Over its three year run, Deadwood has become a favorite show of mine. David Milch, the writer, speaks a new kind of poetry. It’s vulgar and abrasive yet tender and stirring. The dialog is rather Shakespearean but once familiar with the pacing, it creates a tasty mash of explicits sprinkled with social commentary.
Deadwood is a hybrid of a chapter show (ex. X-files, Dragnet, Star Trek) and serial programs (Days of our Lives). The entire series is back-boned on the social, cultural, and political development of a gold-mining town outside the governance of a newly formed United States.
Sometimes I find myself turning down the volume because I don’t want Lindsay to think I am watching smut. But for all who are put off by words, don’t judge this show by its use of vulgarities. To do that would be to miss the point.
Take Swearingen, the hard-nosed Irish immigrant who became the political powerhouse in Deadwood. Swearingen actions epitomize organize crime and immorality. Another character said [to Swearingen] "I don't trust you far as I can throw you, but goddamit I enjoy the way you lie."
Through the first two seasons, it was apparent that Swearingen was interested in self-preservation. He robbed, killed, and stole when he felt it necessary. With the introduction of George Hurst, the prospector turned senator, it becomes increasingly apparent that Swearingen is meant to be more than the villain.
Al Swearingen’s desires for the city are self-motivated yet strangely align with the greater good. In parallel, George Hearst actions and desires are self-motivated but lead to no greater good. On the opposite end of the spectrum you have Sheriff Bullock. Although, like Swearingen, he acts in accord with public interest, it is clear that his high moral grounds and harsh treatment of lawbreakers (in a town with no law, mind you) is motivated by a sadistic brutality that happened to find an outlet. In this regard, the Sheriff is functioning similar to Hearst, with motivation driven completely by self-interest (in this case emotional). Swearingen recognizes this and referred to him as, "his holiness." Swearingen realizes the danger in his particular zealotry and often uses it to his advantage.
Swearingen regard towards government is that of necessity, “"Be in my joint in 2 hours. We're forming a f*cking government!" and one of information and the corupting of power, "I'm declaring myself conductor of this meeting as I have the bribe sheet."
Swearingen also represents the attitude of independence and some of his lines would have made the founding fathers list of quotables. One of my favorite is in response to a particularly whiny character’s lamenting about getting unlawfully beatup by the Sheriff.
"Including last night, that’s three f*cking damage incidents that didn’t kill you. Pain or damage don’t end the world, or despair or f*cking beatin’s. The world ends when you’re dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man — and give some back."
In the first season, Swearingen, in order to take attention away from his men who killed a group of travelers, announced after one of the accusers stated that “Indians” had killed them, that money would be given for the head of Indians. Only one was returned and Swearingen put it in a box and now confides to the head. I think this shows the remorse Swearingen has over his involvement in the Chiefs death. The most candid and insightful clues about his character are given in Soliloquies to the head.
In a recent episode, Swearingen’s role as town protector surfaced boldly.
[Speaking to head] "Fraught with contingencies, Chief, is our electoral process. Will his holiness climb into a bottle or pursue the widow, stiff-pr*cked, the miles to her Hot Springs honeymoon? Who’ll bear the local’s banner then?"
He is messy, uncouth, and morally weak, yet he is surprisingly American.
My second favorite character in the HBO series, Deadwood, is Doc Cochran. The Doc’s motivation is for the well-being of those he comes across. In this regard he is the only clear-cut example of a humanitarian on the show. His desire to nurture the sick put him at odds with the reverend who refused treatment even after his brain tumors were interfering with his ability to function normally. "I wouldn't surprise if you had a lesion in your goddamned head, and that's what's givin you the seizures and generatin' your chats with the goddamn divinity. No goddamn offense inteneded." Reverend: “This is God's purpose, but not knowing the purpose is my portion of suffering." 
