Deadwood’s Most Controversial Storyline Turned Al Swearengen Into an HBO Legend

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From 2004 to 2006, the critically acclaimed show Deadwood aired 36 episodes filled with sharp, realistic language. Despite its quality, it was surprisingly cancelled after just three seasons – a decision many fans consider a mistake. Although a TV movie revived the show in 2019, fans often speculate about what might have happened if creator David Milch and HBO had renewed it for a fourth season while it was still popular. Unfortunately, that never happened. Still, the three seasons of Deadwood remain remarkably strong when compared to other highly regarded shows from that era, like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, and Mad Men.

The Western series Deadwood is a raw, intense, and surprisingly funny look at the rough-and-tumble town of Deadwood, South Dakota, in the 1870s. The show follows the camp’s growth from a small settlement to a legitimate town, populated by a diverse group of characters – both historical figures like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and A.W. Merrick, and those created by the show’s writer. However, the most iconic character is Al Swearengen, the tough and cunning owner of the Gem Saloon, played by Ian McShane. The role revitalized McShane’s career, and he fully embraced the character’s colorful, often profane, speeches. He quickly became the show’s most popular figure, earning McShane a Golden Globe award. Later, the show’s creator surprised viewers by reducing Swearengen’s screen time for several episodes in the second season.

Al Swearengen Evolved in Deadwood Season 1

He always looks sharp, wearing a nice suit and appearing clean, with carefully styled hair and a distinctive goatee – a stark contrast to the rough appearance of everyone else in the camp. He controls everyone who works for him, from the women in his brothel to the bartenders, with strict authority. He’s scheming to drive up the price of a worthless gold claim and sell it to an unsuspecting wealthy buyer from New York. He then has his strong enforcer, Dan Dority, murder an accomplice. The episode concludes with him cruelly dominating Trixie, a prostitute he both favors and abuses, even threatening her life if she disobeys him.

A viewer watching only the first episode might expect a straightforward conflict between Swearengen and the new hardware store owner, Bullock, assuming Bullock would quickly try to bring order to the chaotic town and challenge Swearengen’s control. However, the show cleverly avoids this predictable storyline. While Bullock immediately distrusts Swearengen, he actively avoids taking on any responsibility for law and order. He slowly comes to accept his role, and for a long time, their interactions are limited to tense, sarcastic exchanges, allowing Swearengen to continue his schemes unchecked.

What truly makes Milch’s writing brilliant isn’t just flipping our expectations of Seth Bullock – a man initially presented as an angry, lost, and self-hating sheriff. He also reveals the surprising depth of Al Swearengen. As the first season unfolds, Swearengen evolves from a simple villain into a complex antihero, and his goals sometimes even overlap with Bullock’s, leading to an uneasy alliance. While Swearengen remains tough and uncompromising, he’s not simply a chaotic force, and we see him perform acts of kindness, even if he disguises them with harsh language and excuses. Their relationship with Trixie is also far more nuanced than it first appears, revealing a surprisingly codependent connection with genuine affection beneath the surface – though it’s certainly not a healthy dynamic.

The Kidney Stones Storyline in Deadwood Season 2 Was a Huge Gamble

Throughout the first season, Swearengen became a compelling villain – someone viewers loved to despise – and his role in Deadwood proved to be more complex than initially expected. Audiences quickly became invested in him, largely due to his masterful delivery of the show’s unique, almost Shakespearean dialogue. He was endlessly intriguing because his true motives remained unclear. However, just two episodes into the second season, Swearengen suffered a painful medical emergency: kidney stones blocked his urinary system, causing a dangerous buildup of toxins and ultimately leading to his collapse.

In episodes 3 and 4, while life continued as usual at the camp, Swearengen fell seriously ill and was confined to bed. Doc Cochrane, played by Brad Dourif, attempted to remove kidney stones using outdated medical techniques. This led to intensely painful and disturbing scenes of Swearengen screaming as a metal instrument was used, a moment many male viewers found particularly difficult to watch. Despite Cochrane’s best efforts, the stones wouldn’t pass until late in episode 4, when Cochrane, Trixie, Dority, and Johnny finally managed to help Swearengen through it. The ordeal left all four of them, and Swearengen himself, utterly exhausted and emotionally drained, as he had come incredibly close to death from a condition that is rarely fatal today.

As a serious TV fan, I have to say Al Swearengen’s kidney stone ordeal – they called them ‘gleets’ on the show – was one of the most powerful storylines I’ve ever seen. The image of the very people he’d often mistreated rallying around him when he was at his absolute weakest, all of them collapsing onto his bed in a tangled heap, is just unforgettable. It really hit home that, despite being a truly awful person, Swearengen was the glue holding Deadwood together. While he was laid up, unable to even speak, this creep named Walcott – sent by the even creepier George Hearst – started making moves on the camp. And it quickly became clear everyone was in danger without Swearengen calling the shots. Even someone like Bullock realized Swearengen was a devil you knew, and that was a whole lot better than facing a new, unknown one.

Deadwood Humanized Swearengen and Allowed the Supporting Characters to Shine

As the story goes in the unofficial guide to Deadwood, HBO executives were initially hesitant about the plotline when David Milch first proposed it. However, giving Swearengen a serious illness offered a new direction for the show and would immediately grab viewers’ attention. It showed a more vulnerable side of the character, and his powerful portrayal of a man facing death was incredibly moving. This allowed the audience to connect with Swearengen on a human level, going beyond simply being impressed by his clever plans or entertained by his sharp wit. Importantly, it demonstrated that the character was still captivating even without delivering Milch’s complex and brilliant dialogue.

Giving Al Swearengen some time off from the main action for a few episodes unexpectedly highlighted the other characters in Deadwood. With the focus shifting away from Swearengen himself, viewers gained a deeper understanding of those around him. We saw how much Dority and Johnny missed his leadership, and how Trixie stepped up to help him through his struggles. Even Cochrane revealed a surprising respect for Swearengen’s determination to survive. Bullock, in particular, began to realize that Swearengen was his necessary counterpart, and that he couldn’t function effectively without him. The near collapse of the camp without Swearengen’s influence proved just how crucial he was. Ultimately, he wasn’t a villain, but the one quietly keeping everything from falling apart—and that cemented his status as an HBO icon.

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2025-11-15 03:07