"You can't slit the throat of everyone whose character it would improve." In this episode of the "Something Pretty" podcast, Wes and Clay dive into episode 10 of HBO's Deadwood titled "Mister Wu." They guide listeners through the events of the episode, discussing the characters' developments, intriguing storylines, and the overall atmosphere of Deadwood. The episode begins with Al Swearengen dealing with the fallout of a robbery in Chinatown orchestrated by two white men. Mister Wu, a prominent ...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 10
"In life, you have to do a lot of things you don't fucking want to do. Many times, that's what the fuck life is... one vile fucking task after another." In the latest episode of the "Something Pretty" podcast, Wes and Clay delve into HBO's Deadwood episode "No Other Sons or Daughters." The hosts explore the anticipation and anxiety surrounding the annexation of the Black Hills, which prompts Al Swearengen to gather Deadwood's leaders and establish an "ad hoc" government to appease the territoria...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 9
"I wouldn't trust a man who wouldn't try to steal a little." In the latest episode of the "Something Pretty" podcast, hosts Wes and Clay dive into the thrilling world of Deadwood, dissecting the captivating episode "Suffer the Little Children." This episode is packed with tension, intrigue, and harsh lessons as the town of Deadwood navigates the challenges of life on the frontier. Wes and Clay explore the arrival of much-needed vaccines and news of a potential treaty with the Sioux. The hosts de...
Mar 29, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 8
"Oh, do you worry for her, Dan? Wandering the muck of our thoroughfare, her tiny self all but swallowed up in horseshit?" The title says it all. Bullock and Charlie Utter return to Deadwood having avenged the murder of Wild Bill Hickok. They find themselves returning to a settlement that has moved beyond the practicalities of business and is beginning to explore the intrapersonal. Alma and Trixie come to an understanding. Farnum tries to press Alma on her gold claim, but his timing continues to ...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 7
"Anyway, don't play that shit where you make me drag your words outta you. Declare, or shut the fuck up." The Biblical references continue! A plague of sickness has descended upon the camp (we're still waiting on the locusts) and the tiny strands of communal interconnectedness will face an early challenge to their durability. The Reverend Smith has warned about the dangers of saying "I have no need of thee" and infectious disease will serve as a bellwether to the future chances of the camp. As s...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 6
"I believe in God's purpose. Not knowing it, I ask him, moving in me, to allow me to see his will. I ask him, moving in others, to allow them to see it." Jack McCall might have managed to murder Wild Bill Hickok, but his escape was less than successful. The death of the closest thing Deadwood had to a hero has left the settlement confused and in a bind: justice should be delivered, but future plans require that justice to be something less than satisfying. If the trial results in a sentence or p...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 5
"Can you let me go to Hell the way I want to?" The settlement of Deadwood is at an inflection point. The area became a beacon to those seeking to escape the bounds of civilization by finding wealth in the freezing waters of the Dakotas. Individuals of all stripes and backgrounds flooded into the camp and have been trying to create a social hierarchy ever since. In the midst of the chaos, people like Al Swearengen have built criminal empires and become wealthy. And they're also desperate to maint...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 4
"A man's ways please the Lord when he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him". Trust is put to the test in "Reconnoitering the Rim". The third episode of "Deadwood" features some intrusions into the macrocosm of the camp: the Bella Union opens up shop across the way from The Gem and Wild Bill is hounded by those who wish him ill will. As the characters of the town circle each other, they begin to size one another up and are forced to make decisions about how to move forward. When threat...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 3
"I see as much misery outta them movin’ to justify their selves as them that set out to do harm." "Deep Water" shows us how trouble and danger have taken hold of life in Deadwood. People like Al Swearengen were among the first to arrive in the settlement and they established the tone and decorum for people arriving afterward. Addiction drives many of our characters to actions they regret yet can't escape. The pursuit of righteous justice might end up creating more despair. And many people just c...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 2
"I'm executin' sentence now and he's hangin' under color of law." In the pilot of "Deadwood", a variety of interesting characters feel a pull towards the settlement of Deadwood, an illegal gold rush camp in Indian territory that exists outside the confines of the United States. Drawn towards the allure of easy wealth, characters like Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen start to build a civilization from the piss-filled mud of the Dakota Territory atop a foundation of murdering, whoring and robbing. D...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 1
"Something Pretty" is a podcast that aims to discuss every episode (and movie) of HBO's "Deadwood" through a combination of humor, background reading, and narrative analysis. Wes (of the clammy hands) and Clay (who speaks in thunder) dive deep into the early 2000s series and examine its themes, characters, plotlines, and novel use of language. In this inaugural episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss their history with the show, David Milch's favorite thing to shoot at with a shotgun, and w...
Jan 25, 2023•43 min
Want us to tell you "Something Pretty"? Then give this short podcast trailer a listen, you limber-dicked c*cksucker! "Something Pretty" is a podcast dedicated to discussing all 36 episodes (and the post-series movie) of HBO's masterpiece, "Deadwood". You can join Wes and Clay as they discuss the vulgar beauty of David Milch's neo-western. It's a series filled with beautifully written characters who carry plotlines with dazzling dialogue and philosophy. Blending historical fact with artistic fict...
Jan 11, 2023•2 min
