Deadwood
Series, 2004, The 2000s, Set in Deadwood, 1876
Deadwood is #26 of 34 in release order and #23 of 34 in chronological order in the Westerns.
The story
The story of the early days of Deadwood, South Dakota; woven around actual historic events with most of the main characters based on real people. Deadwood starts as a gold mining camp and gradually turns from a lawless wild-west community into an organized wild-west civilized town. The story focuses on the real-life characters Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen.
Deadwood recap
Deadwood (2004) follows the gold camp in the Black Hills from lawless settlement to town in 1876 and 1877. Created by David Milch, it aired on HBO from March 2004 to August 2006, 36 episodes over three seasons. Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), a former Montana marshal, arrives to open a hardware store with his partner Sol Star (John Hawkes). Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) owns the Gem saloon and brothel and runs the camp through bribery and murder. Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine) arrives with Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert) and Charlie Utter and is shot dead at a poker table. Alma Garret (Molly Parker), a New York widow, finds herself owner of a rich claim after Al has her husband killed. Season one ends with Bullock as sheriff. Season two brings Bullock's wife and son, a fight over annexation to Dakota Territory, and agents of the mining magnate George Hearst. Season three is the camp's struggle with Hearst himself (Gerald McRaney) amid its first elections. Deadwood: The Movie (2019) closes the story.
Deadwood ending explained
Deadwood ends with the third-season finale, "Tell Him Something Pretty", in which Hearst leaves the camp having bought Alma's claim. After Trixie wounds Hearst for ordering Alma's husband Ellsworth killed, Hearst demands her death, and Al kills another prostitute, Jen, to pass her off as Trixie. Bullock walks Hearst out of town, and Al scrubs the blood from his floor. HBO cancelled the show, and the promised wrap-up came in 2019 with Deadwood: The Movie, set ten years later.
Where to watch Deadwood
Deadwood is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.6/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Tombstone, before 3:10 to Yuma.
- Chronological order: after Tombstone, before 3:10 to Yuma.
Cast
- Timothy Olyphant as Seth Bullock
- Ian McShane as Al Swearengen
- Molly Parker as Alma Garret
- Jim Beaver as Whitney Ellsworth
- W. Earl Brown as Dan Dority
- Dayton Callie as Charlie Utter
- Brad Dourif as Amos Cochran
- John Hawkes as Sol Star
- Paula Malcomson as Trixie
- Leon Rippy as Tom Nuttall
- William Sanderson as E. B. Farnum
- Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane
Created by David Milch.