The music sucks, but the rest...is it October yet?
7.19.2006
The next generation.
The next generation.
Originally uploaded by gina64.
Hannah and Zachary enjoying their legacy, our place in Maine.
The trip is finally drawing near. We leave Friday night for a week, so things will be quiet around here for a while. I'm going to do my darndest to get this week's Deadwood recap up before I go, but you'll have to do without next week's until I get back. There is certainly no HBO up there - we barely get 3 local broadcast channels on the rooftop antenna - and I am laptop-less. Besides, I'll be on vacation.
And I'll be taking another vacation soon after I get back from Maine: beautiful Vancouver! My second favorite place in the world. I can't wait.
I'm lucky I can afford air conditioning now.
But there were times, not so long ago, when I couldn't and these tips on How to Sleep Comfortably on a Hot Night would have come in handy back then. I thought that in the midst of this heat wave, they might come in handy for some of you. (the one with the fan, chairs, towel, ice and bucket is a bit elaborate, though)
If you find no relief after implenting some of these ideas, you may want to read up on How to Prevent Global Warming.
If you find no relief after implenting some of these ideas, you may want to read up on How to Prevent Global Warming.
7.16.2006
"Hell of a f*ckin' day."
A Two-Headed Beast
It's the following morning and we immediately pick up the threads of the previous episode. Well, not immediately. Instead, we have the dubious honor of watching Con Stapleton wreak holy hell on some Bella Union whore's boobies. Yeah, you heard me right. He's squeezing them like a human mamogram and talking into them like they were microphones and it's a disturbing display that I really didn't need to see. Twice.
First order of business this morning: Adams meets with Hearst, as Al's representative. Hearst uses this first meeting to discern where Adams' loyalty lies, and whether or not he can win it for himself. The main purpose of the meeting, however, is to send Adams back to Dan with a message from Captain Turner: "Go tell your friend I know he's afraid of me." What is this, fifth grade recess? Actually, none of these guys probably got past the fifth grade, so...
Steve the Drunk is getting washed up outside the back door of Tom Nutall's. God, five minutes into the episode and I already want him dead. He's not getting clean, though. He's had a spitoon dumped on his head and I'd say that was just about the most disgusting thing I could imagine happening, but I've seen the rest of this episode. Anyway, Steve's getting ready to sign the livery sale papers.
Merrick is interviewing Alma at the bank and, girl is high as a KITE. And Merrick senses something is not quite right with Mrs. Ellsworth. Trixie looks on in disapproval.
Adams brings Captain Turner's message to Dan and Al and Dan wants to waste no time in killing the sea creature. But Al wants him to wait until he can figure out why Hearst would want the fight to happen.
It's time for the signing of the livery papers. According to Sol's advice to Bullock, Steve is at Nutall's, Hostetler is at the hardware store, and Bullock is between them, in the thoroughfare. At the agreed upon time, Bullock fires his pistol in the air and Steve and Hostetler sign simultaneously. Phew.
While perambulating, Merrick and Blazanov see two of Hearst's men dump a body in the thoroughfare, one that has plainly been murdered, the knife sticking out of his chest being the giveaway. Merrick goes to fetch Bullock and Charlie.
At the Bella Union, Cy suspects that Leon has been selling dope to Lila behind his back. When confronted, Leon tells Tolliver that he was indeed 'coppin' for another', but it wasn't Lila - it was Alma Ellsworth. Cy appears to like hearing this, although it's hard to tell, what with Powers Boothe's great big stone monolith of a face. Does he have any other expression? And can he please take all of those marbles out of his mouth? I can't understand a word that man says.
Charlie confirms that the dead man in the thoroughfare is one of the Cornishmen who have been organizing the laborers at Hearst's mine. Bullock can barely contain his rage as he cleches his way over to the Gem and tells Al that Hearst has murdered a third Cornishman and it's time he is made to stop. Al again asks him to hold off on confronting Hearst until he can figure things out. Bullock doesn't want to, but Adams convinces him to wait just a little longer.
Al is so perplexed by Hearst's motivations that he turns to his confidante of old, the Indian head in the box. Or Chief, as Al likes to call him. Unfortunately for Al, the Chief is unable to illuminate matters for him. As a last resort, Al calls on EB, once the camp's pre-eminent busybody. Alas, EB's busybody glory days are past him and he can pass along nothing of worth.
The rest of Langrishe's Theater Troupe arrives in town - Bellegarde and Chesterton, who is gravely ill - and while they are all enjoyable to watch, they're more distracting than anything else at this point. Especially since I was convinced that Bellegarde was played by Roddy McDowall, even though I know Roddy is long dead. Then it hit me - it's the guy from one of my favorite movies, "Breaking Away", Dennis Christopher. Bon Giorno, Dennis! See, I told you they were distracting.
Finally, Al gives up on trying to understand Hearst. He tells Dan to go ahead and fight Turner.
And holy CRAP what a fight it is! I don't think I have ever seen a more brutal hand-to-hand fight portrayed onscreen, tv or movie, ever. Talk about a two-headed beast. Under the watchful eyes of Hearst and Al, Captain Turner gets the upper hand on Dan early on; and after all the face-biting, the head-butting, the puddle-drowning and the head-bashing, I thought this was the end of our Dan. But no. Our Dan had one more trick up his sleeve. In a last desperate attempt to get the Captain off of him, Dan GOUGES HIS EYE OUT. His f*cking eye was hanging from its socket and bouncing off of his cheek. Ahhh GOD! And then the screaming! I think that was worse than the eye. Dan finishes off the sea creature by beating him to death with a log.
Later on that night, Doc wants to check on Dan to make sure that he's alright, but he wants to be left alone. He's clearly shaken and sits naked, shivering and crying in his room. Johnny asks Al if maybe he shouldn't check on him, but Al tells Johnny, "some shit's best walked through alone."
At the Ellsworth's, Alma gets high in order to steel herself for what's to come: making love to her husband. Poor Ellsworth. I had wondered whether they'd slept together yet, and Ellsworth's reaction to her advances made the answer clearly no. He is very nervous, in a sweet way, but responds to her. When they kiss, however, he realizes that she is high and pulls away. He tells her that he will pack his things and leave that night and to not forget to collect Sophia. Where is Sophia that she needs to be collected?
OK, so the Hostetler/Steve deal has been struck and finalized at the bank, with Hostetler getting his $1200 in gold as payment. But that's not good enough. Steve demands that Hostetler return to him that chalkboard from last season, the one with something about Steve "f*cking Bullock's horse" on it. They spend hours looking for the stupid thing and when Bullock finally finds it, they discover that all of the writing has been rubbed off by the cloth it was wrapped in. Of course Steve - no longer "the Drunk" but "the World's Biggest F*cking Idiot" - won't believe it's the same board and launches into another one of his hateful, blind rages. This is more than Hostetler can take. He walks out of the barn and shoots himself in the head. And I thought I wanted Steve to die before.
The injustice, the wrongness of Hostetler's suicide is more than Bullock can stomach. He goes to find Hearst, who is getting drunk at the Bella Union. He wants to make Hearst pay for the wrong things he has done. Someone has to pay for something. He arrests him and drags him through the thoroughfare by his ear, something I've been wanting to see all season.
Quotes
"That sea creature Turner called me out." ~Dan (just because I love it when Dan calls him that)
"I ain't no f*ckin' coward!" ~Al
"Watching us advance on your stupid teepee, Chief, knowing you had to make your move, did you not just want first to f*ckin understand?" ~Al
"Such acid scrutiny by former boon companions." ~EB
"Makes of me and Tolliver a two-headed beast." ~Al
"The 'why' is what confounds me. What's in his head I cannot f*ckin' find in mine." ~Al
"Come scare me in the thoroughfare." ~Dan's note to the sea creature
"Are they performing now?" ~Richardson (hee!)
"The bank's founder and president, Chief Officer As Well of Air-Headed Smugness and Headlong Plunges Unawares Into the F*cking Abyss." ~Alma's new title (as given by Trixie, of course)
"Johnny, some shit's best walked through alone." ~Al
"When I say 'f*ck yourself', Sheriff, will you put that down to drunkenness, or a high estimate of your athleticism?" ~Hearst
It's the following morning and we immediately pick up the threads of the previous episode. Well, not immediately. Instead, we have the dubious honor of watching Con Stapleton wreak holy hell on some Bella Union whore's boobies. Yeah, you heard me right. He's squeezing them like a human mamogram and talking into them like they were microphones and it's a disturbing display that I really didn't need to see. Twice.
First order of business this morning: Adams meets with Hearst, as Al's representative. Hearst uses this first meeting to discern where Adams' loyalty lies, and whether or not he can win it for himself. The main purpose of the meeting, however, is to send Adams back to Dan with a message from Captain Turner: "Go tell your friend I know he's afraid of me." What is this, fifth grade recess? Actually, none of these guys probably got past the fifth grade, so...
Steve the Drunk is getting washed up outside the back door of Tom Nutall's. God, five minutes into the episode and I already want him dead. He's not getting clean, though. He's had a spitoon dumped on his head and I'd say that was just about the most disgusting thing I could imagine happening, but I've seen the rest of this episode. Anyway, Steve's getting ready to sign the livery sale papers.
Merrick is interviewing Alma at the bank and, girl is high as a KITE. And Merrick senses something is not quite right with Mrs. Ellsworth. Trixie looks on in disapproval.
Adams brings Captain Turner's message to Dan and Al and Dan wants to waste no time in killing the sea creature. But Al wants him to wait until he can figure out why Hearst would want the fight to happen.
It's time for the signing of the livery papers. According to Sol's advice to Bullock, Steve is at Nutall's, Hostetler is at the hardware store, and Bullock is between them, in the thoroughfare. At the agreed upon time, Bullock fires his pistol in the air and Steve and Hostetler sign simultaneously. Phew.
While perambulating, Merrick and Blazanov see two of Hearst's men dump a body in the thoroughfare, one that has plainly been murdered, the knife sticking out of his chest being the giveaway. Merrick goes to fetch Bullock and Charlie.
At the Bella Union, Cy suspects that Leon has been selling dope to Lila behind his back. When confronted, Leon tells Tolliver that he was indeed 'coppin' for another', but it wasn't Lila - it was Alma Ellsworth. Cy appears to like hearing this, although it's hard to tell, what with Powers Boothe's great big stone monolith of a face. Does he have any other expression? And can he please take all of those marbles out of his mouth? I can't understand a word that man says.
Charlie confirms that the dead man in the thoroughfare is one of the Cornishmen who have been organizing the laborers at Hearst's mine. Bullock can barely contain his rage as he cleches his way over to the Gem and tells Al that Hearst has murdered a third Cornishman and it's time he is made to stop. Al again asks him to hold off on confronting Hearst until he can figure things out. Bullock doesn't want to, but Adams convinces him to wait just a little longer.
Al is so perplexed by Hearst's motivations that he turns to his confidante of old, the Indian head in the box. Or Chief, as Al likes to call him. Unfortunately for Al, the Chief is unable to illuminate matters for him. As a last resort, Al calls on EB, once the camp's pre-eminent busybody. Alas, EB's busybody glory days are past him and he can pass along nothing of worth.
The rest of Langrishe's Theater Troupe arrives in town - Bellegarde and Chesterton, who is gravely ill - and while they are all enjoyable to watch, they're more distracting than anything else at this point. Especially since I was convinced that Bellegarde was played by Roddy McDowall, even though I know Roddy is long dead. Then it hit me - it's the guy from one of my favorite movies, "Breaking Away", Dennis Christopher. Bon Giorno, Dennis! See, I told you they were distracting.
Finally, Al gives up on trying to understand Hearst. He tells Dan to go ahead and fight Turner.
And holy CRAP what a fight it is! I don't think I have ever seen a more brutal hand-to-hand fight portrayed onscreen, tv or movie, ever. Talk about a two-headed beast. Under the watchful eyes of Hearst and Al, Captain Turner gets the upper hand on Dan early on; and after all the face-biting, the head-butting, the puddle-drowning and the head-bashing, I thought this was the end of our Dan. But no. Our Dan had one more trick up his sleeve. In a last desperate attempt to get the Captain off of him, Dan GOUGES HIS EYE OUT. His f*cking eye was hanging from its socket and bouncing off of his cheek. Ahhh GOD! And then the screaming! I think that was worse than the eye. Dan finishes off the sea creature by beating him to death with a log.
Later on that night, Doc wants to check on Dan to make sure that he's alright, but he wants to be left alone. He's clearly shaken and sits naked, shivering and crying in his room. Johnny asks Al if maybe he shouldn't check on him, but Al tells Johnny, "some shit's best walked through alone."
At the Ellsworth's, Alma gets high in order to steel herself for what's to come: making love to her husband. Poor Ellsworth. I had wondered whether they'd slept together yet, and Ellsworth's reaction to her advances made the answer clearly no. He is very nervous, in a sweet way, but responds to her. When they kiss, however, he realizes that she is high and pulls away. He tells her that he will pack his things and leave that night and to not forget to collect Sophia. Where is Sophia that she needs to be collected?
OK, so the Hostetler/Steve deal has been struck and finalized at the bank, with Hostetler getting his $1200 in gold as payment. But that's not good enough. Steve demands that Hostetler return to him that chalkboard from last season, the one with something about Steve "f*cking Bullock's horse" on it. They spend hours looking for the stupid thing and when Bullock finally finds it, they discover that all of the writing has been rubbed off by the cloth it was wrapped in. Of course Steve - no longer "the Drunk" but "the World's Biggest F*cking Idiot" - won't believe it's the same board and launches into another one of his hateful, blind rages. This is more than Hostetler can take. He walks out of the barn and shoots himself in the head. And I thought I wanted Steve to die before.
The injustice, the wrongness of Hostetler's suicide is more than Bullock can stomach. He goes to find Hearst, who is getting drunk at the Bella Union. He wants to make Hearst pay for the wrong things he has done. Someone has to pay for something. He arrests him and drags him through the thoroughfare by his ear, something I've been wanting to see all season.
Quotes
"That sea creature Turner called me out." ~Dan (just because I love it when Dan calls him that)
"I ain't no f*ckin' coward!" ~Al
"Watching us advance on your stupid teepee, Chief, knowing you had to make your move, did you not just want first to f*ckin understand?" ~Al
"Such acid scrutiny by former boon companions." ~EB
"Makes of me and Tolliver a two-headed beast." ~Al
"The 'why' is what confounds me. What's in his head I cannot f*ckin' find in mine." ~Al
"Come scare me in the thoroughfare." ~Dan's note to the sea creature
"Are they performing now?" ~Richardson (hee!)
"The bank's founder and president, Chief Officer As Well of Air-Headed Smugness and Headlong Plunges Unawares Into the F*cking Abyss." ~Alma's new title (as given by Trixie, of course)
"Johnny, some shit's best walked through alone." ~Al
"When I say 'f*ck yourself', Sheriff, will you put that down to drunkenness, or a high estimate of your athleticism?" ~Hearst
7.14.2006
Where's Jack Bauer when you need him?
I am so aggravated right now.
So, I've been watching 24, right? FOX has been re-airing season 5 on Friday nights this summer with 2 back-to-back episodes each Friday night, starting on June 16. This was perfect - I wanted to see it, I have no shows for the summer and this way I don't have to wait for the DVDs. Fine.
I missed last Friday, which was 1:00-2:00 and 2:00-3:00. I downloaded them and watched them. That meant that tonight's two episodes should have been 3:00-4:00 and 4:00-5:00; but when I checked the listings last night, it said that they were 5:00-6:00 and 6:00-7:00.
Okaaay. So, I download 3:00-4:00 and 4:00-5:00 last night, watched one last night and the other I finished just before 8:00 tonight. I quickly turned on FOX and from the previouslies it was obvious that I had missed a LOT (they also gave away a LOT). So I hit the info button on the remote...they're airing episode 3:00-4:00 AM tonight!! That's episode 21 out of 24! Two episodes on each Friday since June 16 should bring us to episodes 9 and 10 tonight. What. The. F*ck.
I am SO pissed. I've turned the TV off and now I'm trying to decide if I want to bother downloading episodes or just wait for the damn DVDs.
I just don't understand what happened. Sonsabitches.
UPDATE: It seems I'm not the only one pissed off about this. I just went to the 24 boards and I'm not crazy - they did skip episodes. Two last week and 10 tonight. Apparently, the ratings were so low that they decided to pull most of the season and only air the last few episodes.
I'll be renting the DVDs.
So, I've been watching 24, right? FOX has been re-airing season 5 on Friday nights this summer with 2 back-to-back episodes each Friday night, starting on June 16. This was perfect - I wanted to see it, I have no shows for the summer and this way I don't have to wait for the DVDs. Fine.
I missed last Friday, which was 1:00-2:00 and 2:00-3:00. I downloaded them and watched them. That meant that tonight's two episodes should have been 3:00-4:00 and 4:00-5:00; but when I checked the listings last night, it said that they were 5:00-6:00 and 6:00-7:00.
Okaaay. So, I download 3:00-4:00 and 4:00-5:00 last night, watched one last night and the other I finished just before 8:00 tonight. I quickly turned on FOX and from the previouslies it was obvious that I had missed a LOT (they also gave away a LOT). So I hit the info button on the remote...they're airing episode 3:00-4:00 AM tonight!! That's episode 21 out of 24! Two episodes on each Friday since June 16 should bring us to episodes 9 and 10 tonight. What. The. F*ck.
I am SO pissed. I've turned the TV off and now I'm trying to decide if I want to bother downloading episodes or just wait for the damn DVDs.
I just don't understand what happened. Sonsabitches.
UPDATE: It seems I'm not the only one pissed off about this. I just went to the 24 boards and I'm not crazy - they did skip episodes. Two last week and 10 tonight. Apparently, the ratings were so low that they decided to pull most of the season and only air the last few episodes.
I'll be renting the DVDs.
Everybody outta here - there's a lobster loose!
This extremely rare two-toned lobster was caught in Dyer Bay, Maine .
Our cabin is on Dyer Bay. Neat. Here's a photo of the cabin - Dyer Bay was at my back when I took this.
Only one more week!
It's a Love Emergency!
Woman asks 911 to send 'cutie pie' deputy: "'Honey, I'm just going to be honest with you, OK? I just thought he was cute. I'm 45 years old and I'd just like to meet him again, but I don't know how to go about doing that without calling 911,' she said."
Well, she got his attention. I wonder if they're calling him 'cutie-pie' around the station house now? Hee.
Well, she got his attention. I wonder if they're calling him 'cutie-pie' around the station house now? Hee.
You want cuter? I'll give you cuter...
Wow, that was almost more cute than one person can stand. Almost.
7.12.2006
7.11.2006
7.10.2006
"It's what I want for my son."
Original airdate July 2, 2006
Full Faith and Credit
Deal-making abounds on this day in Deadwood, with pauses here and there for a little self-reflection.
The morning begins with the grand opening of the Bank of Deadwood, with Alma Ellsworth as its director and sole financial backer. Trixie is on hand as the world's least diplomatic teller. And Ellsworth brings Alma an apple for her first day as a banker, prompting her to ask, "You don't confuse me with Mrs. Bullock?" Oops. In spite of that little bit of uncomfortableness, things seem to be surprisingly good between them. What has happened since last week, when they could barely stand the sight of each other? Ellsworth defends her honor to an unruly bank customer and unlike last week, this time she accepts his manner of protection. Let's just say she seems a bit more docile. Later, Leon (the dope fiend) opens an account at the bank under Trixie's watchful and disapproving gaze. Trixie, in her passive/aggressive way, tries to warn Bullock about Leon - "Lotsa shitbags hang around a bank, didja ever f*ckin' notice?" - but he doesn't catch on. Later on that night we discover that Trixie has cause for concern as Alma spies Leon in the thoroughfare, tipping his hat as a signal to her, and goes out to "take the air, just briefly." And score some dope from Leon, I think.
Also that morning, Blasanov delivers a telegram to Jane from the Nigger General, saying that he and Hostetler are returning to town with the horse that ran down William Bullock. Before Jane has a chance to send a telegram back telling them not to come, NG and Hostetler come riding into town with the horse. When they get to Hostetler's livery, they find Hooplehead Steve, who has been caring for the horses in Hostetler's absence. Steve flips out and runs to Bullock to tell him that they're back and they've brought the horse that killed his son. I brace myself for a Bullock beatdown but he surprises me and shows admirable restraint. He talks to Hostetler instead and reveals that he does not blame him for what was clearly an accident and offers to broker a deal with Steve. Hostetler offers to take Steve on as an employee, but this only enrages Steve more and he explodes in a nasty, hateful racist rant. But Bullock wants this to end in a peaceful agreement, for his son's sake, and he manages to broker a deal where Steve gets a loan from the bank and buys the livery from Hostetler, who will be leaving for Oregon.
The deal-making continues as Langrishe offers to buy the Chez Amie from Joanie. He wants to turn it into a theater. She is taken aback by the offer (actually, she tells him to f*ck himself) and goes to Charlie to talk it out. I love these two together. I find I want to quote entire conversations between them. Joanie tells Charlie that having the Chez Amie serve as the schoolhouse helped her to feel better about herself and selling it would mean losing the one good thing she's done in her life. He suggests that she make a deal with Langrishe wherein she will sell to him if he agrees to build a school for Mrs. Bullock and the children out of his own money. There's a hilarious scene where poor Charlie interrupts Seth in the thoroughfare as he's running back and forth between the hooplehead and Hostetler, to ask him if Mrs. Bullock wouldn't mind moving to a new schoolhouse.
Bullock says of course she wouldn't mind and Joanie makes the deal with Langrishe. Later that night at the Chez Amie, Joanie tells Jane that she's welcome to join her wherever she ends up living after the place is sold. They shake hands on it and share a lovely moment as they both wonder where the heck the stage is going to be.
Before I get to Al, a couple of smaller items to note: Claudia (from Langrishe's acting troupe) goes to the Bella Union and picks up Con Stapleton, of all people, in a gross scene that involves Con blaming his erection on a Chinese laundry. Don't ask. Anyway, they have a tryst in the Grand Hotel and Claudia is disgusted with herself afterward. Did she do it to make Langrishe jealous? Do I care?
And the other item: the woman in red from last week appears again. She's staying at the hotel and seems to be an artist of some kind.
For Al, the morning began with Captain Turner delivering a note from Hearst. Turner and Dan exchange words and Dan wants to kill him. Al tells him, "in due time." It's an invitation to join Hearst and Tolliver for a meeting in Hearst's rooms. To relieve his pre-meeting jitters, Al gets 'serviced' by Dolly and we get one of his patented BJ soliloquies. Unfortunately, he has been driven to distraction by his power struggle with Hearst, and blames his lack of response on Dolly change in technique, even while he wonders, "Does he think I'm f*ckin' afraid?"
Al meets with Tolliver and Hearst, all the while keeping his back to the wall. Hearst has decided that his interests would be better served if he were to operate "at a remove" from Deadwood, considering the likelihood that Bolluck and Sol will win their respective elections, and asks Tolliver and Al to act for him. He will not give specifics but wants them to agree on principle. Al will agree to nothing (while Tolliver agrees to anything) until he gets the details - "acts and numbers" meaning, what exactly will he have to do and how much will he be paid - and leaves, saying that those will be the last words he will speak to Hearst. Later on at the Gem, he asks Adams to represent his interest with Hearst. Dan's feelings are hurt, but Al explains: Whatever plan Al has up his sleeve requires that the person representing him appear capable of disloyalty, and everyone knows that Dan would never betray him.
The episode ends with a second attempt by Dolly and another soliloquoy by Al. The attack by Turner and Hearst has affected him far more deeply than he will admit. It has brought back memories of being held down by the proctor of the orphanage where his mother left him. The proctor held him down from behind as he tried to flee to his mother, who he imagined was calling to him from the riverboat after changing her mind about abandoning him. In that one scene, Ian McShane wiped the floor with every other actor on television.
Quotes
"Mornin'."
"Mornin'. Best time o' the day to go f*ck yourself!" ~ Dan to Hearst
"Another f*ckin' invite. F*ckin' Hearst must take me for an optimist." ~ Al
"Ever throw the bones, ma'am?"
"Mm-mm, but I caught some." ~ Con Stapleton and Claudia, grossing me out
"I told the man to f*ck himself."
"Tactics, or true position?" ~ Joanie and Charlie
"People do strange things."
"Years at a time. Pick any part of my life, for example." ~ Joanie and Charlie
"I wish once I could care for those little ones...Just once, instead of doin' what I did." ~ Joanie
"If you stay in camp long, sir, you may have the delightful surprise of meeting your identical twin." ~ EB
"Must think I'm a f*ckin' dog - forgives the blow first friendly scratch of the ear." ~ Al
"Shall I accompany as your second? My obvious unsuitability might confuse him." ~ Langrishe
"What is Steve the Drunk's surname?" ~ Alma
"This succeeds, Bullock, what you're trying to work out here, I will doff my hat to you and make no mistake."
"Just don't let her take off her boots." ~ Jane and Charlie
"If I sought an echo, Adams, I'd now be addressin' a f*ckin' mountain." ~ Al
"You ain't the boss of the f*ckin' bedclothes." ~Al
"Well bless you for a f*ckin' fibber." ~ Al (he really does get all the best lines)
7.07.2006
7.06.2006
"The last shot ain't yet fired."
True Colors
OK, at last! This was another stellar episode, one that brought us the arrival of new characters, the return of old ones and the true nature of others. And lots of setup for future plotlines. Oh, and it takes place about 10 days after the previous episode. Al has not made a move on Hearst yet; in fact, he has not left his rooms. Hearst has delivered a blow to more than Al's hand (he lost his middle finger, btw). So the game is not quite ON, yet.
Guess who's back in town? Wu! He was in San Francisco rounding up Chinese workers for Hearst's mine. He meets with Al, who is genuinely glad to see him, I think, and tells Al that the new workers should be expected in Deadwood in 10 days. Also returning on the same stage coach: Blasanov, the telegraph operator. He has brought with him the latest in telegraph technology and news of a new lady friend he met in Chicago. He and Merrick have a hilarious scene together about how the new techology works and it is really beyond my capability to describe.
As far as new characters go, say hello to Langrishe's Theater Troupe, led by Jack Langrishe who, as it turns out, is an old friend of Al's (they were "old campaigners" together). Maybe I'm assuming too much, but my impression was that he is also gay. This seems to not be an issue at all with Al. In fact, Al appears to regard him affectionately. This makes me wonder what their history is together. Al was abandoned and left in an orphanage and had a pretty horrible childhood - I wouldn't be surprised if he had been a hustler growing up. Anyway, I think it's safe to say that Langrishe has plans to open a theater in town. Brian Cox (as Langrishe) makes a wonderful addition to the camp.
The other new character is Hearst's "nigger cook", Aunt Lou. She puts on the Butterfly McQueen act around Hearst, but at night she goes out to the camp's little Chinatown and drinks, smokes cigars and beats the locals in mah jong. She does not hold Hearst in as high regard as he seems to think she does. Not at all. Oh, and she also speaks Chinese, a point that may become significant as Al and Wu plot against her boss.
Both Alma Ellsworth and Bullock decide to meet with Hearst, with different purposes: she to propose a deal regarding her claim and he to "put him on notice" for the murder of Cornishmen who are trying to organize the mine laborers. Neither of these meetings goes well and during those meetings (and in his dealings later with Cy Tolliver), we get a peek at Hearst's true colors. He throws Bullock's warning right back in his face and says that this thing goes both ways and he can put him on notice for the murder of his 2 guards at the Gem (by Al).
Alma's meeting(s) with Hearst are even more disastrous. She and Ellsworth argue about meeting with Hearst - he doesn't want her to go, at all, because he knows from personal experience what a dangerous man Hearst is; but Alma, gliding on some kind of hormonal high after losing the baby I think, insists on going anyway. Ellsworth comes along but once he is in Hearst's rooms things deteriorate quickly, with Ellsworth exhibiting signs of PTSD from the Comstock incident. Alma comes back later in the day, despite Ellsworth's insistence that she not go - I think she thought he was overreacting, based on his mini-freakout earlier. That was a serious misjudgment on her part. After making her proposal of a minority interest for Hearst in her claim, he menacingly tells her that she has "mistaken his nature absolutely" and uses physical intimidation to scare the crap out of her. It works. He later admits to Cy that he came close to raping her.
The Ellsworth marriage is falling apart before our very eyes. It's obvious that they both resent the hell out of each other - he resents her for entrusting Sophie and her claim to Bullock when she thought she was dying and she resents him for not being Bullock. Neither of them is being very nice to the other at this point.
Elsewhere in Deadwood:
That "lying, blackmailing sack of shit" Cy Tolliver is now working for Hearst. He's vile and despicable and has not one redeeming quality.
Doc is sick. Probably with consumption. And we will probably have to watch him die a slow, horrible death. I am not happy.
Who is the woman in the red dress who got off the stage? We see her again later, in the hotel. I don't think we have seen the last of her.
Richardson gives EB the thumbs up!
Quotes
"The last shot ain't yet fired." ~Trixie to Al
"The high points of the f*ckin' high points, Wu." ~Al
"Ever wonder if you expressed yourself more directly, Merrick, you'd f*ckin' weigh less?" ~Al
"Always superfluous, bloodshed. The deeper damage is best." ~Jack Langrishe
"Your error, surprisingly enough, is not to be a grotesque of inconceivable stupidity, but that you are white and male, and not repulsively obese." ~ EB to Richardson
"It's the learnin' f*ckin' nothin', Al, that keeps me young." ~Jack
"Mmm, bacon."
"Might have a bit of a human aftertaste." ~Jack and Al
"Goes through her men like Sherman to the f*ckin' sea." ~Al about Alma
"You're a lying, blackmailing sack of shit. I want you to go to work for me." ~Hearst to Cy
"His stupid suit so overcome me, it slipped my mind to tell him." ~Al about Wu
"My proper traffic is with the earth, and my dealings with people...[should?] solely have to do with niggers and whites who obey me like dogs." ~Hearst
"If He hadn't meant me to wag it, sir, why would the Lord give me a tail?" ~Cy
"Americans. It never occurs to them to try the window." ~Jack
And for the way in which they were delivered by Bullock:
"He said 'Swedgin!' and barred my path."
"Are you f*ckin' with me?"
7.05.2006
It's All Veronica's Fault.
What have I been doing instead of watching and recapping Deadwood? Tearing through Veronica Mars DVDs, that's what.
KimPossible Laughs.
While young soldiers and innocent Iraqis die every day because we went after THE WRONG GUY. What's it going to take? Kim personally delivering a nuke wrapped in a bow to the White House front door?U.N. Considers Condemnation of North Korea: "The United Nations Security Council met in emergency session this morning to consider a resolution condemning North Korea for test-firing seven missiles early today, including an intercontinental missile that failed 42 seconds after it was launched. "
I thought the days of worrying about this shit were over.
Huh.
Ken Lay, Enron founder, dead at 64: "On May 25, Lay was found guilty of 10 counts of fraud and conspiracy related to the collapse of Enron, the energy company he founded that eventually grew into the nation's seventh largest company before it imploded after an accounting scandal."
In the end, he managed to get out of going to prison, didn't he? I'm just sayin'.
In the end, he managed to get out of going to prison, didn't he? I'm just sayin'.
Nature's Fireworks.
Lily
Originally uploaded by gina64.
This is a lone lily that has bloomed early under our front window.
I hope you all had a good holiday weekend. Mine was busy and instead of allowing me time to catch up on things, I've only gotten further behind! I haven't written the recap for the Deadwood episode from LAST week and I haven't even watched this week's show. That's bad.
I will do my best to rectify these wrongs as soon as possible. In the meantime, thanks for being so patient!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
