J and I both enjoyed “Advances, None Miraculous” from writer Sarah Hess and Deadwood film director Dan Minahan, J going to far as to call it their favorite episode. The episode features a distinct technical touch, embracing techniques like rack focus and dolly shots to set emphasize characters and set scenes, respectively. These little moments have us excited to see what else Minahan has picked up in the last decade plus going into the show’s grand finale releasing later this year.

This is an episode whose title reveals the outcome: there is no happy ending for William (Josh Eriksson), whose accident has left him in a vegetative state. Both Martha (Anna Gun) and Seth (Timothy Olyphant) hover over him and wonder how best to comfort a child at death’s door. Doc Cochran (Brad Dourif) attempts to assess the situation from a window, but his view (though not ours) is obscured.

Outside of the doctor’s office, the rest of the camp dreads the imminent news. Andy Cramed (Zach Grenier) returns to camp now reformed as a minister to offer his services to the Bullocks. Beyond the confines of Deadwood, Hostetler (Richard Gant) and Samuel Fields (Franklyn Ajaye) debate fleeing for their lives; the repercussions of accidentally letting loose the horse seem like a foregone conclusion.

~ Søren

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You’re going to want to come by next week as we head into the final two episodes of Season 2: “The Whores Can Come” and “Boy the Earth Talks To.”

This podcast uses a clip from the song “Western” by Dave Depper / CC BY 3.0.