It’s a shame that Deadwood ended up just like Carnivale and Rome: a fantastic series canceled far, far too early on. How a series like Entourage runs as long as it has and a fantastic epic like this old-school styled western series gets axed the way it did is utterly baffling. Despite being only three seasons long, this is one of the most sprawling series ever put on the small screen. It’s a tale of greed, betrayal and all that classical good stuff.
Shakespeare is the best analogy to use for this series. David Milch‘s series is full of classical themes and archetypes. The language fits perfectly into Bill Shakespeare’s mold. There’s fluidity to nearly every line delivered. If you’re one of those readers who usually despised reading Shakespeare’s work being unable to understand his language, you shouldn’t have that problem here. Perhaps because it’s done in a visual medium that the language is just about always understandable, but no line goes misunderstood. One big bonus about this music-to-my-ears language: the swearing.
Ian McShane has always been one admired for his brilliant and uncanny mannerisms. His ways with words is almost dreamlike, and he truly showcases that in Deadwood with Al Swearengen. McShane gets to spout about a 1,000 obscenities per episode, almost as if he’s contractually obligated to. His character’s last name, Swearengen, is more than suitable. He’s an endlessly quotable character, and the true standout of the series. But that doesn’t mean he’s the only appealing character in the series, because he’s not. A lot of ensemble shows usually have a weak link, not here.
Timothy Olyphant has always been one that caries intimidation with him. As the former lawman pulled back into being the law, Olyphant turns in one of his — if not the — best performances of his career. Olyphant makes Seth Bullock a stone, but a stone that one can understand and grasp. There’s always a sense of calm, but brutal force to Bullock. He’s not a charming character, but it’s hard not to like him. There’s practically no charming individual in the town of Deadwood. It’s all grime and grit, and yet you come away liking these characters. There’s a charm to their dirtiness and almost narcissistic ways, especially McShane and the always great screen presence, Powers Boothe. The whole cast delivers across the board excellent work.
Considering Deadwood did not get a long and steady life, it doesn’t have the grandest and most fulfilling of closures. On the upside, some loose ends are tied and a few character arcs feel complete. Because the show never got a true ending doesn’t mean one should hesitate to dive into this truly fantastic series. It’s well worth it. All three seasons are consistent in quality. There’s no meandering or lagging in the writing, there’s always a forward momentum with a great sense of stakes. There are consequences in this fully realized world, which very few television shows have achieve.
Video: Deadwood is a grainy and mostly dark-lit show, but it still looks beautiful in this transfer. There’s a warmth and darkness to practically every shot, and the bold color palette is handled more than competently here. The classical richness of the production truly pops. The production design was impeccable, and the crystal clear presentation makes those sets even more detailed and more perfect looking. The dark color contrast is vibrant and clear, which makes for another reminder as to why this is one of the most cinematic shows ever crafted.
Audio: Deadwood is full of gunshots, whores yelling and horses raging, and all that bombast sounds perfect here. There’s a real weight and depth to all the booming sounds, and the same goes for the all the dialog moments. Here, dialog is action. David Milch love for creative swearing is presented in a crystal clear fashion presentation in this audio. All the quiet moments are understandable and all the bombast are as loud and as clear as they need to be.
Special Features: This is a loaded box-set, you cant ask for anymore than the overkill of special features. There’s a total of seventeen audio commentaries and around six hours of, mostly, in-depth behind-the-scenes features. The commentaries include the actors to the producers — some commentaries just being supplied from the actors while others being supplied by the producers or also the episode’s director. David Milch’s commentaries are essential, and Olyphant and McShane are also endlessly listenable with interesting insight. There’s a handful of making-of docs, but the main ones to watch are: The Real Deadwood, Making of the Season Finale Two, The Meaning of Endings, and the Cast and Creative Team Q & A. All these special features provide fans with every insight into the production needed, especially The Meaning of Endings where Milch discusses the final season and all his goals and intentions for the show.
Deadwood: The Complete Series on Blu-ray is now available.