Two-Headed Beast picspam part deux

[finefoxyladies]

Okay:
1) First of all, I don't know about calling it "adorable" that Al is taking his afternoon tea with his boys. On the other hand...kind of adorable.

2) The family dynamic cracks me up (l to r): Adams, the oldest son, who's in his second year at college but home for the summer to help Dad, rational, patient, watchful--but his autonomy makes Dad nervous from time to time; Johnny, the youngest, with ADHD and a heart full of equal parts sentiment and mischief, looks up to Dan with awe and reverence but will never ever be like Dan; and Dan, the middle son, prone to fits of jealous "HE'S YOUR FAVORITE, ISN'T HE?" and "YOU DON'T EVEN LOVE ME ANYMORE, DO YOU?," wears his hero worship on his sleeve.

3) Sorry to be gross, but man, I love it when Silas sits like that. And he does it all the time.

Anyway, the boys pow-wow about the previous pow-wow:



Uh, I think Dan's position is clear by this photo. I mean, if it's fuzzy for you, just wait for the next few shots of him. To sum up: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! STOMP! SMASH FACE! RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!



"Also, Dad, he made fun of me!"

Uh, did Adams call Al before school and ask what Dad was going to wear? Or is it just that Gustave has an off-the-rack discount for guys he finds handsome?



Al says, most eloquently, re: Hearst's machinations: "Bwuh?"



Johnny, as ever, also says "Bwuh?" Just...on principle.

But I kid because I love the poor dumb dope



After Dan has heard Swearengen ask "But...why?" one too many times, he forgets himself and directs his "RAHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRR!" at Al. Oh, Dad is not going to put up with backtalk, Daniel:



Eek.



It doesn't happen often, but Dan's "scolded puppy" look is outstanding.



"Uh, Dad, can I eat dinner in my room tonight?"



"This is why I liked living in the dorms my own house."

So from this meeting of uncertainty, we join "The World's CUTEST FRIENDS," already in progress:


The cute stabs me in the heart with sunshine. Seriously, seriously, seriously, folks. They're just socially awkward enough to be dorky, yet both are such honorable, wonderful men, open, friendly, and principled at their core, that they are hardly relegated to comic relief (I don't know that anyone could top Richardson anyway). I heart them. Blazanov in particular (LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!).



Cover art for the upcoming DVD release of Merrick and the Russian: Pioneer Detectives.



I don't think Doc Cochran can do much for ol' Cornish Mine Worker #72 here.



Knowing what I know about Blazy's backstory, my heart breaks for him. I love that at one point, he has this expression on his face, the kind you get where you're pretty sure that the bad thing you see is what it is (?) but you don't really want it to be true, so you get close enough to know.

Merrick taking off his glasses was a great counter to it, as if Merrick was tired and disappointed and scared of seeing this brutality time and again.

Also: Blazanov is still SO CUTE.



Speaking of SO CUTE: Charlie Utter. It's the only time he shows up. Man, Charlie's the best. Anyway, he's on the scene as deputy. Seth is also there. Seth is not pleased by what he sees, this dead Cornishman dumped in the thoroughfare, the disposal giving off the suspicious aura of "PLEASE NOTE MY MIDDLE FINGER, SHERIFF BULLOCK" about it all.

Seth goes to see Dad:


Oh, boy, y'all. The foster kid with anger-management issues is home.





"Don't you EVEN, Daniel! Don't you EVEN get started!"



"Uh, hey, Seth. What's goin' on?"



"Dad. Hearst. Killed. Another. Guy. I. Am. Going. To. KICK HIS GODDAMN ASS!"



"Son...NO! I TOLD you. And that is that!"

And Dad...I mean, Al, does the "stand up and walk away to seal the 'This is my last word on the matter' thing."



"Dan?"



*sullen silence*



Adams speaks up and ask-tells Brother Seth to be patient. I think this may be the first time Adams has addressed Bullock in conversation on the show. Seth listens. Because Adams is hot.



Well? Look at him!



Dan, giving himself a billion splinters by gripping the table in a hold of death, agrees.

Meanwhile, Dad has a discussion with his resident psychiatrist/lieutenant/dried applehead doll, The Chief:



"Watching us advance on your stupid teepee, Chief, knowing you had to make your move, did you not want first to fucking understand?"



*decomposes and is smelly*



Best. Expression. Ever. Seriously, I wish someone would make a Deadwood mood theme. That would be my "baffled" and "work" choice.

Contributing to Seth's no-good, very-bad day, he is thrown into the middle of Steve the Drunk/Hostetler negotiations for the livery. To simplify things, save us all time, though I doubt I need to say it: the situation is ten kinds of fucked. And not just because we are now dealing with two chemically altered peeps on the case:



Oy. Clearly, the stern and dirty looks from Trixie has little to no long-term effect.



HAHAHAHAHA!!! Seeing Steve on his best behavior for 3.1 seconds is pretty rich. Also, I didn't mention it during the delightful horse-trough bathing scene, but that shirt? Damn, did Steve go buy a housedress at Piggly Wiggly for $5.99?

Anyway, Trixie valiantly hopes that Seth of all people would clue into Alma's altered state. But distracted as he is with murder and Hearst and his smoldering good looks, all he musters is a sweet, proud, possibly sexy look at Alma. Somewhere in the room, Trixie wishes his dick would fall off:



Awwwwwwwwww. And *fans*

Over at The Gem, Al's headache is about to increase exponentially. Hey, kids, here comes Uncie Farnum!



Farnum tries to make friendly with Dan and reminisce about the good times:




Dan is having none of it.



Johnny seems engaged, though he may be looking at a button or a ball of aluminum tinfoil just beyond Farnum. Adams continues having amazing hair.



Sadly, Farnum addresses the gents from the railing: "I miss our morning coffee."



*crickets*

(*shooting star* moment: I bought Stories from the Black Hills, the amazing Deadwood companion book/picture book/ep guide yesterday, and the interview with William Sanderson re: Farnum is simply mind-blowing. Really terrific stuff.)

Even sweet, dopey, endearingly good-natured boys have their limits: Johnny, suffering under the weight of Dan's silence, Farnum's rebuke, and the general nonstop tension, yells at the bartender (the one who fell asleep while watching Wu) about working the side bar. Notable only because Johnny is so rarely shouty (about something other than Wu NOT SPEAKING AMERICAN):



Meanwhile, in the storyline that appears to have aggravated 92% of the Deadwood fan base, the theater troupe welcomes its newest member. Too bad Harry Toots doesn't have his fire wagon yet...



Ladies and gentlemen, Deadwood's answer to Corky St. Clair. Anyone who is tempted to call foul on Bellegarde as a stereotype need only live in a small- to midsized town in the Midwest. I know I can name the community theater star/mediocre actor and human being/raging drama queen from my town.

Also, kudos to Dennis Christopher. Though he'll always be Eddie from Stephen King's It to me, this role suits him well.

But Langrishe, King of the Theater Troupe, played by super-amazo actor Brian Cox, has no time for Bellegarde's wilting Southern belle routine. And this was the reason I could tolerate the storyline:



The compassion and sorrow and gentleness that would, at times, pass over Brian Cox's face. Sorry, can't be funny about it...even though I'd really like to make more Corky St. Clair jokes (Bellegarde brought Claudia a lovely pantsuit!).

Patiently awaiting word from his dad, Daniel sits:





"All right. You can go to the damn party. Jesus. Just be home...uh, at all."



"Tee hee!" Seriously, that repressed smile is pretty adora...



HA-GIGGABAH!!!

I mean, for real: yipes. The director/editors know how to rock a jump cut. Terrifying.

Speaking of, Dan's preparations for the fight:


Yeah. Greased up. Not...not a good look. Uh, and he makes sure to get it everywhere:



That's a brave cameraman who got that nice, tight shot of Earl Brown's button fly. Yoiks.

Selections from the Amazon.com Bestselling Exercise and Health Video, Getting Fit to Kill with Captain Turner:









"One and two and THRUST and GARROTE! You can do it! Five more! Be that sea creature! Pummel! Pummel! Pummel! And hatchet!"

We return to The Gem. Adams waits downstairs, glad he didn't have to see Dan rubbing petroleum jelly or bear grease or whatever on his twig 'n' berries:




Don't you want to kiss the cinematographer? Could Dan look more like the Angel of Death?



Then there's a great Al POV shot. The viewer doesn't see Al until the fight begins, but I like to think this indicates that Al may be subtly looking on from somewhere above.



Adams is--dare I say it?--concerned. Subtle, but it's there.



Dan meets his eye.



Silas nods. Also is hot. So, so, so, so hot.



However silent and strong his respect and support, Silas (in addition to being hot) is unnerved.

You know, on a lesser show, the Dan/Adams dynamic would have involved more scrabbling and jockeying for the second lieutenant role, more heightened confrontations and squabbling and eventually one of them would have to be painted as "bad," sabotage and Dynasty levels of shit and whatnot. Instead, after the initial blowup, Al says, "This shit is going to stop." And it does, though I think resentments simmered. Then time progresses, Adams fights alongside Dan, and the animosity is replaced with respect. Not grudging, though it's not like they get along all the damn time (later in season 3, Dan kind of gets a dig in on Adams about how Al doesn't want Adams to dirty his hands). It is really like a brotherhood of sorts.



And The Gem boys head out to meet Turner in the thoroughfare.

I realized that I didn't get all of the final 15 minutes worth of screencaps from the FTP site, so I will finish up tomorry. I'm tired and want to watch Psych. Hooray!