Deadwood

Oh how I missed this Shakespeare on the Plains. These rich, wonderful, profane characters raised swearing to an art form. HBO canceled this series waaay to soon. It was ahead of its time and had it come some years later, as the streaming series' became common place, it would have received a longer run and it's just due. But kudos to HBO for correcting its error with this full- length film, directed by Daniel Minahan, that wraps up the doings in Deadwood. All the old cast are back-10 years later, and the film takes its time giving all our old favorites the time they deserve. During its entire run, I cannot recall a bad performance and none are to be found here. Space prohibits complimenting all the performances, but I must send ovations to Timothy Oliphant, as Seth Bullock, and Ian McShane as, 'Al Swearingen.' They created magnificent characters that will live in our collective memories. Notable too: Brad Dourif, as 'Doc', William Sanderson, as 'E. B', Robin Weigart, as Calamity Jane, Paula Malcomson, as 'Trixie', John Hawkes, as 'Sol Star', and Gerald McRaney, as 'George Hearst'. Creator and writer, the late David Milch, gave us a labor of love and one of the great series of all-time. The movie is it's fitting epitaph.

Although I did enjoy the movie, I did so mainly because I loved the series and was happy to revisit with the characters after so many years. But, I have to say that I was disappointed. As for many Deadwood viewers, I loved the Swearengen character. McShane really stole the series. That's why I was disappointed in a movie where he's reduced to a character completely lacking the personality shown throughout the series.

And while I have no complaint with the character, or actress, the amount of time spent on Calamity Jane was completely out of proportion relative to her role during the series.

Fantastic to have one last chance to visit these wonderfully rendered characters, listen to the language and lines, and get a feel for the time period again. An amazing job to get them all back together again and carry on like nothing had passed, except time, and it is not lost on us what a privilege and major feat it was to make that happen, although it shouldn't have been so in the first place, thank you to all involved who pushed this through, diverting budget from another hollow reality show with no meaning, into something of artistic merit, which this most certainly is.

To the actual movie/episode; the story was almost secondary to giving the characters some forward movement, and closure, to see how they had carried on with their lives, learned to live with each other etc etc, and the plot did feel kind of secondary to that, ie baddie did something bad, and is found out, case closed etc.

Seeing Swearingen age and Succumb to life was a core feature of this episode, but there was so much to fit into such a small space, but so thankful they did. It should be more, why isn't it?

Just wanted to say thanks to HBO, I doubt this was overly profitable but you made a lot of fans happy instead. Great ending to a beloved series.

Like almost everyone, I loved Deadwood when it was on, and it is rightly considered along other greats of the same period. While I was sad it was cancelled, I didn't feel that the season finale was a bad place for the series to end. It fitted with the realism of progress and bigger picture, and it was suitably downbeat and violence in what it did. Many disagreed, and the idea of a movie to close it out has been around for ages. Hence we got this movie, although it really doesn't give 'closure' to the series, only adds to the show in the same way that a holiday special does - in that it does everything the regular series does, but reduced somewhat by virtue of what it is.

So it is here. We get all the comedy, wry and engaging dialogue, moral conflict, violence, unfairness, and cruelty of the show, but done in a very contained way. This means a that a lot feels forced in and rushed; all of it is appreciated for what it does but its main value is in nostalgia for when it once did it the same but as part of a better whole. This also adds to the feeling of them rushing, as this is a lot to get into even 2 hours. In terms of the characters, they are also all there and are nice to see again in their various forms, but in terms of where/who they are, the movie needs them to be responsive to the previous season - for some this is okay as they linger on things and are deeply changed, but it doesn't ring true that everyone would be in that space beyond them needed to be because for the first time the viewer is back.

It works for what it is though - a nostalgia return to a great series, that does the things it used to do in ways that are familiar and solidly entertaining. It doesn't feel like, or serve as, a real extension of the series though, and it didn't really feel necessary anyway. It is a nice-to-have, and I enjoyed it, but its main impact on me was to remind me that I should rewatch the original show.