SPOILERS ahead from Deadwood: The Movie.
I counted nine "cocksuckers" in HBO's Deadwood: The Movie. I'm willing to add a few more to the list if Ian McShane doesn't get his long overdue Emmy for playing Al Swearengen.
Deadwood got screwed over with just three seasons, 36 total episodes, on HBO from 2004 to 2006. It took until 2019 to get one movie off the ground -- despite plans for either a Season 4 or two two-hour specials to wrap up the show. This is most likely all fans can hope to get, considering many factors, but especially show creator and movie writer David Milch's Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Thankfully, Deadwood: The Movie was near perfect. Fans took to social media to thank David Milch and HBO for sticking the landing (with many feeling compelled to add "unlike Game of Thrones").
Deadwood: The Movie gave us a wedding for Trixie and Sol, a funeral for poor Charlie Utter, and the inevitable death of Al Swearengen to end the entire story. We didn't see Al die, we just saw Trixie hold his hand and say the Lord's Prayer, with dying Al getting the final words of the series:
Trixie: Our father, which art in heaven...Al: Let him fucking stay there.
Ian McShane has always been a powerhouse as Al Swearengen, but seeing this more vulnerable version -- while still a cocksucker to the end -- was the perfect poetic ending for such a Shakespearean figure.
Ian McShane was previously nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Deadwood. He didn't win. This time, Deadwood would be in the movie category. So I'm hoping HBO starts a push for Ian McShane to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He might face stiff competition from HBO's own Chernobyl team, but McShane deserves a win, not just for owning the whole Deadwood movie, but also for his un-honored work in the previous three seasons.
When Deadwood Season 3 ended, the cast and crew still hoped for a Season 4. This time, they knew their final scenes were truly The End for the characters. It's a bittersweet way to say goodbye, instead of the original plan to tell a full story across at least one more season. No wonder Timothy Olyphant said he felt a bit ripped off by the movie, even though he loved the script and was shocked the movie even came together at all.
What did you think of Deadwood: The Movie? I'd give it an A, but you cocksuckers can grade it yourselves below -- and let me know if you too think Ian McShane should get the 2019 Emmy this year.
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