Civilization and Its Discontents

Is it too early to call this the best season of Deadwood yet? Some might think so, and I respond by saying: Get your own TV Watch column.

The tipping point for me was tonight’s revealing oral-cution by Al at the end of the hour. Al has often waxed poetic in his office while receiving, um, ''female companionship'' (hey, we’re a family website), but never before has a Swearengen soliloquy been quite so personal in nature. Ending this ep by pulling back the curtain to reveal events in Al’s past that helped shape the man he has become — along with Major Dad’s powerhouse portrayal of Hearst, a couple of barroom killings, and E.B.’s long-overdue beating — knocked this season into the hall of fame.

Tonight, our little town of Deadwood turned into a regular Mayberry RFD: The bank opened for business, and there was talk of opening a theater (in Joanie’s former digs), building a new schoolhouse, and starting up a fire department. I’m not sure what I enjoyed more: the Odd Couple-Laverne & Shirley relationship of Calamity Jane and Joanie (I smell sitcom spin-off gold — plus Mose is so the wacky, Squiggy-esque neighbor!) or Trixie proving that the tradition of surly, unhelpful bank tellers goes back a long, long time. Speaking of bank business, didn’t it seem like Leon was hoping to get more then just free checking from the Widow Garret (or, as she pointed out on her nameplate, Mrs. Ellsworth). Especially since later that night he tipped his hat to her and she then slipped out the door (to meet him, I assume), leaving Ellsworth playing checkers and totally unaware. Poor, sweet, dumb Ellsworth. The man is a rock, and I just don’t see a happy ending for him.

Then again, happiness isn’t really the stock in trade for anyone in Deadwood, is it? Bullock and Mrs. Bullock have been getting cozy this season (she now knows how he likes his tea!), but the return of the General and Hostetler with the horse that killed young William could derail their domestic bliss. While we didn’t get to see Mrs. Bullock’s reaction, chances are it won’t hold a candle to the hate that spewed forth from Steve the Drunk after he realized that his brief stewardship of the livery was over. We here at Entertainment Weekly are a hardy stock in terms of not being shocked (I watched most of the films from our recent cover story on controversial movies without batting an eye), but the spittle-filled racist diatribe Steve hurled at Hostetler even managed to make me blush. If you missed it, make sure the volume is down before firing up the TiVo lest the neighbors call the NAACP.

And once again, the highlight tonight was the Swearengen-Hearst power struggle. And the Captain spoke at last! Sure, it was to threaten Dan with bodily harm, but was anyone expecting Wordsworth? For some reason, the Captain felt the need to explain his thuggery away by saying, ''I was just doing my job'' — which I believe was the excuse most of the Nazis used after World War II. But the point is, the Captain again arrived with an invite to Al to join Hearst for a meeting. Al’s reaction to a polite letter from the man who cut off his finger: ''Hearst thinks me an optimist.'' By the end of the meeting (which Cy also attended), we had learned that Hearst could be gone for a few eps, Cy is a full-blown Hearst lapdog, and Al refuses to cower before the tycoon. ''Numbers,'' said Al, ''are the only principle I believe in.'' Still, the stress caused by his refusal to join the Hearst team (as well as his defingering at Hearst’s hand) seems to have led to a bad case of impotence. And for a pimp, that’s like owning a chocolate factory and having diabetes. Which raises the question: How is Al is going to reclaim his manhood? Frankly, I’m hoping it involves good ol’ Deadwood violence.

Other hot topics: Is Langrishe ever going to do anything? Ever? Or is he just comic relief? Should Dan and Adams go to couple's therapy to resolve their sibling rivalry? Oh, and it looks like the Doc is a goner. That’s not actually a question, but I feel real bad about it. What do you think?

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