entertainment. The Gem did not open until April 7th, 1877.
Charlie Utter
Unlike the unkempt man uncomfortable in urban settings of the show, the real life Charlie Utter was a man known for the pride he took in his appearance. He dressed in hand-tailored suits and kept his long blonde hair & mustache well-groomed at all times, keeping combs and mirrors with him constantly. He slept on high-quality blankets. Quite unusual for the time, he took daily baths.
Seth Bullock
Seth was not married to his brother's widow, but the woman who was reportedly his childhood sweetheart that he married in Utah in 1874. He did not have a son at the time his wife came to join him, but a daughter who was still just a toddler. He would later have a son.
Al Swearengen
Al was not originally from England, but Iowa. At the time the story opens in 1876, he was still operating the smaller Cricket Saloon. He was also still married to Nettie Swearengen, his first wife (but in keeping with his fictional counterpart, she divorced him on the grounds of mistreatment some time later).

Cancellation

On May 13, 2006, HBO confirmed it has opted not to pick up the options of the actors; which are set to expire on June 11, 2006. This means that there will likely be no fourth season with the current cast as it stands, though HBO have stressed the show is not cancelled and talks regarding its future are ongoing. The chance of the show returning in its current state of cast and crew, however, is small. [1].

On June 5, 2006, HBO and creator David Milch agreed to have two two-hour telefilms in place of a fourth season, after Milch declined a short-order of 6 episodes. This is due to the fact that in the show's original form, each season was only a few days, with each episode being one day, in the town of Deadwood. The final two-hour format will release these time restraints and allow for a broader narrative to finish off the series.

Broadcasting

File:Deadwood-2.jpg
Promotional picture from Season 2.

Deadwood is broadcast on the following channels around the world:

HBO broadcast history

DVD releases

The first 2 seasons are available on DVD. As was the case with Sex and the City, HBO was responsible for the North American DVD releases, while Paramount Home Entertainment handled international distribution.

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