Deadwood is… Ahem… Okay, well… I guess that… What I really mean to say is that…

“Deadwood” is f*cking brainsplode fantastic.

TV doesn’t get better than this twelve parter western drama, and if you haven’t watched it yet you will most likely be hunted down and tagged as an inferior human being. That may sound harsh, and may also be a tad untrue, but I wouldn’t take any risks if I were you. I’d go out and get my hands on season 1 of “Deadwood”. Now, tuck yourself in and let good ol’ Amras tell you why this show is so divine that it makes L. Ron Hubbard cry out in jealousy in his, presumably, alien-infested afterlife.

This isn’t my first encounter with the brilliance of HBO’s “Deadwood”. I remember I watched quite a lot of these episodes a couple of years ago, but at that time I watched it mainly because of all the new swear words that were thrown about like so many pieces of candy. The fact that it sported a fair share of nice trollops and nasty crooks were also things that tingled my sense of wonder, but most of all it was the language that made the lasting impression.

I fell off towards the end of the season when they changed the airing time, but I’ve always wanted to come back to it some day and with the WGA strike still in full effect, this seemed like as good a time as any.

For those of you who don’t know what “Deadwood” is about (how comfortable is it living under a rock?), here’s the gist: It’s a drama series about a new settlement dubbed, well, Deadwood, obviously, where a lot people have come to seek their fortune, whether it be in gold or in other, less honest ways…

This special part of the USA has yet to be annexed by the government, so those with enough power can do nearly exactly what they want. That’s the where Al Swearengen comes in - one of the very best characters I’ve had the pleasure of watching (if not the best). He’s the owner of the Gem; the local saloon that deals in whiskey and snatch. Nothing happens in Deadwood without his blessing and the show centers around his affairs - and by extension - the entire camp’s affairs. The other main character is the former sheriff of Montana; Seth Bullock, one of the very few honorable cowboys you’ll meet in this show.

As for the acting in this show, it’s mostly top-notch. And by that I mean that they’re all very skilled or fitting for their role. However, I never could decide whether or not the guy playing Seth Bullock was too perfect for the part, or if he really did overdo it at times. It did feel a little strained when he was turning the righteousness on, but overall I was just in awe of his coolness to bother worrying about his acting chops. I also *loved* every scene that included Swearengen, Doc Cochran, Trixie, Wild Bill Hickock and Joanie, plus probably loads of others. Calamity Jane got on my nerves after a few episodes due to the fact that she had a very boring story arc that kept her character trotting up the same path every time we saw her. I hope she gets better in the next two season, ’cause she was just a time waster in this season.

The pacing was overall very good. They kept new intrigues coming while nurturing the previous ones into worthwhile plots and interesting problems. Some of the intrigues got a little slow-going in the middle of the season, but I had kinda expected that to happen. It is after all a very common problem that occurs when the producers are loathe to bring in new characters and conflicts that won’t get properly resolved by the end.

So after all this is said, I have to underline the fact that season 1 of “Deadwood” is a nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s got wonderfully portrayed characters that drive the plot lines forward with an eloquent grace that is both admirable and awe-inspiring. The dialog excellent because it both entertains and adds to the level of realism that saturates the entire premise. It really feels like a real town in the late 1800’s. It’s not a cozy place - it might get you killed - but who the f*ck cares? This is “Deadwood”, and it’s a nugget of gold in every way imaginable.

10/10