So first things first, Elsworth's proposal was adorable. He's slowly but surely become one of my favorite characters on the show, and the unexpected sweetness (and backstory) we got from that moment, not to mention Alma's clearly touched response, make it the best scene in the episode. There's something about rough-around-the-edges characters doing noble things and being received warmly, if cautiously, that I find heartening.
I don't know if you could call Bullock allowing Al to use his connections in Montana to try to scare off the Pinkertons and the Hearsts noble, but the opening scene with the two of them having a sitdown was a favorite as well. Bullokc's M.O. is to sit on the sidelines and not get involved in these sorts of machinations, but Al points out that doing nothing is basically capitulating to getting screwed by those other outside forces. It's an interesting scene that brings the two of them closer together, at least more on the same page, and fits well with the idea of the parts of this town that were once at odds uniting in opposition to the outside threats.
That threat starts to loom larger here. The letter that Wolcott writes and the scenes of nude prospectors being frisked and shot (in conjunction with Doc Cochran's condemnation of the state of the Chinese prostitutes) suggests that for however rough and tumble things have been in Deadwood under Al's watchful eye, the people who aim to come in and take over are even harsher and would leave the place in a worse state in terms of justice and safety and comfort. The line is being drawn here between our usual crew and the folks who would come in and replace them.
If only someone would replace Alma. I understand the subtext of it, but she's so rude to Martha Bullock. The scene is well-acted, from their initial cordialness to Alma's frostiness to Martha's being taken aback by Alma's harshness with her. And there's even some nice understated explanation for the change in Alma's demeanor, with her inability to start the fire for the tea contrasted with Bullock lighting the same kind of fire in the next scene. He was the one who used to do that for Alma, and here's a reminder that the woman across from her took that away from her. Alright, maybe I talked myself into liking that scene a little more.
Still not sold on Miss. Isringhausen though. The actress does a nice job at portraying the chameleon like way she can switch from being the retiring, demure lady to being the snake in the grass, but the whole her as an agent of the Pinkertons is still such an odd type of storyline, and the convoluted document signature negotiations between her and Al are okay, but not necessarily great.
There's other decent stuff in there as well. Jane and Joanie is a good pairing, and while the whole bit with Wolcott coming in to maybe attack Joanie felt like a bad horror movie, I like the two of them together. And Al having to explain to Dan how and why he talks to a severed Indian head is an interesting bit, albeit one that seems like it's there mostly for color. What's more, the near-closing scene where Martha, having been rebuked by Alma, tells Bullock that she doesn't need any more of his kindness or to be the cause or recipient of such frostiness is a good one.
Plus, Tom Nottal's bicycle! I'm not sure if there's a real point to his little jaunt across the public thoroughfare, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's about how even in the midst of all the murder and plotting and other wide-ranging events taking place, you can get the whole town's attention on something as small and endearing as whether a man can ride a bike far enough. It shows that these people are all connected to some degree, and while death and mayhem may be the order of the day, there's still room for a jocular old man making the sort of wager a ten-year-old would make.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-07-24T15:47:05Z
So first things first, Elsworth's proposal was adorable. He's slowly but surely become one of my favorite characters on the show, and the unexpected sweetness (and backstory) we got from that moment, not to mention Alma's clearly touched response, make it the best scene in the episode. There's something about rough-around-the-edges characters doing noble things and being received warmly, if cautiously, that I find heartening.
I don't know if you could call Bullock allowing Al to use his connections in Montana to try to scare off the Pinkertons and the Hearsts noble, but the opening scene with the two of them having a sitdown was a favorite as well. Bullokc's M.O. is to sit on the sidelines and not get involved in these sorts of machinations, but Al points out that doing nothing is basically capitulating to getting screwed by those other outside forces. It's an interesting scene that brings the two of them closer together, at least more on the same page, and fits well with the idea of the parts of this town that were once at odds uniting in opposition to the outside threats.
That threat starts to loom larger here. The letter that Wolcott writes and the scenes of nude prospectors being frisked and shot (in conjunction with Doc Cochran's condemnation of the state of the Chinese prostitutes) suggests that for however rough and tumble things have been in Deadwood under Al's watchful eye, the people who aim to come in and take over are even harsher and would leave the place in a worse state in terms of justice and safety and comfort. The line is being drawn here between our usual crew and the folks who would come in and replace them.
If only someone would replace Alma. I understand the subtext of it, but she's so rude to Martha Bullock. The scene is well-acted, from their initial cordialness to Alma's frostiness to Martha's being taken aback by Alma's harshness with her. And there's even some nice understated explanation for the change in Alma's demeanor, with her inability to start the fire for the tea contrasted with Bullock lighting the same kind of fire in the next scene. He was the one who used to do that for Alma, and here's a reminder that the woman across from her took that away from her. Alright, maybe I talked myself into liking that scene a little more.
Still not sold on Miss. Isringhausen though. The actress does a nice job at portraying the chameleon like way she can switch from being the retiring, demure lady to being the snake in the grass, but the whole her as an agent of the Pinkertons is still such an odd type of storyline, and the convoluted document signature negotiations between her and Al are okay, but not necessarily great.
There's other decent stuff in there as well. Jane and Joanie is a good pairing, and while the whole bit with Wolcott coming in to maybe attack Joanie felt like a bad horror movie, I like the two of them together. And Al having to explain to Dan how and why he talks to a severed Indian head is an interesting bit, albeit one that seems like it's there mostly for color. What's more, the near-closing scene where Martha, having been rebuked by Alma, tells Bullock that she doesn't need any more of his kindness or to be the cause or recipient of such frostiness is a good one.
Plus, Tom Nottal's bicycle! I'm not sure if there's a real point to his little jaunt across the public thoroughfare, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's about how even in the midst of all the murder and plotting and other wide-ranging events taking place, you can get the whole town's attention on something as small and endearing as whether a man can ride a bike far enough. It shows that these people are all connected to some degree, and while death and mayhem may be the order of the day, there's still room for a jocular old man making the sort of wager a ten-year-old would make.