Deadwood - Season 2 - SPOILERS

[dr.strangelove]

I am SO EXCITED about the new season of Deadwood. It looks great. I had forgotten how good the first season was until I started watching it again on the HBO replays.

There is a magazine called True West. I read the March issue on the plane last night. It was partly devoted to the new Season of Deadwood. A great photo of Ian McShane as Al was on the cover. (I note that this magazine may be lean heavily to the right. There were several adverts for guns and an ad for the NRA. Not all gun owners and NRA members lean right, but the gun industry and the NRA tends to market to the right, so please excuse me if I just promoted what may be a right wing mag, but it did have a great article on the show.)

Anyway, the article gave out some good info. If you don't want to know what it said, read no more.

The new season opens six months after the last season ended. It is now the spring of 1877. The camp is now officially a town and is about to become an official part of the United States.

There are some MAJOR cast changes. Sadly Ricky Jay, who played Eddie Sawyer, will not be returning. I looked forward to him stealing from Cy. He had told Joanie that he would steal form Cy to stake her new place. I don't know how that will play out. However, Joanie will have a new partner, a new Madam from back east played by Alice Krige (She was AMAZING in Star Trek: First Contact as the Borg Queen). The Madam's name is Maddie.

David Milch also was quoted that Wyatt Earp will be in a future episode or two, but maybe in the next (third) season. Earp came to Deadwood at some point in 1877-1878 to try to organize work for George Hearst, the tycoon. Bullock beat the shit out of Earp and threw him out of town.

The article got me going so I visited a few Deadwood discussion groups. I don't know the sources of these last two bits of info, they came off a Deadwood board without any source cited. Here they are, take them for what they are worth.

Also joining the cast is a very minor role will be Cade Carradine. He is Keith Carradine's son. Keith played Wild Bill Hickok.

In the first episode of season 2, Bullock and Al will have a huge fight in the street and Bullock will beat Al severely. This will have repercussions throughout the first few episodes. (I hope to see Dan and Bullock mix it up too.)

Thats all the dirt I have.

[lazarus]

1. Gonna miss Eddie, too

I wonder why he's not back?

I've been watching the extras for the first season box set. Apparently Milch writes in a very improvisational style, changing entire plot lines on the spot while filming.

Example: Episode one, the very end of the episode. Trixie has bought a gun, we hear a knock on Al's door, Al grabs a gun and hides it under the covers. Trixie walks in, places her gun on the dresser, and gets in bed.

Milch said in commentary that he thought Al was going to kill Trixie when he first wrote it, but decided to try that alternative approach on set and liked it.

I'll bet the actress playing Trixie was pleased to see her role move from "guest star" to regular.

[dr.strangelove]

2. The NY Daily News reported that Milch did not get along with

the actor that played Eddie. It was in the gossip pages of a tabloid, so take that double wammy with a grain of salt.

Milch says he gives the actors a little freedom to change the plot and sometimes likes how it goes.

I am glad Trixie is still around. I have grown to like her character.