OT: Deadwood

BBReBozo · Post by **BBReBozo** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 2:44 pm

Does this series get better? I've seen the pilot and was only marginally interested. Does it pick up at all?

I have four episodes waiting for me on Tivo that I'm itching to delete, if they suck. What's the concensus on this show?

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:05 pm

People think the dialog is unrealistic or that they took other licenses with history.

But instead of the standard Western shootem up, it's kind of like the Sopranos, the way the saloon/whorehouse owners plot things.

Lot of Sopranos fans are disappointed that the Sopranos haven't been more like Goodfellas, with a lot of mob action.

Well last night, there was a life and death struggle between a cowboy and an indian, with the indian ending up with his head caved in by a rock. Some Soprano fan said that was a "f*** you!" to the Sopranos from Deadwood, meaning it was delivering action in a way the Sopranos haven't this year.

Actually, it's not that action heavy. It's not like you have a showdown every week like the old Rifleman show. There's mostly a lot of underhanded killings, all involving money.

It's good old money, power and sex. Can't beat that.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:14 pm

I was convinced I liked it after episode two. I'd at least watch one more. The characters become more multidimesional with each episode.

bdoughty · Post by **bdoughty** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:18 pm

Do not delete and watch them ASAP. Some great plot twists and one event I never saw coming (at least this early in the series). WCO hit the nail on the head as violence is not the key to it. It is about money, greed and smacking around prostitutes. Many a drinking game can be created with Calamity Jane and her love of dropping the F Bomb. You could stay sober taking shot for every word she uses that is not profanity.

As for the Sopranos I have been underwhelmed this year, just as I was last year. I have been yawning through it just to get to Deadwood.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:27 pm

IMO the best shows on TV right now are The Shield and Deadwood. Excellent TV.

BBReBozo · Post by **BBReBozo** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:28 pm

OK, I'll give the next few episodes a shot. Looks like it might be worth my time.

The things that pissed me off about the pilot:

1) They didn't get to the meat of the plot (the slaughter of the family) until the last half of the show and I saw the twist of that little plot device coming from one billion miles away.

2) The dialogue was hard to hear. I don't care about all the gratuitous swearing and unrealistic dialogue, I couldn't hardly HEAR what they were saying half the time. Perhaps this is a minor gripe, but in every scene with that barkeep, I was straining my ears to hear just what the heck he was talking about. Whoever does audio editing/mixdowns for that show should bring UP the dialogue and bring DOWN the background noise.

TheFormerBrett44 · Post by **TheFormerBrett44** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:31 pm

BBReBozo wrote: 2) The dialogue was hard to hear. I don't care about all the gratuitous swearing and unrealistic dialogue, I couldn't hardly HEAR what they were saying half the time. Whoever does audio editing/mixdowns for that show should bring UP the dialogue and bring DOWN the background noise.

What are you using to decode the DD 5.1 feed? I think it sounds great on my system.

Brett

BBReBozo · Post by **BBReBozo** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 3:32 pm

TheFormerBrett44 wrote:
What are you using to decode the DD 5.1 feed? I think it sounds great on my system.

Bro, I use a TV. Maybe that's my problem.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 4:35 pm

There should be no spoilers since it's loosely based on history.

Sweaingen is the best character on the show. He gets the best lines. What was he said, free gratis?

Then EB (one of the Daryl's from the Newhart show) said something about Calamity Jane and the doped out widow having sterling conversation.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 5:34 pm

The dialogue is just marvelous. And yeah, Big Al is easily one of the best, if not the best character on TV right now. He turns what is a very good show into a great one.

Cincinnati_Kid · Post by **Cincinnati_Kid** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 6:09 pm

i thought last nights was the best yet out of the past 3 weeks i have seen having missed the pilot and 2nd episodes

but then again part of that may be i finally sort of caught up to everything

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 6:14 pm

What is Deadwood (other than most of people I work with)?

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 6:16 pm

http://www.hbo.com/deadwood/about/

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 6:17 pm

HBO show. It's a Western but not your father's Western. It's noted for all the swearing, which many people feel is more like 21st century than late 19th century.

Check the HBO site for more info and episode synopses. It's in its first season.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 6:18 pm

http://www.hbo.com/deadwood/episode/bestlines.shtml

LOL some classics there.

“I'm calling on the widow and the little one in her care, and if I was you I wouldn't try to stop me."

"Be brief."

"Be F***ed!

"Her gutter mouth, and the widow in an opium stupor: a conversation for the ages.”
—Calamity Jane and E.B. Farnum

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 6:29 pm

Bill_Abner wrote:http://www.hbo.com/deadwood/episode/bestlines.shtml

LOL some classics there.

“I'm calling on the widow and the little one in her care, and if I was you I wouldn't try to stop me."

"Be brief."

"Be F***ed!

"Her gutter mouth, and the widow in an opium stupor: a conversation for the ages.”
—Calamity Jane and E.B. Farnum

Hehe, yeah and I really liked it a few weeks ago when Swearingen called two guys "fu*ksticks". You're right, Swearinggen makes the show...if they kill him off, they kill the show. But, I've always liked Powers Boothe, too and he's starting to get some of Swearingen's thunder.

Great show...my favorite right now.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:12 pm

I diagree, Bad. I think Al holds his own quite nicely.

I actually thought one of Booth's lines was overwritten last night. The

"I always want to touch you this way" line should have been left at that...a nice threat all on its own.

The "Don't make me touch you differently" or whatever he said afterward, weakened it.

Anyway, a small nitpick.

Love the show.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:22 pm

Ahhh...HBO. The biggest waste of 12 dollars a month EVER. I just can't get into either the Sopranos or Deadwood. Not for 12 bucks a month anyway. That is the one problem with DirecTV...their 'extra' packages are a ripoff like no other.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 7:30 pm

webdanzer wrote:I diagree, Bad. I think Al holds his own quite nicely.

I actually thought one of Booth's lines was overwritten last night. The

"I always want to touch you this way" line should have been left at that...a nice threat all on its own.

The "Don't make me touch you differently" or whatever he said afterward, weakened it.

Anyway, a small nitpick.

Love the show.

I agree Web. That was a great, great scene, and indicative of the wonderfully rich characters in the show overall. But that line was a bit much.

The first couple weeks of the show were fun in a free-wheeling sort of way. The last two weeks have really elevated it from really good to amazing, imho. The writing is so nuanced and the themes are a wonderful blend of both broad and subtle. Of course, the dialogue is sensational. I don't really care if it's authentic or not because it's so engaging and consistent.

I really want to have this on my tombstone, fwiw:

I may have f&cked up my life flatter than hammered Sh^t, but I sit here before you today beholden to no living c$cksucker.

Or something to that effect

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:37 pm

It's all relative db. Some people spend a small fortune to buy the DVDs of the HBO shows. Others spend a lot of time downloading them.

It's one thing if the shows aren't worth your time, period. It's another thing as to whether they're worth $12 a month (which is cheaper than what many cable systems charge).

For a little over the price of a movie ticket, you get access to original programming (series, movies, documentaries, boxing).

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:15 pm

RobVarak wrote:
webdanzer wrote:I diagree, Bad. I think Al holds his own quite nicely.

I actually thought one of Booth's lines was overwritten last night. The

"I always want to touch you this way" line should have been left at that...a nice threat all on its own.

The "Don't make me touch you differently" or whatever he said afterward, weakened it.

Anyway, a small nitpick.

Love the show.
I agree Web. That was a great, great scene, and indicative of the wonderfully rich characters in the show overall. But that line was a bit much.

The first couple weeks of the show were fun in a free-wheeling sort of way. The last two weeks have really elevated it from really good to amazing, imho. The writing is so nuanced and the themes are a wonderful blend of both broad and subtle. Of course, the dialogue is sensational. I don't really care if it's authentic or not because it's so engaging and consistent.

I really want to have this on my tombstone, fwiw:

I may have f&cked up my life flatter than hammered Sh^t, but I sit here before you today beholden to no living c$cksucker.

Or something to that effect

Hehe, can I use that as my sig?

koebner69 · Post by **koebner69** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:16 pm

I get 12 channels of HBO for 10 bucks a month and it is so worth it it's not funny.From the boxing to the comedy specials and the original programming it's more bang for the buck than cable itself.

TheFormerBrett44 · Post by **TheFormerBrett44** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 10:49 am

koebner69 wrote:I get 12 channels of HBO for 10 bucks a month and it is so worth it it's not funny.From the boxing to the comedy specials and the original programming it's more bang for the buck than cable itself.

I couldn't agree more. I don't think I've watched more than one or two movies on HBO since I've had the HBO channels the past 4 years. But, the original HBO movies, the series, the boxing, the documentaries, etc., have been more than worth it. Like the commercial says, it's not TV, it's HBO. Besides the ESPN family of channels, HBO is the only other channel I wouldn't give up, just for the original programming alone.

Brett

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 10:58 am

I heard some cable systems have HBO on Demand for like $5 more. So you can always access whichever episode of the Sopranos, Six Feet Under, etc. Sounds like a good alternative to renting or buying the DVDs.

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OT: Deadwood

Deadwood: Does it get better?

OT: Deadwood