Deadwood episode review — 3.5 — A Two-Headed Beast

Original air date: July 9, 2006
Director: Dan Minahan
Writer: David Milch

Rating: 9/10

This is one of the most action-packed episodes of the series, which isn’t saying much. The series has been very talky — far more so than you’d expect from a typical western narrative. Gunfights have been few and far between, and the story has always been more about backstabbing and secret alliances.

But here, there’s a major fight. And it’s rather exciting.

W. Earl Brown has long been an unsung hero of the series, and while he’ll always be that one random escaped wrongfully convicted murderer from an episode of Psych to me, he does a fantastic job here and throughout the series.

Bullock also goes through some shit in this episode.

His authority is challenged, leaving him with no choice but to act brashly, though justifiably. I’m curious what this will mean for the rest of the season.

This episode is pretty great. The acting is phenomenal, and the direction is strong, too. I continue to love how real and authentic this show feels.