The final complete season of HBO's remarkable Deadwood series is full of surprises and devastating experiences as the nascent, dangerous town prepares to join Dakota territory in 1877. As in the previous two seasons, the question of who will control the town's resources, assets, and people drives much of the drama, affecting all manner of relationships and alliances, often between the most unlikely people. The dominant storyline in Deadwood Season 3 concerns upcoming elections for mayor and sheriff of the mucky, gold-mining town. The real juice, however, is not so much between the individuals running for office as between two power brokers each trying to steer the results toward their own purposes. Saloon owner and Deadwood's puppetmaster, Al Swearengen (Ian McShane sustaining his brilliant peformance in the previous two seasons), works closely with incumbent lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) on retaining the latter's seat. But Bullock himself has difficulty surrendering his penchant for taking unambiguous action and relying on few words, especially when he has to act like a politician and deal with people such as George Hearst (Gerald McRaney, playing the real-life father of William Randolph Hearst).Swearengen's rival, Hearst--a self-made industrialist who gained his fortune through mining--has every intention of overtaking Deadwood, with his eye particularly on the lucrative mine owned by Bullock's former lover, Alma (Molly Parker). (The violence Hearst employs to get to Alma's claim will stun many Deadwood fans.)

Meanwhile, Bullock's old friend, Sol Starr (John Hawkes), runs for mayor against the feckless E.B. Farnum (William Sanderson), and tries to navigate through his difficult relationship with Trixie (Paula Malcomson) as she grows enraged by former lover Swearengen's manipulation of her and everyone else. Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert) is encouraged to become a public speaker, telling of her misadventures with General George Custer, and she commences a lesbian relationship with Joanie (Kim Dickens), the saloon owner who is becoming increasingly despondent and suicidal. Bullock's relationship with his wife, Martha (Anna Gunn) continues to deepen and become more of an influence on him, Wyatt Earp comes for a visit, and a newcomer to town, Jack Langrishe (Brian Cox), an old friend of Swearengen, attempts to open a theatre. As expected, the season finale concludes with the long-awaited election, but HBO's decision to bring Deadwood to an end required creator David Milch to wrap everything up in a pair of two-hour movies. Still, The Complete Third Season is very satisfying on every level, and will always be, along with the rest of the series, a television landmark. --Tom Keogh

Having been impressed by the first two series of Deadwood, I was expecting another well written dramatic jewel. What a disappointment. The plot, such as there is, meanders along, with new (superfluous)characters thrown in with the obvious intent of providing continuity for the next (never to be completed) series, more incoherent drunken ramblings from Calamity Jane, a pointless cameo from Wyatt Earp and a finale that, by the time it arrives, is so overdue that it comes as a relief from the tedium, despite it's complete lack of drama.
Series 3 of Deadwood is rubbish. It could have been a masterpiece. However, having said that, the acting of Ian McShane et al is still superb. Pity the poor actors who have to work for such idiots as HBO - a gang of con-artists to release this and let it ride on the reputation of series 1 & 2. They'll not see another penny of mine.

In keeping with many of the reviewers, I am an enormous fan of this series. As such, Series 3 is ultimately disappointing, lacking the fluid pacing of 1 & 2, though retaining its intriguing dialogue. One is left wishing for a different direction, more of this and definetely less of that...

The outstanding character remains Al Swearengen. The writers have gifted him the material that amuses and illuminates, that speaks the ultimate truth of the darkness of human motivation. Of course, Ian McShane delivers with consumate surety - Al is a legend. Less can be said of Seth Bullock. One keeps hoping that Seth will explode onto the consciousness of Deadwood, setting his stamp on the town. However, he fails, blown in conflicting directions as each new breeze dictates. He has the potential but, it seems, not the contolling mindset to dominate.

The series was diluted by too much attention given to minor or unimportant characters. The tussle over the blacksmith shop is a case in point, diverting but frustrating as one wants to return to the important plot lines. Brian Cox, a talented actor, and inhabiting an interesting character in Jack Langrische, is also an unnecessary sideline. The eccentric Calamity Jane, whom we all surely have a soft spot for, is positioned within a relationship with Joanie. I did not believe in the dynamic of this couple, which was a shame.

The series moves in a jerky manner. Our attention is always engaged but with less compulsion than previously. You will certainly enjoy the series and it remains a gem. Make your own judgement. I hope that, as unlikely as it now seems, Deadwood will return for a shortened fourth series. Al Swearengen cannot be denied.

I defer to those who have outlined the characters and plot of Deadwood.I just want to express how I feel having just watched the last (ever?) episode.An Unfinished Symphony is not quite right, so I will try for a different metaphor.
Your team qualifies for The Champions League.You follow all the group games and the Knock-out stages.
They reach the final, by being advenurous and fascinating to watch.You watch the hours of build up before the game.The anthems ,the kick about.
The match starts,cagey,tactical,one for the purists.Brilliant.Half time comes nil-nil the teams go off.
And they never ever return.You are left in your seat totally perplexed. Who let this happen?What now ?

If you loved series 1 & 2 be warned this is not a patch on them: tiresomely inappropriate repetitive profanity, slow plot, lack of tension, pointless and unconvincing verbosity, useless secondary characters and sub plots. Save your money!

Similar to the now legendary Spinal Tap volume control, I wished Amazon's rating system allowed me to go up to six to rate Deadwood, series 1 and 2. Within the constraints of 5 stars however, I have to rate series three as a lowly 4. Doesn't seem fair in the scheme of things because Deadwood stands so far above all other TV shows but there it is.

Series 3 (not 'season 3'...pet peeve of mine) sacrifices too many of the great things which made the first two series so good. Mr Wu is out of town, Cy Tolliver is confined to the Bella Union, Doc Cochrane is too ill to make his rounds, Farnum is out of the loop. New characters are brought in but go nowhere compared to series one and two; the Earp brothers, Aunt Lou and especially the seemingly pointless troupe of travelling actors are merely distracting interludes. There's even some weak acting in the form of the hotel keeper Shaughnessy (played by the same Dan Hildebrand who was so good as Tim Driscoll in series 1).

Eleven episodes are lavished at the expense of other sub plots and character development on building George Hearst into an almost unbelievably reprehensible megalomaniac with no redeeming traits, getting the viewer along with all of the cast to detest him, and want him dead. But then does not pay off. The sheer scale of the Hearst character completely skewes the previous plots and relationships in the camp: local politics (small 'p') and rivalries which held so much dramatic value in the first two series are rendered irrelevant in the new scheme of things. Hearst becomes the reference point for everything.

This is done brilliantly of course - the great direction and writing constantly ratchets up the suspense and threatening atmosphere through eleven episodes (relieved briefly by the adrenaline pumping fight between Dority and Turner) until it is utterly stifling. But then the hoped-for denouement is not delivered. With Seth and Al's crew pumped up, Hawkeye's men in the camp, Mr Wu's celestial army assembled and armed and all arrayed against the combined might of Hearst's muscle the series just fizzles out meekly. There's no blood bath, no showdown with the Pinkertons, there's no revenge or popular justice. Swearengen, Bullock and Alma Garret simply give in, the fledgeling and unlikely community of Deadwood cannot close ranks and overcome. Hearst wins and rides off into the sunset.

I'm sure I missed the point - Milch is way smarter than me and if I was disappointed by the way Deadwood ended then it's almost certainly because I didn't 'get it' on first viewing and need to watch it a few more times. Nevertheless I felt decidedly underwhelmed by the way the series closed and honestly thought there must be some mistake...was there a fifth disc somewhere in the box set with extras plus the final, perhaps cliched but satisfying climax? Almost without exception the dialogue, casting, characterisation, sets, attention to detail and acting are all of the most sublime quality - you take that as read with Deadwood - but I would just have liked to see Hearst get what was coming to him...