Al Swearengen (played by Ian McShane) schooling A.W. Merrick (played by Jeffrey Jones) in the series Deadwood
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I discovered Deadwood nearly 13 years after its original debut and I will admit, I’m glad I did so even this late. Having savored each and everyone of the series’ episodes, I found it to be one of the best written dramas and, quite frankly, works of television of all time. What I truly loved about this show was it’s Shakespearean style of character dialogue meshing with early US West expansion themes such as the forming of camps/communities, personal individualism and the communal hatred for conformity (specially with approaching federal annexation laws). All that along with a rough and gritty depiction of camp life, foul mouth inhabitants and a pervasive mindset that “only the tough survive”, this show provided a refreshing view of the town of Deadwood , its iconic history and inhabitants.
Ian McShane‘s acting stole this show. His superb portrayal of Mr. Swearengen is a treat to watch. His passion, his hatred, his manipulations, his machinations… all of it was amazing. You hate this man for what he is and for waht he can do, but you love seeing him on screen. And that Mr. Wu episode. Never have I laughed so hard. The rest of the cast was equally magnificent, downright to their eccentricities, savory and unsavory personalities.
I wholeheartedly will sign any petition demanding this show returns to have a proper conclusion. Having it end at season 3 (due to low ratings) was a tragedy. And it reminds me just how unjust our society is. We have garbage television on screen like the Kardashians or Real Wives of (enter city name here) running for years and years while good shows, eventual classics like Deadwood, end up getting lost in the mud.
