Product Description Deadwood: The Complete Third Season (DVD)The lawless era in Deadwood is coming to an end. As the town's first elections approach, strategic alliances that protect hard-earned interests become more critical than ever. Facing down an unexpected threat from one powerful man aiming to reshape the town in his image, the founders must put up their strongest fronts if they expect to thrive--and survive. A new chapter begins in Season 3 of the award-winning HBO drama series that focuses on the evolution of an American frontier town, and the ruthless power struggle between its inhabitants. The settlers introduced in Seasons 1 and 2--including now-sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and saloon owner Al Swearengen (Golden Globe(R) Award-winner Ian McShane)--continue to share a restlessness of spirit, heightened by the influx of ambitious new residents, in particular George Hearst, a tycoon with a lust for gold...and absolute power.]]> .com The final complete season of HBO's remarkable Deadwood series is full of surprises and devastating experiences as the nascent, dangerous town prepares to join Dakota territory in 1877. As in the previous two seasons, the question of who will control the town's resources, assets, and people drives much of the drama, affecting all manner of relationships and alliances, often between the most unlikely people. The dominant storyline in Deadwood: The Complete Third Season concerns upcoming elections for mayor and sheriff of the mucky, gold-mining town. The real juice, however, is not so much between the individuals running for office as between two power brokers each trying to steer the results toward their own purposes. Saloon owner and Deadwood's puppetmaster, Al Swearengen (Ian McShane sustaining his brilliant peformance in the previous two seasons), works closely with incumbent lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) on retaining the latter's seat. But Bullock himself has difficulty surrendering his penchant for taking unambiguous action and relying on few words, especially when he has to act like a politician and deal with people such as George Hearst (Gerald McRaney, playing the real-life father of William Randolph Hearst). Swearengen's rival, Hearst--a self-made industrialist who gained his fortune through mining--has every intention of overtaking Deadwood, with his eye particularly on the lucrative mine owned by Bullock's former lover, Alma (Molly Parker). (The violence Hearst employs to get to Alma's claim will stun many Deadwood fans.) Meanwhile, Bullock's old friend, Sol Starr (John Hawkes), runs for mayor against the feckless E.B. Farnum (William Sanderson), and tries to navigate through his difficult relationship with Trixie (Paula Malcomson) as she grows enraged by former lover Swearengen's manipulation of her and everyone else. Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert) is encouraged to become a public speaker, telling of her misadventures with General George Custer, and she commences a lesbian relationship with Joanie (Kim Dickens), the saloon owner who is becoming increasingly despondent and suicidal. Bullock's relationship with his wife, Martha (Anna Gunn) continues to deepen and become more of an influence on him, Wyatt Earp comes for a visit, and a newcomer to town, Jack Langrishe (Brian Cox), an old friend of Swearengen, attempts to open a theatre. As expected, the season finale concludes with the long-awaited election, but HBO's decision to bring Deadwood to an end required creator David Milch to wrap everything up in a pair of two-hour movies. Still, The Complete Third Season is very satisfying on every level, and will always be, along with the rest of the series, a television landmark. --Tom Keogh Stills from Deadwood (Click for larger image)
B**E
a third season of ridiculously great TV
"Deadwood" either is your cup of tea or isn't, and if it isn't, then you probably have no business even considering prchasing these DVDs; the third season in't gonna change your mind. If it IS your cup of tea, and you're just wondering whether or not the third season meets the high marks set by the first two seasons, allow me to answer: it does. In some cases, it even surpasses them.The third season finds the camp in a general tizzy about the upcoming elections for mayor and sheriff, and Al Swearengen in a bit more specific tizzy about the impact the arrival of George Hearst has had on his life and livelihood. In a sense, the entire season is about the power play between these two titans, with Cy Tolliver trying to edge himself into the mix somewhere and Seth Bullock trying to figure out what his place is in the whole mess.Amongst the other plot threads explored in this season: Jane's growing friendship with the increasingly troubled Joanie Stubbs; Alma's opening a Deadwood bank; the feud between Steve and Hostetler; the oddly touching relationship between Trixie and Sol; Elsworth's marriage to Alma, which may not prove to be the bed of roses he had hoped for; the appearance in town of the Earp brothers, and of a troupe of actors; and, of course, Seth Bullock's ever-present willingness to be grumpy with the wrong person, Farnum's weasly nature, and Merrick's desire to write about it all.The plots don't matter much, though. The dialogue and the acting are what make this show great. "Deadwood," in its three seasons, had so many iconic moments that it makes most other shows look like film-school projects in comparison.In addition to the regular cast standouts -- Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, W. Earl Brown, William Sanderson, Brad Dourif, Molly Parker, Powers Boothe, Robin Weigert, and so on, ALL of whom do Emmy-caliber work -- I think special mention needs to go to Gerald McRaney, who turned up right at the end of season two but becomes an integral character in the third. His portrayal of Hearst is just awesome. Not that he's better than anyone else on the show; he just immediately fits in with the tone of the show, so much so that it really feels as if his character had been there all along, lurking in the shadows somewhere.Much has been written about the fact that HBO decided to cancel the series, and pretty unexpectedly; but don't fret too much about the show ending on a cliffhanger. Not all plot points are resolved, but there is at least a sort of closure; it's like the first two seasons, where it feels as if a chapter has ended, but the novel will continue. Well, it looks like the novel WON'T be continuing -- HBO has claimed that there will be two two-hour movies to wrap things up, but no filming dates seem to have been set, and it's been months since anyone had anything to say about that project -- but if the series has to end with the close of the third season, I won't feel as if I was cheated too terribly badly. I'd prefer it had run for ten or twelve years, but hey, we're lucky the doggone thing ever even got made.
O**!
the type of contraptions HBO has used for many years and is still using on series like Game of Thrones
The discs come in a folding cardboard and plastic contraption, the type of contraptions HBO has used for many years and is still using on series like Game of Thrones. I don't like folding contraptions, but the discs play fine.If you have a low tolerance for swear words avoid Deadwood.I really liked the look and feel of the first season when the main protagonists moved to Deadwood to make their fortune in the hardware business. But the series didn't make it onto my great series list because the third season has a terrible ending. The bad guy wins and the good guys lose. The bad character gets away with killing an innocent little girl, and many others. The good guy protagonist turns out to be impotent and the camp is left as lawless at the end of the series as it was in the beginning. There is no worthwhile character or story arc, no good conclusion.I devour fiction, especially fantasy and science fiction. If you like sci-fi you might like a couple of space race shows. I spent a month on a space race binge. First I read Space by James A. Michener. Then I watched two movies, The Right Stuff (1983) and Apollo 13 (1995), and then two great series, From Earth to the Moon (1998) and The Astronauts Wives Club (2015). They’re a great combination.If the above shows don’t sound interesting here are a few of the series I really enjoyed watching more than once. I love good miniseries like Band of Brothers (2001), Frank Herbert’s Dune (2000), Into the West (2005), Lonesome Dove (1989), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Taken (2002) and The 10th Kingdom (2000) because they have beginnings, middles and endings, like a good novel.Other shows I’ve really enjoyed include Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009), Breaking Bad (2008-2013), Cowboy Bebop (1998), Downton Abbey (2010-2015), Firefly (2002), Game of Thrones (2011-2019), The IT Crowd (2006-2013), Jericho (2006-2008), Lost (2004-2010), Merlin (2008-2012), Rome (2005-2007), Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011), Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010), Stargate: SG-1 (1997-2007), Stargate: Atlantis (2004-2009), Star Trek The Original Series (1966-1969) and Star Trek Voyager (1995-2001). I didn’t list any contemporary series I’m following that don’t have an end date yet, not conducive to binge watching from beginning to finish, or the hundreds of other fantasy and science fiction shows I’ve watched.If you like reading try some of my favorite fantasy and sci-fi authors: Richard Adams, Palo Bacigulupi, Suzanne Collins, Abe Evergreen, Diana Gabaldon, Hugh Howey, George Martin, Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, and Andy Weir.
G**K
Five Star Entertainment For Your Delight. Series Three Satisfies.
The Bad news is that season three is rthe end of this wonderful American series.The good news is that the same cast are engaged for a new film due for release in 2019.Why they ended this excellent, always fresh, interesting and above all entertaining series is beyond my comprehension.True all good things must come to an end but ONLY three series Deadwood could have streyched out to at least another 2.This series has 12 episodes meaning 9 hours of wonderful television.Brilliant acting by a superb cast. Great to see Ian McShane and Brian Cox holding the British Stars in a Major American series up.Timothy Olyphant is again wonderful the Ying to McShane's Yang.This is the American West as it was. Rough, tough and dirty as the language used.The cast suppport and acting is of the America's best which is wonderful. They simply have the budget, the excellent teams of writers and the cash to provide a satisfying twelve episodes per series compared to the lower budget writers of two of our British Counterparts.Deadwood has been more than a Western it is drama that is set in a bygone age and as so will never age.Wonderful entertainment and if you get your sets at under £3 like I did you will be royally entertained.
J**X
Oh, for a fourth series...
In keeping with many of the reviewers, I am an enormous fan of this series. As such, Series 3 is ultimately disappointing, lacking the fluid pacing of 1 & 2, though retaining its intriguing dialogue. One is left wishing for a different direction, more of this and definetely less of that...The outstanding character remains Al Swearengen. The writers have gifted him the material that amuses and illuminates, that speaks the ultimate truth of the darkness of human motivation. Of course, Ian McShane delivers with consumate surety - Al is a legend. Less can be said of Seth Bullock. One keeps hoping that Seth will explode onto the consciousness of Deadwood, setting his stamp on the town. However, he fails, blown in conflicting directions as each new breeze dictates. He has the potential but, it seems, not the contolling mindset to dominate.The series was diluted by too much attention given to minor or unimportant characters. The tussle over the blacksmith shop is a case in point, diverting but frustrating as one wants to return to the important plot lines. Brian Cox, a talented actor, and inhabiting an interesting character in Jack Langrische, is also an unnecessary sideline. The eccentric Calamity Jane, whom we all surely have a soft spot for, is positioned within a relationship with Joanie. I did not believe in the dynamic of this couple, which was a shame.The series moves in a jerky manner. Our attention is always engaged but with less compulsion than previously. You will certainly enjoy the series and it remains a gem. Make your own judgement. I hope that, as unlikely as it now seems, Deadwood will return for a shortened fourth series. Al Swearengen cannot be denied.
D**I
Curtain Call
Another incredible season of Deadwood! I can't go on enough about how great it actually is: The writing, the acting (and the casting!), the costumes and the scenery, all spot on. Perfect! I'd absolutely put this on par with The Wire and Sopranos! And like many others I'm sad that this is the final season.On the bright side, we should be glad to have three brilliant seasons. HBO must have taken a massive gamble. The whole series has only one entry point: You either watch from episode 1 of season 1 or you won't get into it at all (I left one year between watching season 2 and season 3 - because I didn't want it to be over - and was overwhelmed with the host of fully developed characters).Highly recommended! If anyone knows of anything else on telly that matches this, please let me know!
K**Y
Utterly superb
Why Ian McShane did not get an award for this is beyond me.I found this a riveting series and have watched all three seasons more than once.McShane is superb as the evil Al Swerengen, but plays him with a fantastic element of black comedy. The dialogue is a wonder and really helps to make the atmosphere of the old west.Plenty of foul language, but that didn't bother me and was probably historically accurate too..A tale of the old west with warts and all, quite brilliant.
H**Y
Raw , funny, with a great cast, McShane acts his socks off in all three seasons
Raw , funny, with a great cast, McShane acts his socks off in all three seasons - just wish there was a fourth. Fantastic (adult) entertainment. The wild-wild west as envisaged by a great writing and production team for a 21st century audience! Season three is in my opinion easily as good as the first two.Gritty stuff! First class throughout! *****
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