A Lie Agreed Upon
I pretend that I push girls to watch Deadwood because it’s the best-written show to ever grace television, and because Al’s relationship with his girls is fucked-up and hot.
But really, I just want to be able to call them “hoopleheads” and have them understand they’re being insulted.
The “Lie agreed upon” is your lie to yourself that Deadwood is the best written show to ever grace television…The fucking Wire would like a word.
McNulty: Let me understand. Every Friday night, you and your boys are shootin crap, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie… he’d wait till there’s cash on the ground and he’d grab it and run away? You let him do that?
Kid: We’d catch him and beat his ass but ain’t nobody ever go past that.
McNulty: I’ve gotta ask you: if every time Snot Boogie would grab the money and run away… why’d you even let him in the game?
Kid: What?
McNulty: Well, if every time, Snot Boogie stole the money, why’d you let him play?
Kid: Got to. It’s America, man.
That shit is absolute genius. And every word from the mouths of Omar and Prop Joe is gold. It’s a great show, and arguably the most important of its time.
But David Simon ain’t David Milch. And while the things being said in Deadwood aren’t as socially revelant, they’re nonetheless ornate and beautiful little puzzle boxes made of words, and deliver a recurring, timeless delight I can’t get from The Wire.
So there.
Also:
- Santa Clarita Diet is (ahem) not to my taste.
- I like Olyphant a lot, but the best thing in Justified is Walton Goggins. Hell, the best thing in everything is Walton Goggins.