If you remember, the first season of Deadwood ended the way we all knew it would, with our hero, the righteous former Marshall of Montana, Seth Bullock’, anger frustration and morality that he had tried so desperately to suppress, getting the better of him and rising to the surface. The final scene: Bullock pinning the Sheriff star to his coat. There’ a new Sheriff in town. It’s 1870′ Dakota in a miner’ camp called Deadwood, a place full of thieves, murders, whores and conmen, where everyone has an angle and as they say on the bottom of the cover, “fortune comes at a price.’ Deadwood is one of those superb ensemble casts, where Bullock who was our moral compass in the first series takes a step back and seems to stomp through the series like a bear with a sore head, a walking powder keg- not that this isn’ without reason. And the other characters begin to take over, as the town attempts to come to terms with more political developments, its rapid expansion coming to the attention of a corrupt government who themselves see the opportunity for dollars. And whilst this results in power struggles and political wranglings this only intensifies the violence and uncertainty. Its gripping stuff, each episode brings forth new developments that push the boundaries of television both in terms of violence and language, but also in terms of multiple subplots and unexpected character developments. It’s difficult to remember writing ever being this good in television. But don’ worry, this doesn’ prevent, the slaughter of multiple whores by one of the strangest and as a result quite terrifying psychopaths we’ve seen in a while, or savage beatings, and all manner of despicable acts – even marriage. It only provides a context for them. Television has never been this good.
EXTRA FEATURES:
Unfortunately nothing. But if you don’ have pay TV you need to find this.
Bob Baker Fish
