How much am I loving Ms. Zenobia this episode?

She was awesome, but that was some harrowing shit for our kids. I love how Carcetti's getting himself schooled, too.

He's learning a lot but it's troubling. I think he'll find, like Prez, that he can only do a fraction of what he wants to.

So the Deadwood S2, disk 1 has showed up from Netflix. I'm eager to watch. Probably tonight.

Yeah, so we watch Deadwood S2.1, A Lie Agreed Upon pt. 1 last night, and damn was it wonderful. It's only problem (a small one) is that it played like a season opener, in that much of the episode is spent establishing who all the characters are, and what the State of Things is. Two primary examples, the utterly gratuitous (considering it's her only appearence in the episode) shot of Jane rousing herself from her horse-back stupor long enough to shout "Cocksuckers!" at the passing stagecoach, and Bullock's extended recap of Alma Garrett and her situation for the benefit of new viewers his wife.

That being said, the hilarity started right off -- Al's semi-drunken, UTI-cranky rant about telegraph poles and the progress of technology had us breathless with laughter. In fact, the whole first ten or fifteen minutes, centering on Al, Dan, and the Bagman, ending with Al's "I would not be staring like that, if I were you," to Bullock, was fan-fucking-tastic.

The fist fight between Bullock and Al was great too -- the quiet assembly of Sol, Dan, Charlie Utter, the Bagman, and Trixie, down in the saloon, waiting to see what violence would erupt and everyone eyeing everyone else; the two combatants going over the balcony rail into the muck below (how tough is Al that he kept on fighting after Seth landed on him?); and best of all, Al's "I do have a knife. It come to me just now."

Poor Cy Tolliver, wanting so badly to rage out on Joanie, but restained by who knows what -- his "love" for her, his knowledge that who he really wants to hurt is Eddie, for ripping him off. And over the course of the episode, it became clear that, like Lando Calrissian's deal with the Empire, Joanie's arrangement with Cy is going to keep being altered to suit him, because frankly he just doesn't want to let her go.

Poor Charlie and Sol getting shot! I was very upset by that. And it's also clear that Bullock's marriage to his brother's widow is strained at best. And how much did I love that Trixe never left Sol's side after he'd been shot!?

And SO MANY really fantastic lines, I can't remember most of them. May need to rewatch.

The wonderfully long, awkward, and more than a little heart-breaking

That episode - hell, that season - is pitch-perfect.

Al's "I do have a knife. It come to me just now."

I love his line about how seeing the boy "unmanned" him. That's a line straight into the heart of Al's psyche.

I should warn you that both High Hat articles dealing with Deadwood assume that you have seen Season 3, so beware of spoilers.

Aw, mine looks so shallow now...less "New Journalist" than "Nice boots" journalist. But Tim Goodman totally writes Simon's name in his notebook and he appears not to be too worried about it.

I'm deliberately avoiding them, Corwood, just in case they're spoilery.

Good idea. Hope you read 'em later, though, 'cause Tom Block's essay on cinematic violence is one of the most insightful pieces of writing I've ever read.

less "New Journalist" than "Nice boots" journalist

Pshaw. It's delightful.

Yeah...they are. Really well-written though.