Deadwood "A Two-Headed Beast" Review (3x05)
Aug 2, 2016 22:58:50 GMT -5
Albert Fish Taco, jerkassimo, and 2 more like this
Post by Pear on Aug 2, 2016 22:58:50 GMT -5
Can we talk about the fact that Captain Turner gets his eye ripped out of its socket in this episode? There’s one point in time where that eye is firmly snuggled in its rightful place, but when we check in a bit later, it’s hanging out in the middle of the thoroughfare while its owner screams his head off. What a scene. It’s a brutal one to watch all the way through, but it’s extremely well directed and has important implications for the power dynamics in the town. Dority and Turner are standing in here for Swearengen and Hearst, respectively, and their bloody public showdown is essentially controlled by nods from up high.
It’s telling that this fight plays out in the center of the town, especially when compared to the fairly private location in which Al got a finger chopped off. We know that these two god-like men staring down from above are clashing over the future of Deadwood, but they’re not the ones getting down and dirty in the mud. They send their men out to do battle for them. And what’s the result of that? Al’s guy wins, which comes as a big surprise to Hearst and can be chalked up to Hearst not giving a nod soon enough. He’s someone who is used to winning and getting what he wants, but that attitude catches up to him here and allows Al to take back some power. It also ends up putting his ass in jail by way of Seth Bullock, who stands up to the new guy in town and is intent on restoring some law and order in Deadwood. Seth’s an emotional guy, and this obviously places him directly in the line of danger; it makes sense for his character and for what he’s had to deal with recently, though.
After all, this episode also features Hostetler’s suicide, an act of bloodshed that ends what was supposed to be–but really wasn’t–a civil transfer of ownership. I’ll just amicably say that I can understand both the people who buy this development and the people who don’t, but that aside, the big point this episode makes about Deadwood stands. The movement toward civilization isn’t just going to happen overnight, especially with someone like Hearst standing in the way. People like Alma are going to fall victim to old, harmful habits, public violence will be utilized to settle scores, and ending your life may seem like a better choice than facing what’s ahead.
GRADE: A-
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Cocksucker count: 2 (weak)
Total cocksucker count: 254
– “Well, what this is, Sir, uh…yesterday, I occasioned to fuck a woman after a considerable period of abstention, and that seems now to have…throwed me unawares, uh, into a fuckin’ spasm of sex interest, which I…fuckin’ pray will be brief.”
– “Going wrong is not the end of fuckin’ things, Johnny! Fuck no. I have come back from plenty of shit that looked like it was going wrong!”
-The exchange between Bullock and Hearst at the end is glorious. I love this line in particular: “When I say ‘Fuck yourself, Sheriff,’ will you put that down to drunkenness or a high estimate of your athleticism?”
-The Jack-Chesterton scene is a sweet moment in an episode lacking many of those.
-The aftermath of the fight for Dan is beautifully acted by W. Earl Brown. Speaking of acting, how about Molly Parker and Jim Beaver in this one?