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"A Lie Agreed Upon: Part II" is the second episode of the second season of Deadwood. It is the fourteenth episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 13, 2005. It was written by Jody Worth and directed by Ed Bianchi.

Synopsis[]

As the day's injured recoup, the night brings a new set of tensions.[1]

Plot[]

Al Swearengen licks his wounds following the battle with Seth Bullock and inquires of Doc Cochran as to Bullock's well-being. "Inform that fucking lunatic next you see him, I'm fit as a fucking fiddle and ready to play on," he says. Cochran is more concerned with Swearengen's difficulty urinating, but is interrupted by the arrival of E.B. Farnum, reporting in that Bullock has returned to the widow Alma Garret's hotel room. "I can't say if they're in rut-I didn't linger for the song of the bedstead."[2]

In fact, Bullock and Alma are discussing their future, and she is shocked by his proposal: "We leave the camp, immediately, or remain and sever connection." To continue in this manner, Bullock says of his wife, would "renew her humiliation daily."[2]

At the hardware store, Trixie ministers to Sol Star's wounds, and Charlie Utter and A.W. Merrick discuss Bullock's intention to recover his weapon and badge from The Gem Saloon, where he left them before the battle with Swearengen. Bullock arrives and asks his partner Star if, should Bullock disappear, Star will take care of Martha and her son with his share of the hardware store. Star, emboldened by painkillers, insists that Bullock acknowledge directly what he is only hinting at. "I'm sick of knowing and your not saying," Star says. Whereupon Bullock finally admits: "I love her."[2]

"Good. You fucking said it," Star says. "So now I can tell you you're wrong. You loved her these months and stayed. Ain't love make you run, but shame. And now let me ask you this-you think shame would end when you cleared the fucking camp?" Bullock admits that either way-staying or going-"It's shameful."[2]

Departing the store, Bullock is joined by Charlie Utter, who feigns illness in an attempt to delay Bullock's return to the Gem to retrieve his gun. The two end up sitting outside the building housing Utter's freight business while Bullock reminisces about his late brother until he's overcome with grief.[2]

Across town, Maddie, Joanie Stubbs and the whores begin the job of transforming raw space into the Chez Ami, the high-class brothel they envision. Farnum skulks outside to learn what he can of their progress, while inside, four laborers do the heavy work. When one of them asks to be paid in pussy for his efforts, Joanie Stubbs tells him: "You let it be known in camp. 'Close to pussy as two bucks'll get a man in here is a deep whiff walking past."[2]

Doc Cochran performing an autopsy on the recently departed Bummer Dan is interrupted by the return of Calamity Jane, so inebriated that she's has fallen from her mount and lies in the mud, one foot still tethered to her horse. "This happens to be a rig and contraption of my own devising against repeated accidental falls that has temporarily malfunctioned," she tells Cochran by way of explanation. Jane has come back to Deadwood to die, she says, and Cochran convinces her to let him examine her before she expires. When she resists, he tells her, "Even if you're past help, enhancing my understanding may allow others the benefit of your mortal illness."[2]

After examining her, the Doc suggests temperance on Jane's part: "Your liver runs from your chin to your genitals. I suggest you quit drinking." To which Jane responds: "I will when you do you ugly son-of-a-bitch." The Doc also informs Jane that Charlie Utter has saved a room for her should "you care to sojourn among us."[2]

Alma Garret agonizes in her hotel room over what course of action to take, trying out the options on Sofia Metz' tutor, Miss Isringhausen, but coming to rest on the inevitable conclusion: "We do love each other. Our being together wouldn't seem so outlandish a proposition . . . except for every other single thing."[2]

Silas Adams' man Hawkeye returns, explaining his disappearance with lame excuses. He so irritates Dan Dority that the two begin to fight, Dority quickly dominating the proceedings, with Swearengen-despite pleas from Adams-refusing to intrude. When the drunk Slippery Dan wanders in and admires the beating Dority is handing out ("Christ, that's a country ass-kicking.") Adams unleashes his fury on Dan, impaling him on a set of antlers beside the bar. "He just twelve-pointed Slippery Dan," says Tom Nuttall in amazement.[2]

When Swearengen finally ends the fight by firing a rifle into the Gem's ceiling and warning Dority that the "next one's to your head Dan," Dority is undone. Convinced that Swearengen prefers Adams over him, Dority beats a hasty retreat from the room, weeping as he goes: "That's great, and fucking great, and fucking beautiful."[2]

Later, even as Mr. Wu's hogs are finishing up on Bummer Dan, Adams arrives with Slippery Dan's corpse over his shoulders. After giving the Chinaman five dollars, he tosses the corpse into the pigpen.[2]

Swearengen, meanwhile, offers an apology of sorts to the bereft Dority. "Whatever lurks ahead of grievous abominations and disorder, you and me walk into it together, like always."[2]

At Utter's freight company, Bullock finally decides the time has come for him to retrieve his weapon and badge, whereupon Utter and Calamity Jane scramble to accompany him. As the trio arrives at the Gem, Swearengen is in the midst of a painful prostate massage at the hands of Dolly, the whore, who soon moves on to a more pleasurable Swearengen pursuit, namely fellatio. Bullock confronts Dority at the bar, who has rifles trained on both Jane and Utter. And as Jane is quick to mention, Johnny Burns has a bead on Bullock from the kitchen: "Be aware Bullock, some fungus-faced fuck has a rifle on you from this shit-box's version of a kitchen."[2]

Bullock exits and shouts up to Swearengen's office to be down in five minutes with Bullock's gun and badge or Bullock is coming up. He continues to shout out the minutes as Dolly attempts to bring Al to completion, and the distraction proves to be too much for Swearengen. "You talk about one person fucking up another person's entire fucking day," he shouts in frustration.[2]

Finally he gives up and when he emerges from the Gem, he actually apologizes to Bullock. "I regret the delay. I was sequestered. Have been, one thing and another, since last we met." And then, handing the gun and badge to Bullock, Swearengen utters conciliatory words: "I offer you these in hope you'll wear 'em for a good long fucking time, and in this fucking camp."[2]

Nearly dawn, and Bullock at last returns home, where Martha awaits. "I see that you installed a bundling board in the bed upstairs," she says to him. "I hope you don't mind that I removed it." "No," Bullock replies, as they head upstairs to bed.[2]

Appearances[]

First[]

Deaths[]

Cast[]

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Uncredited

  • Holly Carbrey as Atlantis
  • Chandra Richards as Rosie
  • Erica Swanson as Doris
  • Channing Swift as Prospector
  • Tony Swift as Prospector
  • Unknown as Bummer Dan

Cast notes[]

  • Nineteen of twenty starring cast members appear in this episode.
  • Starring cast member Jim Beaver (Whitney Ellsworth) does not appear in this episode.

Memorable Quotes[]

TBA

Sources[]

Episodes of Deadwood
Season 1 "Deadwood" • "Deep Water" • "Reconnoitering the Rim" • "Here Was a Man" • "The Trial of Jack McCall" • "Plague" • "Bullock Returns to the Camp" • "Suffer the Little Children" • "No Other Sons or Daughters" • "Mister Wu" • "Jewel's Boot Is Made for Walking" • "Sold Under Sin"
Season 2 "A Lie Agreed Upon: Part I" • "A Lie Agreed Upon: Part II" • "New Money" • "Requiem for a Gleet" • "Complications" • "Something Very Expensive" • "E.B. Was Left Out" • "Childish Things" • "Amalgamation and Capital" • "Advances, None Miraculous" • "The Whores Can Come" • "Boy-the-Earth-Talks-To"
Season 3 "Tell Your God to Ready for Blood" • "I Am Not the Fine Man You Take Me For" • "True Colors" • "Full Faith and Credit" • "A Two-Headed Beast" • "A Rich Find" • "Unauthorized Cinnamon" • "Leviathan Smiles" • "Amateur Night" • "A Constant Throb" • "The Catbird Seat" • "Tell Him Something Pretty"
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