I had to watch the Dan & Capt. Turner fight over the tops of my glasses so it was all blurry. I also couldn't help but think that despite the eye gouging and head on rock banging, neither was a very efficient fighter.

Neither went for the knees or the balls. It's not like that could have been considered "dirty" fighting could it?

I kept wondering what was considered a "fair fight", lisah. And I don't know.

YAY for flea and armidillo pictures!

That was almost more than I could watch. Honest to God. And I've watched Al pass a stone. Very concerned about Mrs. Ellsworth. Have grown attached to her, and she's done so well.

YAY CUTE BABY!

What a cute baby! Casper is also such a lovely young lady.

What a cute baby! Casper is also such a lovely young lady.

Ditto.

Cute baby (and cute Casper, as well!)!!

And, for those looking for more time-wasting things to do, online Etch-a-Sketch!

flea! He's much cuter than Winston Churchill!

(And tell Casper that as overwhelming as all this is, she's going to have years and years and years of lording it over him because she's the big sister. And also, that I think she deserves a pink popsicle for not sending him back.)

Did someone flash the Deadwood symbol in the clouds?

I thought Dan was legitimately broken up at how close he came to death. Frank's right: that was the most viceral, vicious fight scene I've ever seen on TV, Tony & Joey Pants included. I could barely breathe while it was going down. Col. Turner had it coming more than most men, but that was an awful thing to witness, and Dan made me really feel the awful truth of beating another man to death in the street. I almost wish they had just stabbed each other to death to make it end faster. The scene at the end with Dan Dority naked and sobbing was just a beautiful metaphor for his place in this saga, too.

Alma: I've taken some shit at another forum for my ambivalence about Alma. On one hand, she has indeed accomplished more above incredible obstacles than almost any other character on the show. On the other hand, the one person with whom she is at her worst is fuckin' Ellsworth, who is, hands down, the most sympathetic and decent character on the show, save Doc Cochrane. In reference to his strange interaction with Alma, I think he's still damaged as hell from losing his wife and child (and they've never actually said what happened, but it certainly seems related to the unspecified tragedy of the Comstock), so he found her come-ons random and terrifying before realizing that she was doped up (when she nodded off in the middle of a kiss). I don't know what's going to happen with Sophie, but Alma's made it clear that she in no way considers Ellsworth to have any claim over Sophie.