[jqp]

I was out eating and reading at a cafe and realized that I would miss the first half of Deadwood (on HBO).

I will have to watch a repeat of the show.

How many watch this series? ( and no spoilers please!  )

[Woodsea]

Great show, but watching it a season behind here in the orient.  Can't wait to get first run shows again, a few months.
This is one of my favorites!

[arthurs]

weak finale....they watered down the quality of that show this season, IMO

[Berndt]

I loved it.
I heard rumors that there will be a full length feature that ties up all the loose ends.
I hope season 3 comes out on video first so I can get 100% clear first.

[sts9fan]

I think there will be 2 2hr movies to wrap it up. I was not a huge fan of the last episode but I did really like the season in general.

[arthurs]

Tvad, are you politely saying I'm too stupid to understand what the show was saying this season?   (Kidding)

I hear where you're coming from, I guess I just didn't find the subtext and metaphor they put forward this year as compelling as previous seasons.  I also thought too many threads introduced were meaningless (the acting troupe as an example) and too many went nowhere and have been left to dangle.  That said, I had not heard about possible movies to wrap up loose ends, so that may cause me to take a new perspective as I revisit this seasons episodes...if I get stuck on anything I'll give you a call T!

[kbuzz3]

Glad to see this thread,  a nice change of pace. I totally agree with the bulk of what was said above. Its a great show, and for all the bombastic language is truly filled with nuance and shadings. great depth and sublime lighting.

With that said, dont worry about waiting for the repeat of the last episode. I felt it was an extreme letdown.  I understand what those of you are saying about not being a cliched western but come on.  This ending just faded like an old baloon.

For example, Im not a kevin kostner fan, but the last 15 minutes of open range was great wetern fare.  And that movie was boring for the first thrree quarters.

Stated otherwise, Milch and co. can do bettter. Without giving anything away. Who wasnt rooting for hearst to meet some wierd and awful demise.  Isnt the ironric point this year was that the show made you want to rootfor AL Swerg. --who is evil-- to get his revenge?   Where's good ol wild bill when you need him.

Other then the closing song it was totally anticlimatic.

Also totally agree that the acting troop thing was just ridiculous.  Way too tangental to mean anything.

Too paraphrase one reviewer, the show has everything soparanos was lacking this season. Except it had armondo benitez as a closer.

One other random thought,......maybe the ending was done this way on purpose to show that power, greed extrme captialism and consolidation are unstoppable?

Hope they reright the ship.....

[mjosef]

THe finale was a let down for me too...after the steady build up for some explosive action to end it all...what a pity. I thought I heard that this was the final season? HBO did not opted for another season for some reason. Well, seems like the trend lately with HBO series...corporate-bottom-line-thinking...they did the same thing with Carnivale, built up a great story line and ended it with a whimper.
Well at least the Wire is coming back in a couple weeks.

[kbuzz3]

amen on the wire...

[jqp]

( Spoiler warning for Woodsea! )


I did catch the rerun of the last show last night at 12:30pm  It is on again tonight at 9pm.

As many have said there sure were a lot of loose ends to tie up in the last show, originally intended to be merely the last show of the season. A very long episode summary on the HBO site. Some questions that did not get answered for me: Will Cy Toliver be Hearst's quartermaster, will Starr be mayor, how many of the hired guns will stay in Deadwood, how will Bullock not be Sheriff

Ethics definitely were situational.

To me, the dramatic troupe was an opportunity to introduce another character in between the good and bad sides, as well as an opportunity to introduce jealousy and unrequited love (as is fitting for shakespear). But what made them come to Deadwood? Langrishe (had to look it up), for all his dandiness, seems to be really searching for something in Deadwood besides his old friendship with Swearengen. It seems to have been introduced too late in the show. Maybe it would have been fleshed out more in another full season, maybe it will be if there are the 2 movies.

[kbuzz3]

i join in praise of the wire!

[mjosef]

i join in praise of the wire!

Best darn show on the 'not-so-small-screen-anymore' followed closely by the Shield.