HBO’s Deadwood is the brilliant western series set in the titular town that remains the only lawless place left in the Old West. The series follows the various individuals who are willing to live outside the law in this dangerous environment in search of their great fortune.
Given the unsavory setting of the series, it goes without saying that there are a number of immoral characters on the show. It is the kind of place where the villains outnumber the heroes and death is a likely occurrence. With all the vices, backstabbing and murders, it’s difficult to say who is the worst of the bunch. Here are the worst things each main character has done on Deadwood.
Doc Cochran - Grave Robbing
Doc Cochran might not be the most pleasant person to be around all the time, but he is one of the more honorable citizens of Deadwood. As the only doctor in town with any skill to speak of, he has a great responsibility thrust upon him and he does his best to help everyone he can and ease their pain.
But that doesn’t mean everything in Doc’s history is squeaky clean. When nominated for the town’s health supervisor, Cochran takes it upon himself to admit that he’s been arrested seven times for grave robbing. While it was in the name of research, it’s still grave robbing.
Calamity Jane - Being Mean To Charlie
Calamity Jane is one of the most entertaining characters on the show. An associate of Wild Bill Hickok, Jane is a loyal friend and someone who takes it upon herself to protect the innocent when they are threatened. However, she also has a severe drinking problem and can be a pretty mean drunk.
When she gets in this foul mood, the target of a lot of her wrath is poor Charlie Utter. Not only is Charlie one of the kindest people in Deadwood, but he is also one of the few people who looks out for Jane. Regardless, she often insults him to the point of being cruel.
Alma Garret - Going Back To Her Addiction
Alma is introduced as someone who really does not belong in Deadwood. She comes there with her upper-class husband but spends most of her time locked away in her room, indulging her drug addiction. When her husband is murdered, Alma begins taking charge of her life and, with help, kicks her addiction.
Alma prospers for a while but when her enemies want to weaken her, they know where to aim. She is soon lured back to her addiction which puts her many relationships at risk. While struggling with overcoming an addiction is incredibly difficult, watching her make the same mistakes after coming so far was very frustrating
Ellsworth - Covering Up Brom Garret’s Death
Ellsworth is another rare person in Deadwood that can be relied on to do the right thing. He cares for people and makes sacrifices to ensure those he cares for have good lives. He is also someone who likes to stay out of trouble which leads to one of his few immoral acts.
Ellsworth is witness to Dan Dority murder Alma’s husband Brom in cold blood. Ellsworth lets Dan know that he saw the act but that he knows to keep his mouth shut. While Ellsworth does it out of fear for his own life, it is a rare moment that paints him in a negative light.
Seth Bullock - Ordering The Murder Of Alma’s Father
Seth Bullock is the closest thing the show has to a hero, but he comes with his fair share of flaws as well. Bullock is a former lawman who cannot seem to let that part of him move on. He is dedicated to justice and doing the right thing, but he also has a terrible temper.
When Alma’s crooked father shows up in town to get money from his newly rich daughter, he threatens to tell Brom Garret’s family that she was responsible for his death. Bullock responds by beating the man senseless and telling Dan Dority to kill him before he can spread his lies. While Bullock quickly comes to his senses and has the man protected, he did briefly turn to the dark side.
Joanie Stubbs - Indulging Mister Wolcott
Joanie is a character with a lot of darkness in her past who seeks a better life in Deadwood. She frees herself from her unhealthy relationship with Cy Tolliver and opens her own brothel so she can thrive by herself. However, this endeavor proves just as unpleasant.
A mysterious Mister Wolcott arrives in town and forms an obsession with one of Joannie’s girls. She also comes to learn that Wolcott has a history of violence against prostitutes which has turned deadly in the past. Though she wants to stop him, Joannie doesn’t take enough action and three girls are killed as a result.
Cy Tolliver - Killing The Thieves
Cy Tolliver is introduced as the direct competition to Al Swearengen and the Gem Saloon. Tolliver opens a fancy casino and brothel across the road from the Gem but Cy soon proves himself to be just as violent as Al but much more unhinged.
When Cy uncovers a plot by a couple of young con artists to rob from him, his deranged side comes through. He mercilessly beats the young people and tortures them while showing off to his underlings. It is a moment that cements Cy as a truly dangerous man.
Dan Dority - Attempting To Kill A Little Girl
Dan is Al Swearengen’s right-hand man and hired killer whenever the need arises. Killing is not something that seems to bother Dan that much and he’s even killed people he considered acquaintances. But one request Al makes seems to weigh heavier on him.
After Al hires some outlaws to rob a stagecoach, the thieves make a mess of things, killing everyone on board the coach except for one little girl. In an attempt to cover his tracks, Al orders Dan to kill the little girl. Though the deed weighs heavily on him he is willing to go through with it. Thankfully, the assassination is called off.
George Hearst - Killing Ellsworth
Though there are plenty of villainous characters in the show, if there is one person who should be considered the big bad of the series, it is certainly George Hearst. The wealthy and powerful businessman arrives in Deadwood looking to further his massive fortune at any cost.
Hearst discovers he might have underestimated how much the people of Deadwood would push back and finds himself facing a good deal of descent. In an attempt to scare the others into submission, Hearst has Ellsworth murdered which only works to spur on his enemies.
Al Swearengen – Killing Jenny
Al Swearengen is certainly the show’s most entertaining character and one of the people responsible for some of the vilest acts on the show. He is violent, misogynistic, racist and deadly when he needs to be. He also is dedicated to protecting Deadwood at all costs.
After Trixie attempts to kill Hearst, the rich tycoon orders her body to be presented to him or else he’ll wage war on Deadwood. Not willing to give Trixie up, Al kills Jenny, an innocent girl who works for him and passes her corpse off as Trixie. Even when trying to do something good, Al can be quite evil.
