Deadwood "Amalgamation and Capital" Review (2x09)
Jun 10, 2015 12:03:14 GMT -5
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Post by Pear on Jun 10, 2015 12:03:14 GMT -5
“Are not all of us, Mr. Blazanov, tethered in some sense to our labors? And at some point in our lives, is not acceptance of that tethering a discovery of a path to joy?”
The idea of being “tethered” is not just one that applies to work in this show. In fact, the tethering of one person to another can be a reflection of the forming of the community of Deadwood, of the way body parts are linked to one another in some way. Whether or not you like it, you’re tethered to this town and its inhabitants, and acceptance of that tethering can very well lead to a path to joy. And whether that comes to the surface after an event like Wild Bill’s death or like Nuttall’s bike ride, there’s no doubt that what happens in the community afterward is absolutely essential to observe.
Without watching the next episode, we don’t know exactly how these characters are going to deal with William’s death, but the way the final sequence of the episode is shot suggests something akin to the reaction after Wild Bill’s death: a coming together of sorts, a sudden death being met with a united reaction from the camp. Yet, the difference here is that Hickok’s death was a long time coming, a symbolic finish to the ways of the Wild West, whereas William’s is a freak accident that happens to an innocent child. In hindsight, it’s clear that there’s a ton of foreshadowing throughout this episode, from the opening discussion of coffee between William and Bullock to the sunflower seed-planting moment between William and Martha. And in the final sequence alone, there’s a sense of foreboding that steadily builds up over time, and William’s death is played as if it is an inevitable occurrence.
That sequence is interesting to look at closely. First of all, there’s a contrast between William lying on the ground at the end and William planting new life in the ground earlier in the episode, and second of all, there’s another contrast between the bike ride in the last episode and the bike ride in this episode. Thirdly, there’s yet another contrast between the wild nature of the horse and the man-made bicycle–both of these you can ride–and finally, there’s a fairly clear demonstration of the “tethering” idea with the horse. Horses are often tethered, after all, and in this particular scenario, it shakes free from the gelding attempt and ends up rushing through the town. And in the end, it’s William paying the consequences, lying on the ground as the community gathers around him.
GRADE: B+
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Cocksucker count: 5
Total cocksucker count: 207
– “How did the lady incline, fuckin’ Ellsworth?” “I wouldn’t guess, fuckin’ Trixie.” “Did you present yourself enthusiastic?” “Well, I didn’t dance a jig, if that’s what you’re asking.”
-William doesn't really die in this episode, but I watched ahead, so my review is written under that assumption. Oh well.
-William doesn't really die in this episode, but I watched ahead, so my review is written under that assumption. Oh well.
– “He’ll be judge on hisself and jury too. Just like the fuckin’ most of us.” I feel like Charlie’s tethered to the older way of life, to Wild Bill. He leaves the camp in this episode, and considering the other events of the hour–William’s death–it’s interesting because remember: all the way back in the second episode of the series, he and Jane took Sophia–another innocent child–out of the camp and to safety.
-So, “amalgamation and capital” is referring to the new way Wolcott’s doing things, yet we can also look at the definition of “amalgamation”: the action, process, or result of combining or uniting. Sound like a theme we know?
– “Don’t you agree that the truth, if only a pinch, must season every falsehood, or the palate fuckin’ rebels?”
– “Including youth, Mr. Manuel? And why not beauty? Not credibly restored, perhaps, but as a new non-negotiable term? Would you not have, too, your brother Charlie resurrected? Would you stipulate your envy of him be purged surely, you’ll insist that Charlie retain certain defects—his ineffable self-deceptions, for example, which were your joy in life to rebuke, and purpose, so far as you had one. I suppose you would see removed those qualities which caused you to love him, and the obliviousness to danger which allowed you to shed his blood.”