Quote:
Originally Posted by SnotBoogy
Thug B- your thoughts on Doc?
The Doc is a cool character because while they barely touch on it, the Civil War has clearly ****ed his head up. It seems like he's the only one to stand up to Swearengen, but he really doesn't, he simply is forceful about telling people he can help them, even going so far as to give free treatment to Cy's asian whores if he won't pay to care for them. He voices his disgust, but doesn't act on what "should" be done. The only time he stood his moral ground was when he wouldn't let Dan kill the little girl early in season 1. I may be wrong, but I don't remember another time in the show where he actually defied Al or anybody else that didn't involve him doing something that would help them in the process.
The Civil War experiences, though, pushed him to a point where he's disgusted with the lack of care people give to themselves. It seems like when he was presented with young boys who lost their arms, legs, and lives in agony, he carried those experiences and judges everything else around him against them. So he'll see a rich, beautiful woman drowning in opium and demeans her even as he supplies her with "medicine", so much so that she's afraid to see him at one point so as not to incur his judgmental stare. He talks down to the whores, and while openly states his disgust of Al's behavior he still helps when he can because in a world of **** you just keep shoveling.
Which reminds me of why I loved Trixie. She's arguably the second smartest character on the show behind Al. She's basically Al minus the conniving temperament. She's so hyper sensitive that she over reacts to the various characters faults. She sees that while Bullock wants to do good, his brashness leads to waves that hurt people around him, so she curses his name at every turn. She yells at Sol and goes on anti-semetic rants because he's ultimately a pussy who won't stand Bullock down when his temper flares up and he rages into rash decisions. And of course she's keen to the demeaning, pet-like, way that Alma treats her, and constantly talks **** to her, but helps because she wants to make sure the little girl has the best chance at surviving Deadwood.
And then the Doc. She's the only one who refuses to put up with the Doc passive-aggressive bull****, and in that they both have an interesting equilibrium of honesty about the world they exist in. They are the only two characters who see the world as hopeless, and do what good in it they can before their own agenda. Doc will work for free or turn a blind eye to the horror Al, Cy and friends commit so he can at least fix up one more hooker to live another day. Trixie risks the vengeance of Al to help sober up Alma so the child can have a stable parent, or even pull a rifle against Al's men (albeit from across the camp and out of sight) to give Sol and Bullock that much more help in the standoff.
Doc is my second favorite character in the show. Even down to his sunken walk and delivery of dialogue that has to be forced out of his mouth like it's being impeded by anger, frustration and a twinge of madness. Everything about him speaks to an inner turmoil ingrained by years of savage warfare. He's nearly broken, and only exists to heal as if it's a convulsion.
Also, I just recently found out the guy who plays Doc played the young kid in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrU_o...eature=related
Watch that and tell me it doesn't remind you of his scene in Season 1 when he screams to God to let the preacher die.
Last edited by Thug Bubbles; 04-01-2011 at 10:33 PM.