Deadwood Finale (Major Spoilers!)

What a satisfying end to the season, both emotionally and morally.

• I have to say the most suspenseful part of the episode was the wedding. I really thought one of them was going to back out. Alma really looked very pretty. Having her say “I do” too early was perfect – she just wanted to have it over with. I loved her inner monologue/dialogue with Brom. It was right that she’d be thinking of him on that day, and it was revealing as far as how Alma feels: Ellsworth (or should we be calling him Whitney now?) is a good man, but the man she loves is in town as well. Now we know for sure why she stays.
• Jane and Joanie are such a good pair. I was sort of borderline when it came to Kim Dickens, who plays Joanie, not sure how good an actress I thought she was, but she is perfect with Jane. I was smiling a mile wide when they showed Charlie ride into town. He left in such an agitated state, it must have been wonderful for him to return to a happy event like a wedding and to see his two girls all cleaned up, dressed up and sobered up, and best buds to boot. I think the scabs on the side of Jane’s face are a result of the beating/rape that was implied when she showed up at Charlie’s on the wrong day for work, saying she had been really drunk and some guy gave her a beating and she could hardly remember it. Jane had the best line, at the end when the band stopped playing as Alma, et al were getting on the wagon to leave and she shouted offscreen, “We ain’t finished fuckin’ dancin’ yet!” (or something to that effect)
• How can the marriage fail when Richardson had his antlers with him? Actually, they didn’t do much good for William, did they?
• I’m hoping that Martha and Seth will actually be calling each other Martha and Seth by next season.
• EB is really off his nut, and I think it’s because he feels left out of all that transpired this season. He was always a sniveling weasel, but now he’s just desperate. I was shocked that he sold the hotel, but was relieved that he would be staying on as manager.
• What an episode for Ian McShane. If he won an Emmy this year that might go toward re-establishing the award’s relevance in my eyes. Keep dreaming, I know. Al’s orchestrations and manipulations are a wonder to behold, and he was so smart to take the $50,000.00 off the table with Yankton. He may be a vulgarian, but on an intellectual level he can hold his own with the likes of Hearst. His facial expressions when talking to Jarry had me dying. And it looks like he had Wu’s back all this time. Pretty much.
• “Wu! American!” What a great scene. I think maybe we won’t be seeing as many Pictionary scenes in Al’s office next season as Wu starts to give in and learn English.
• While Wolcott’s suicide did not surprise me story-wise, it was still a shock to see it happen. I am sorry to see his character go: As slimy and morally repellent as he was, Wolcott was unpredictable, honest in his assessment of himself and offered a viewpoint of the town as an outsider. Yet another reason to hate Cy Tolliver. ( I wonder if they can come up with a way to have Dillahunt show up yet again next season?)
• And speaking of Cy Tolliver, I owe Andy Cramed a big ol’ kiss on the lips for at least trying to rid the show of its worst actor and most despicable character. I doubt Tolliver will die, but God it was so rewarding to see him close to it. One can only hope! And three cheers to Joanie for cutting ties permanently with him and leaving his care to one of his whores.

So, we have some endings: Wolcott is dead, Lee is dead and Tolliver is hopefully but probably not dead. We also have the beginnings: Alma and Ellsworth newly married, Deadwood and Yankton newly married, Al and Hearst newly partnered, EB newly rich, Sol and Trixie becoming a regular pair, Seth and Martha facing the future together, Martha starting her job as the teacher and Jane and Joanie holding court at the Chez Ami.

I can’t wait for next season.