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The Sopranos,though. great, had almost as many lowlights as highlights, but Deadwood has near perfection in every single chapter.
A superb cast of mostly unknown or quality bit players, with two or three notable exceptions, make this exciting period of American frontier history burst to life in vivid, colorful (to say the least) action and language. For some of these actors, this series may be the crowning achievement of their professional lives.
Times were hard, tough, and your friends were good friends and your enemies were deadly. Though not inexpensive, I personally feel its money well spent.
There are far worse fates. Rare in this day and time do you find ANY series than can hold your undivided attention for one season, much less three.
Some parts are better than others, depending on personal taste and interest, but in my personal opinion, there is not one single episode that hasn't got a touch of superior acting, great humor, or gut-wrenching action attached to it, most have an abundance of all three.
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And it's a shame that this show got cancelled, but the reason behind it was understandable: not enough money from the ratings. Wu, Reverend Smith, Richardson, Tom Nuttall, A.W. Cy Tolliver (played by Powers Boothe) is one character that you'll love to hate. And special props go to Keith Carradine for his portrayal of "Wild Bill" Hickok, the legendary lawman who has come not only for prospecting for gold, but for playing Poker (which leads to bad luck in his own case).
Ian Mcshane and Timothy Olyphany give superb performances as Al Searengen and Seth Bullock (Swearengen being the cold-blooded owner of a saloon, and Bullock being the owner of a hardware store). David Milch has done a fantastic job with this series. What I like most about "Deadwood" are the countless characters that make the show. A++ Farnum, a hotel owner with a social problem. So now, all I need is enough money to purchase the next two seasons of "Deadwood". A more complex female character is Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert), whose alcoholism and vulgarity makes a stark contrast for her caring for little children and for those who are sick.
Brad Dourif's performance is oscar-worthy as Doc Cochran, a man who has seen it all in the Civil War. William Sanderson is brilliant as E.B. It's very hard to pick a favorite, really. This is an extremely well-written show about the real Wild West. This isn't John Wayne's universe, and this CERTAINLY ISN'T Will Smith's universe, either.
Other characters are attention-grabbing: Trixie, Sol Star, Charlie Utter, Eddie Sawyer, Ellesworth, Jewel, Mr. Merrick, Dan Doherty, Joanie Stubbs, Con Stapleton, Jimmy Irons, Leon, Jack McCall, etc. There's a chock full of heavy profanity, sex, obscenities, and very little gunplay. I have yet to watch the second and third seasons of Deadwood, but thank God I was able to watch the first. Alma Garrett (Molly Parker) is a bit annoying in the first few episodes, but she develops and you'll grow to admire her because of her complexities.
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