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| The not very aesthetically pleasing poster for the second season of David Milch's Deadwood |
The second season (out of three) of creator David Milch's (NYPD Blue (1993-05)) lavish, historical HBO series set in the titular town in 1877 begins about 7 months after the first season and spans 12 ca. 45 minute-long episodes.
The show continues to be a joy to watch due to its endearing characters, the general perfidy of the camp and the rare instances of greatness among its tough residents. Mayor Farnum (well-played by William Sanderson (Blade Runner (1982))) and newspaperman Merrick (Jeffrey Jones (Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986))) grow into a couple of really funny characters in season two. But it continues to irritate that the main character, sheriff Bullock, is played so stoically jaw-clenched by Timothy Olyphant (Die Hard 4.0 (2007)).
The minor problem of Deadwood's at times snail-pace plot might be that it seems like it, apart from its general direction, is sort of made up as it rolls along, without any real sense of underlying necessity.
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| Ian McShane (Cuban Fury (2014)) continues to be a huge part of David Milch's Deadwood's attraction as the boss of the town, Al Swearengen |
The details:
The following plot summary contains SPOILERS:
The season's main subject is the annexation of Deadwood into Dakota state territory. Some of the details of this become too muddy as it moves along, and the mistrusted Pinkerton family from the first season send out a snakelike agent by the name of Isringhausen, whose ulterior motives also remain somewhat unknown for the entire season. On the more positive side, the violent town receives an enthusiastic Stephen Tobolowsky (Groundhog Day (1993)) as a Dakota commissary.
Another agent, this one for the wealthy Hearst, Wolcott, turns out to be a perverted killer of women, who in turn lays bare the cynicism of the town's original, secondary power figure Cy Tolliver (Powers Boothe (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014))).
When Swearengen finally recovers from serious illness, Sol (John Hawkes (The Sessions (2012))), Bullock and Alma Garret (Molly Parker (Hollywoodland (2006))) have opened a bank. Bullock's wife arrives, and his relationship with Garret ends in agonizing silence, while he and his wife's pretty son expire in a tragic horse accident.
Joanie's (Kim Dickens (Gone Girl (2014))) brothel Chez Amis closes following a triple murder. Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert (Mississippi Grind (2015))) receives some much needed help and gives some in return. The town's Chinese boss Wu (Keone Young (Men in Black 3 (2012))) makes a vendetta over a brutal Chinese gangster from San Francisco, and Alma gets engaged to Ellsworth (Jim Beaver (Crimson Peak (2015))).
As the season draws to its end, Wolcott gets a death sentence from Hearst; Deadwood is annexed into Dakota territory for a substantial prize; Farnum's hotel gets sold to Hearst; Tolliver gets stabbed in his stomach by the new priest in town, - a bitter, old acquaintance, - and an election is announced.
At the season's exciting end, one looks greatly forward to the third season.
Best episode:
3: New Money - written by Milch, Elizabeth Sarnoff (Lost (2005-10)), directed by Steve Shill (Rome (2005-07))
Al Swearengen is operated for gallstones, - and rarely has a TV scene been more excruciating to behold!
Related review:
David Milch: Deadwood - season 1 (2004) - Milch presents a new f-ing take on the old frontier West
In lieu of a trailer for the season, not currently available on Youtube, here is a video with the great opening theme of the show, by David Schwartz (Arrested Development (2003-13))
Budget: Reportedly 4.5 mil. $ per episode, or 54 mil. $
Box office: None - TV-series
= Unknown
[As with the first season, the viewer ratings for the show are not to be found online. Metacritic reports that the 2nd season is the best reviewed of the show's 3, with 93 % good reviews, 'near universal acclaim'. The season was nominated for 11 Emmys, winning 5, which were all technical, episode-specific ones. After several years mull, HBO has as of January 2016 commissioned Milch, who is today reportedly 17 mil. $ in debt due to obsessive gambling, to write scripts for two TV-movies that are to conclude Deadwood, which ended prematurely with season 3. Deadwood is #69 on IMDb's Top 250 TV-shows, where 61k+ users have given it an 8.8 average rating.]
What do you think of the second season of Deadwood?
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