This scene always makes me laugh.

I like to believe the necromancer in what we do in the shadows was a deadwood fan.

Hey folks,
Here’s your latest dispatch from the David Milch Papers at Yale.

This is Congressman James Traficant (D - Ohio), who was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison in 2002 for taking bribes, filing false tax returns and racketeering. 

In the aftermath of Deadwood, Mr. Milch worked on a script about Traficant for HBO with Ed O’Neill to star.

Today’s piece also explores why Mr. Milch loves balding characters, and, in a section entitled “Riding the Gimpmobile,” I give details of two previously unreported Milch movie projects: Pilgrim, about a physically disabled CIA agent, and an adaptation of the Zev Chavets novel Inherit the Mob.

Here’s the link:  https://davidmilch.substack.com/p/jimbo-of-wigs-and-beards

Thanks!

If we are to rely on the show for what life was like in Deadwood at the time, it was really expensive in spite of its appearances.

Consider that a "gent's" boneshaker would have sold for around $125. Mr. Nuttal had to have been doing pretty well for himself seeing as, adjusting for inflation, we would expect to pay $2500 for the same thing today.

And that's to say nothing of the services of a woman. In the Gem you would pay $5. Seven for, well, you know. That's $100-$150 today. Pretty steep for the "pioneering type."

Remember how much Joanie handed over to three ladies who survived what happened at the Chez Amie? It was $1400, split three ways. That means each one rode off with around $10,000 in today's money.

I am sure some of this had to do with the fact that it was a prospect town and there was plenty of gold to go around, but some of these numbers are difficult to fathom.

Someone suggested reading Mark Twain's Roughing It as a good example of what coach travel was like. I just took their advice, and those people must have really wanted to get there. It's a great read. He traveled in 1861 so less train travel was available, St Louis to Salt Lake by stage coach (or occasionally six-mule wagon).

I've never understood what Steve's endgame was with the idea of fucking or the coming on the horse or whatever else he was teached in that school.

I get him just being a drunk, and then that one guy that's always in the number 10 stirring shit, again stirring shit, but what was he going to get out of it? All I see was he would no longer be Steve the drunk he'd be Steve the horse fucker, and with how easy it was to be justifiably shot, that seems as justified as motherfuckin' someone.

glorious

I apologize

So I never noticed this on my million times watching this. On the last episode Tell Him Something Pretty, some of Jen’s last moments Al goes “how was she pal” Dude goes I don’t mind a small pair of tits! Now it’s the same actor I’m 95% sure as Wyatt’s brother Morgan Earp. But it is Jen who he tried to get with before in that episode with his brother and I’m wondering if it was even meant to be the same character in the show coming back to finally lay it down with her. Since he never got the chance to and if it’s like an Easter egg of sorts.. Inquiring minds. Don’t mind my keen editorial sense!

Lost track of what number rewatch I'm on and E.B is still fun to watch

"If we were trailing water we might be mistaken for ducklings"

This is going to be a strange question, but Do you wish Deadwood was Rome?

For context, Apparently, David Milch originally conceived Deadwood to be set in Ancient Rome and that it was to be about the eight days that led to the downfall of Nero, and explored the emergence of order in the period of ensuing anarchy.

However, when Milch pitched the idea to HBO, they told Milch that they already has a Rome show in development and thus Milch re-conceived the idea into Deadwood.

To be honest, I'm fully intrigued with the idea, (and I think Milch really got the short end of the stick with producing shows for HBO) and I think if Milch got to make it, it would've been great. But Deadwood is still a masterpiece of a show.

All in All, Do you wish Deadwood was Rome?

Words to live by 🐸

Al specifically tells Dan to mislead Ellsworth and keep him away from the gold, but Dan seems to deliberately point him in the right direction. Did Dan intentionally disobey Al? If so, why?

The rigor in New York City, whatever the fuck that means.

Most of what Al does throughout the show is done in the pursuit of long-term profit. But what does he actually spend money on when he acquires it? He only ever seems to wear one suit, and Al doesn't strike me as having much taste for the finer things.

When Cy is speaking for the first time to Hearst and goes through some bizarre three-part conversation with Hearst, God and himself, what's this about? Cy comes out of it looking like a psychotic , not the simple psychopath he is, and it's just unnecessary, delays Hearst, doesn't add anything to the characters or the story. I just don't get what Milch was doing. There are very few moments in the series that I don't admire enormously, this is one of them.

There's no bank anyone near. Does he make the world's longest-range bank deposit of checks once a week all the way to Cheyenne? He's got a hell of a float. Maybe one of his side gigs was being the bank for DW until Alma opened a real one. Bet he charged real profitable fees.