Wednesday, June 14, 2006

New Thing #99: I watched the first season of motherfucking Deadwood, cocksuckers

I've been meaning to watch Deadwood for years, it feels like, and I finally watched the first season. It took me four episodes to get into it. Like, at first I felt kinda meh about the whole thing. I mean, it was good and all--well produced, well directed, well acted--but I was still meh. But then, during the last ten minutes of the fourth episode, I suddenly became hooked and then I was a goner. I went from "yeah, okay, sure, this is well produced, well directed, and well acted" to "what fucking freaking great writing, directing, and acting! I freaking love this fucking shit!"

Everyone always talks about how great Ian McShane is--and he is, he's great--but I don't really have anything new to say about how great he is, so I won't. He's the glue that holds the fucking thing together, end story. (I guess David Milch is really the glue that holds the fucking thing together, but so is Ian McShane.)

The other actors on the show though? Shit--they're ALL amazing. It's seriously a field day of great acting. (For great acting?)

But there are four actors who stand out to me; who are my absolute favorites on the show; and who, in the spirit of "saying shit out loud," I would like to work with one of these days.

Paula Malcomson as Trixie:

Trixie is Al Swerengen's main whore. She lies and she cheats and she steals. She's constantly doing things that put herself in danger from Swerengen, because she's under his thumb and she's defiant. She doesn't want to be under anyone's fucking thumb. But at the same time, I feel like she loves Swerengen--from looks that she gives him, from things she doesn't say, you can totally feel that love. It's a complex role and every time she's on screen, I perk up and pay more attention. I always wanna know what Trixie's gonna do next. She's fuckin' good.

William Sanderson as EB Farnum:

Farnum is a baffoon and an idiot and Sanderson plays him to the hilt without ever being too ridiculous. Again, fucking good stuff.

Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane:

My favorite fucking character on the whole goddamned fucking show. Calamity Jane is foul and weird and pissed-off and drunk--just such a fucking mess--and when she's onscreen, you can't fucking take your motherfucking eyes off her. At least I can't. If there was ever going to be a Deadwood spin-off, I'd want it to follow Jane. (Of course, I don't even know if CJ's still alive or not, because I have no idea what happens in the second season and this show kills off so many fucking characters; but still, even if she's dead, she deserves a spin-off.) (I don't want to know if she's alive or dead though--so please: no spoilers in the comment thread.)

And last, but so not least, fucking John Hawkes as Sol Star:

Okay, so, you might think this is fucking weird, or maybe you totally get it, but I have such a crush on Sol Star. I guess that means I have a crush on John Hawkes (like, when I had a crush on Alex P. Keaton, I also had a crush on Michael J. Fox), but I don't really know much about John Hawkes and so for now I'll just say that I've got it for Sol Star. Like, holly monoly, got dang, you know? I know that Timothy Olyphant's character is supposed to be the hunk who we want to get the girl, but I'm rooting for Sol and Trixie, big time. (But ohmygod, I don't want to know what happens, so don't fucking tell me.)

Oh, and speaking of awesome people who worked on this show, give it up for the lovely and talented Bo Anderson!:

(I already said this so many times, but please: no season 2 spoilers in the comments!) (I have no idea what's coming up and I wanna keep it that way!) (Look at all of these exclamation points!)

(Okay, so I am really annoyed: the picture I posted of John Hawkes is too big and it's forcing my links list to appear way at the bottom of the page and I want to fix it, but blogger won't let me reload the picture as a smaller size, so if I want my links list to appear at the top of the page like normal, then I have to delete my picture of John Hawkes and replace it god knows when. But I will NOT delete my picture of John Hawkes. So the links list is way at the bottom of the page and it's ugly and all, but I'm probably the only person annoyed.) (Just thought I would share.)

31 comments:

Joe Chandler said...

first?

Joe Chandler said...

sweet. it was first...

i could never get into that show...

have you seen Weeds? It's my favorite show right now.

Erik said...

why the fucking question mark, chandler? oooo, i see, it was in case someone simultaneously beat you to it.

i'm telling you, you would get into it if you committed to it--but it takes some serious committment.

i've never really seen Weeds. i saw the first episode and wasn't blown away, and then never watched it again, but lots of people who i respect LOVE it, so maybe i should give it another chance.

Erik said...

sorry to be so full of the "fuckings," but i like saying "fuck" enough already, and that combined with hearing it said so much on fucking deadwood, well, that just gets me full of the "fucks."

Erik said...

Or, translated from English to Italian and then back again (via babelfish):

I but fuckings sorry to be therefore full, but I appreciate enough already to say "swept" that joined one with the audience that a lot has said therefore on deadwood fucking, well, than hardly he obtains full load to it "of the swept ones."

Kyle said...

John Hawkes is adorable and nice. I saw him perform a couple of times with his band at Highland Grounds years ago and he was really friendly and chatty after. And he gave everyone CDs.

And wait a minute, does this mean you didn't see him in Me and You and Everyone We Know?

Erik said...

Yeah, I know, sue me: I haven't seen Me and You and Everyone We Know.

But it's SO on my list of movies to see now!

Erik said...

I'm really glad to hear he was nice and charming in person.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen Deadwood yet. Must Netflix!

Our Bo Anderson worked on this show?

Erik said...

Yes, you must netflix, but give it time. It all builds.

And yes, our Bo Anderson worked on the whole first season--shadowing the directors. How cool is that?

Twinkerbell, where have you gone?

Erik said...

And Cynthia Ettinger is going to be in the 3rd season! I have no idea how many episodes, but last time I saw her (which was probably a year ago, or feels like that, at least) she mentioned she was doing Deadwood--and Cynthia's so good that I was like, I have to start watching Deadwood, but it's the kind of show that you can't really just pick up in the 3rd season because you'll be like, "what the fuck is going on?"

Anonymous said...

MAYAEWK...was soooo one of my favorite and bestest movies of 2005. WTF ERP??? Get your blogging ass down to CrackBuster and rent it...like now...serious.

Erik said...

Nous ne pouvons pas tous être impressionnants comme Jesse.

christy said...

I've never seen Deadwood either! But I got hooked on a Weeds marathon last week - I love it!! So great. Huff is pretty great, too. I have been underutilizing my paid Showtime membership.

(underutilize/lizing is one of my uber-economics words that has once again come to the fore. i go through cycles with words...which makes me want to say business cycle which makes me want to stop.)

Bonnie said...

I'm seriously almost considering getting "good cable" just for WEEDS. I saw two episodes of that and THE L WORD during a free Showtime weekend and decided I was way missing out on the best TV.

But if I get Showtime, don't I have tto also get HBO?

And then... shouldn't I have, oh, I don't know... health insurance or something equally expensive?

christy said...

well i justify that my gym membership is my health insurance.

and hbo/showtime is way, way cheaper than health insurance.

you know what i *really* wish? i wish you could JUST buy hbo and showtime - i could do without the rest.

but Erik, omg - go look at my blog. i just won the google search blog wars for at least a good while.

-2mb

(you'll see)

(holly cow that makes me think of "tomb" which makes me think of "deadwood")

Anonymous said...

否できないが、あることを熱望でき、道の規則の現実の世界の挑戦を消し、そして物質との何かを、音楽テレビ殺しているあなたの心を見る。 そしてピクルス犬である。

Erik said...

Thankfully, Jesse told me the above comment was written in Japanese, so I was able to translate it to:

"No it is not possible, but be able to eagerly desire a certain thing, you turn off the challenge of the actual world of rule of the road, and what of the substance, the music television you look at your heart which has killed. And they are the pickles dogs."

Kyle said...

All of a sudden I'm seeing more pictures on here than I was before, like of that hot TV guy's hot armpit and shirtless Jake, who, just when I start to think he's kinda boring, I see him all hot and bearded and shirtless and being athletic and I change my mind.

This Blogger sho is crazee, huH?

Erik said...

Kyle (fwl), it's because I was having so much trouble posting photos (and still am having trouble posting photos), but there was a window of time when photos were working and I went back through a bunch of old posts and added photos. (Which, I'll admit, I do from time to time...as I find pictures that I think illustrate older posts nicely.) (Generally, I would like there to be more pictures on my blog.) (And the guy with the hot armpit is DERRICK.) (And, Jake's hotness never wanes for me.)

Kyle said...

I just need to be reminded with Jake sometimes, ya know? So thanks for reminding me! In short, more shirtless pics of hot actor types and TV personalities, please! Thanks.

Erik said...

I try to please Kyle...I'll keep the pictures coming...

christy said...

I can't wait for you to put a new post up. I got this horrible prank call when I was eight, this guy who said he worked with my mom and was doing a research project on bad language in schools (which totally has something to do with what my mom's job was back then) and made me repeat,

"[my name] is a motherfucking cocksucker."

then he hung up. it was highly traumatic. it would affect me for years to come.

and now i think of it again, every time i open your blog...

Erik said...

Kyle, I meant to put a comma in that last comment to you, as in:

I try to please, Kyle.

But I think it's funny that my typo implies that my blog is all about trying to please you.

So now it's true: I try to please Kyle.

Erik said...

So sorry Christy!

Anonymous said...

hahahaa, that is SO not what i wrote, thats funny though

Erik said...

Yeah, babel fish is very creative in its translations!

obviously you were talking about the Real World / Road Rules Challenge...but I'm not sure what exactly you were saying about it!

christy said...

oh, don't worry about it.

Erik said...

I just don't want my blog giving people nightmares or flashbacks, is all.

Kyle said...

Aww, Erik, thanks! All you gotta do is keep posting SFW pics of hotties and commenting incessantly so I have a reason to check your blog constantly as a diversion from my desk job!

Erik said...

Kyle, I WILL TRY TO PLEASE YOU. Often.