Tell Your God To Ready For Blood
Finally, one of the finest shows I have ever watched has returned, for its third and, regrettably, final season. Deadwood is a magical confluence of superb acting, beautiful cinematography and brilliant writing that I doubt we will see on television again for a very long time.
Before I recap, I just wanted to mention how perfectly the show's opening credits reflect both the beauty and the brutality of the show and its dialogue.
We pick up the story about 6 weeks from the end of season 2 and are plopped down right in the middle of the action. Hearst is still ensconced in the hotel he bought from E.B. and the town's first elections are fast approaching. A school has been established for the town's children in Joanie's former brothel, with Martha Bullock teaching the students. Deadwood is growing fast and with that growth comes civilization. For the most part. The first words of the season are spoken by Dan Dority, and I wonder if they are a sign of things to come: "Fetching toward a bloody outcome, boss."
Dan's prediction comes true only minutes later when a Cornishman, who works for Hearst, is murdered in the Gem. Al correctly surmises that Hearst is behind the murder; by ordering a man killed in Al's saloon he's letting him know that he can basically do whatever he wants. Al also knows that this is a test for Bullock, who is running for Sheriff. He warns Bullock not to pursue the matter with Hearst when he meets with him. The brilliant Al knows that if Bullock looks the other way, Hearst will back his candidacy.
Bullock does his best to contain his temper during the meeting with Hearst, and does not pursue the question of the murder, but something else sets him off: Hearst asks what sort of influence Bullock has with Alma Garrett Ellsworth regarding her claim. Bullock thinks this means that Hearst knows about their affair and is using it to influence and control him. He barely contains his anger as he cuts the meeting short and storms into the lobby of the hotel, where he finds E.B. Farnum, who in his mind is the most likely person to have told Hearst about him and the widow. Bullock completely loses his shit and beats the living daylights out of E.B. While E.B. deserves a beating for so many other transgressions, this time he is innocent. Bullock has tipped his hand, however, and now Hearst knows what he may have only suspected.
I have to say that while the beating was ferocious, I couldn't help but laugh out loud as Richardson, on his way to "get the law", grabs his trusty antlers, runs to Al, and yells, "The Sheriff is beatin' up the Mayor!" That pretty much sums up what it's like to watch this show.
After breaking up the fight and getting E.B. situated, Al returns to meet with Hearst in a wonderful scene that is very hard to describe. Without directly accusing him, Al tells Hearst that he does not take kindly to people being murdered in his establishment, especially without his permission, and until that "insult" has been repaired, Al can cause a lot of trouble for Hearst, by "tearing things down." He starts by telling him that the night's election speeches have been cancelled. Hearst takes the warning for what it is and tells Al that he hopes then that the insult will have been erased by the following day. The scene is masterful, a battle of wits between two brilliant and dangerous men, and my description pales in comparison.
This is fetching toward a bloody outcome, and Al knows it. He goes to Bullock's house to aprise him of the situation and to warn him to be ready for trouble. When Bullock asks him if he'd like him to accompany him back to the Gem, Al says no but adds, "It won't be just yet. He'll be wanting to marshal his cutthroats. Do stay in hailing distance."
That was the main storyline, but the episode also touched on just about every character and brought us up to speed on their lives:
The Bullocks - As I've already mentioned, Marth has started a school for the town's children. Her relationship with Seth is still tentative, but they do seem to have gotten more comfortable around each other.
The Ellsworths - Ellsworth, Alma and Sophia are still setting up house. After Ellsworth leaves in the morning to take Sophia to school, Alma faints. Doc prescribes complete bedrest for the duration of the pregnancy, and laudanum for her pain. Alma, having just recently kicked her laudanum addiction, is not too eager to get that monkey on her back again.
Joanie - Joanie is in a bad way. She is without a place or a purpose. She vacates her former brothel during the day while school is being conducted and spends hours sitting in a room she rents from Shaugnessy's, contemplating and coming close to committing suicide. She doesn't want to return to the Bella Union, but Cy is doing his best to manipulate her into coming back. He's still bedridden, recovering from the stabbing by Andy Cramed, and Joanie goes to him every day to nurse him and check on the whores. (By the way, I think Cy's newfound religious devotion is a crock and that he is not as ill as he seems.) The Bella is a mere shadow of what it used to be, and the whores are strung out on dope. The temptation to return is more than Joanie can withstand. As she sits in her rented room with a gun to her head, she asks, "What am I Lord, that I'm so helpless?"
Sol and Trixie - Sol is running for mayor against E.B. Trixie is still with him, but she's none to pleased - Al wants Sol living in a respectable house and not "whore-f*cking" in his place of business. If all goes Al's way, Sol will take over Adams' house and Trixie will live in a rented room at Shaugnessy's, adjacent to Sol's new house and where Al has arranged for a hole to be cut in the wall in order to, as Trixie so delicatley puts it, "to ease my f*ckin' f*ckin' you!"
Jane - Finally, Jane, the heart of the show for me. It was so good to see more of her after so little last season. She's still drinking, unfortunately, but Martha has asked her to come to the school and speak to the children about her days as a scout for Custer. She tells Martha no at first, but later confides to Joanie about Martha's request and it seems she has reconsidered. I hope so. Jane's still staying at Joanie's at night and have continued their unlikely but sweet friendship.
Oh, and The Gimp - Jewell is back! In one of my favorite scenes, she's scrubbing the Cornishman's bloodstain from the floor of the Gem when Al walks in. She stands and asks, "Breakfast?" Al just looks at her. She kneels back down (not an easy feat for her), and Al yells, "Bacon and eggs!" She gets up, looks at him and says, "You could have said that before I went down!" And she storms off. I think he did that so she would leave and he could wash the floor himself.
I'll finish up with my favorite quotes from the episode:
"Do not instruct me how to spend my day. Or to itemize for you my crowded itinerary!" ~ Jane
"I keep my ruddy color not asking Al his reasons." ~Adams
"Loopy c*nt!!" ~Al to Trixie
"Has the body been eaten?" ~ Bullock (which reminds me, where is Wu?!)
"Leave the demons to God and trust the pain to me." ~Doc to Alma
"Don't I yearn for the days a draw across the throat made f*ckin' resolution." ~Al to Dan
"I will profane your f*ckin' remains, E.B. Gabriel's Trumpet will produce you from the ass of a pig." ~Al
"F*ckin' pagan. Tell your God to ready for blood." ~Al to Richardson
"Custer was a c*nt!! The End." ~ Jane
"Every day takes figurin' out all over again how to f*ckin' live." ~Jane
Amen, Jane.
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