Deadwood

Deadwood is a HBO Original Series that aired several years ago. The setting is the gold mining camp/town in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1876, just after gold was discovered and General George Custer lost the battle of Little Big Horn. Deadwood is part of the Wild West, not yet annexed into the Dakota or the Montana territories. The camp springs up overnight, the gold attracting every type of human being – prospectors, merchants, saloon operators, gamblers, prostitutes, drunks, gunfighters, criminals and common folk. I originally got this series to watch for research purposes – the Gunslinger's Confession takes place partly in Deadwood and the Black Hills during that time. The HBO series served me well for this purpose, but soon I was drawn into the entertainment value of the show itself. I found myself "binge watching" three or four episodes per night until I finished the entire DVD set (three seasons).

I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of the characters. The writing is superior. Every character is perfectly flawed and conflicted with desires and emotions that make them come alive on the screen. Just a couple of examples – Al Swearinger is the proprietor of the Gem Saloon, one of the original settlers in the camp. He has the foulest mouth and disposition imaginable. On the surface, he is ruthless and only interested in making a profit. He easily orders his henchmen to beat or murder any who cross his path. He's always angry, yet he cares for his whores and working boys with a fatherly affection that is wise and knowledgeable. It's clear that he loves them, and relishes their loyalty. Seth Bullock, another main character, reluctantly accepts the position as Sheriff. He's tall and handsome. He is the silent type. He had given up his job as a Marshal in Montana to pursue a more ordinary life as a hardware store proprietor in Deadwood. The reasons are not abundantly clear, but it is apparent through his actions and the slow unfolding of his personality that Mister Bullock has a dark past. He is torn between good and evil. He works to restore justice, protect the innocent, and make things "right," while at the same time he is prone to sudden unexplainable violence. All of the characters are wonderfully written and acted... The dialogue throughout the episodes is excellent, though sometimes a little bit hard to follow because of the attention to the late 1800s "authentic" style of speech – although, I have no idea how accurate the writers and actors are in their efforts. If you enjoy Westerns, especially the dirty and gritty type, this is a series you should watch. Be warned, this show is NOT for youngsters or the easily offended, the cursing is pervasive, sex graphic, and the storyline is grim and violent.