Created by David Milch
2004 - 2006
I'm not a huge fan of westerns, but in spite of this shows setting, it's really not the typical Western in a lot of ways. Yes, it's set in the late-1800s, has outlaws and all that, but it doesn't rely on these tropes to tell most of its stories. More focused on characters and the politics then gun fights and showdowns, Deadwood may have been cancelled after three seasons with a huge cliffhanger left to simmer for over a decade now, but even with this detriment, it still stands as one of the most satisfying and fleshed-out TV shows of the 2000s.
With an ensemble this huge, you think it might have to sacrifice character development to facilitate this large of a cast, but this somehow isn't the case. While many of the characters are based on real life people, there was obvious artistic license being taken to flesh out and dramatize them to make their stories more camera ready. The finest example of this being with the angry, violent, and deeply layered Al Swearengen, portrayed by the amazing Ian McShane. The way this reprehensible character evolves over these three seasons is incredible, with virtually every episode revealing more and more layers, highlighting both the good and bad aspects of this man. Consider him a representation of the cast as a whole.
With moral ambiguity nearly everywhere, it's not surprising to say that the cast as a whole is very intriguing. Even most of the "good guys" aren't totally good or decent people, as they have to break their morals frequently to survive in the wild west. This is honestly the main appeal of the setting. A mostly lawless town essentially run by whoever has the most money, and the power they have is entirely reliant on just that. There's a wonderful amount of detail in this town, instantly making it feel like a lived-in destination. It's grubby and full of quirks, just like the people in it.
It's disappointing that the show was never given the chance to conclude after such a thrilling season finale, but there have been talks of their being a movie or two coming within the next few years, and these rumors seem to be largely based in fact, so we can only hope we're given a satisfying conclusion to this wonderful series soon. Either way, this show may have been a bit too crass for many, but the execution and attention to detail in the casting and set/costume design escalated it far above those petty complaints. One of the best shows from HBO, and totally worth watching if you like a good drama series.
With an ensemble this huge, you think it might have to sacrifice character development to facilitate this large of a cast, but this somehow isn't the case. While many of the characters are based on real life people, there was obvious artistic license being taken to flesh out and dramatize them to make their stories more camera ready. The finest example of this being with the angry, violent, and deeply layered Al Swearengen, portrayed by the amazing Ian McShane. The way this reprehensible character evolves over these three seasons is incredible, with virtually every episode revealing more and more layers, highlighting both the good and bad aspects of this man. Consider him a representation of the cast as a whole.
With moral ambiguity nearly everywhere, it's not surprising to say that the cast as a whole is very intriguing. Even most of the "good guys" aren't totally good or decent people, as they have to break their morals frequently to survive in the wild west. This is honestly the main appeal of the setting. A mostly lawless town essentially run by whoever has the most money, and the power they have is entirely reliant on just that. There's a wonderful amount of detail in this town, instantly making it feel like a lived-in destination. It's grubby and full of quirks, just like the people in it.
It's disappointing that the show was never given the chance to conclude after such a thrilling season finale, but there have been talks of their being a movie or two coming within the next few years, and these rumors seem to be largely based in fact, so we can only hope we're given a satisfying conclusion to this wonderful series soon. Either way, this show may have been a bit too crass for many, but the execution and attention to detail in the casting and set/costume design escalated it far above those petty complaints. One of the best shows from HBO, and totally worth watching if you like a good drama series.
My grade: A-
No comments:
Post a Comment