Deadwood "Something Very Expensive" Review (2x06)
Jun 2, 2015 14:13:32 GMT -5
nowimnothing and Lady Bones like this
Post by Pear on Jun 2, 2015 14:13:32 GMT -5
“Oughtn’t you–or anyone urging such connections as disqualifying you–think of the good of the camp? We all have…complicating obligations.”
“All conditions are fucking relative,” Doc Cochran tells Al near the end of “Something Very Expensive”. It’s in direct reference to Al’s own health condition, but it’s an apt statement about the way a society functions. The amount of power one has is relative to the amount of power someone else has, and the condition of one part of the body is relative to the condition of another part. At this point in time, Deadwood’s caught up in the Battle of the Body Parts, characters fighting to gain a stranglehold over the others and using whatever they can to their advantage. Through these struggles, we see the power structure of the community front and center.
After all, everyone has “complicating obligations”, and Wolcott’s is to Mr. Hearst. Cy’s is to himself through Mr. Hearst, and what results is a dynamite scene between him and Wolcott, one that’s crackling with tension during every second. “Believing yourself past surprise does not commend you to me as a friend,” Wolcott tells Cy. “Now I should think in consequence, now recognizing yourself as a man past his time, that during this last transitional period you would devote yourself with grateful and quiet diligence to such uses as others may still find you suitable.” Translation: Step the fuck back. I’m still uncertain about the decision to devote so much time to Wolcott over, say, Al, but I’m definitely interested to see how this dynamic with Cy plays out in future episodes. In this particular hour, because of Cy’s attempt to gain leverage over Wolcott–but also because of Cy’s usefulness to Hearst–all that bottled up anger gets transferred over to Doris, Maddie, and Carrie. It’s such a chilling scene, and it’s a similar feeling that I got back when Cy beat Flora and Miles.
There’s a flurry of violence and aggression being taken out upon others here, from the horrifying murders of the three women to Merrick’s office being trashed to Seth taking out his anger on Steve. “People angry at their difficulties act like fucking idiots,” Seth says. Of course, guess who doesn’t follow that idea? Al Swearengen, who has been spending the last few weeks with his genitals being destroyed by the cruel world. He seems to be handling the situation the most calmly and intelligently out of anyone there, and what sets him apart from the newcomers is the fact that he simply understands the town better than they do. When he returns to his position on the balcony, he does so not through aggression or manipulation, and he shares a look with Joanie below that is one of the most beautiful images of the series. There’s a connection there, an understanding, and nothing needs to be said.
GRADE: A-
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Cocksucker count: 9
Total cocksucker count: 193
– “If you keep it up, we’re going to fight, and you’ll have to work by yourself while I convalesce.”
-Any Wu-Al scene is going to be nothing less than great. The “juice”-“Jews” bits are pretty hilarious, as are any mentions of the San Francisco cocksucker. Wu doesn’t have anywhere near the screen time Al has, but the way the show’s developed the relationship between them is wonderful.
– “Past hope, past kindness and consideration. Past justice, past satisfaction. Past warmth or cold or comfort. Past love. But past surprise? What an endlessly unfolding tedium life would then become. No, Doris, we must not let you be past surprise.” Beautifully written. Also, he could very well be talking about himself here.
– “And if I carve ‘fuck’, I WILL have fucked the horse beforehand.” I’m liking Hostetler and Sam, especially given how they deal with the Steve situation.