The Most Unkindest Cut of All

Last night we attended the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of Julius Caesar. During the outdoor performance, a bat was flying around over our heads. I hate bats. In addition to bats, I strongly dislike performances that use abstract staging techniques and re-set the play in a future period. Neither of these choices were well-explained, and so when the techno music accompanied the stabbing of Caesar I could only chuckle. In fact, someone (who will remain unnamed) leaned over and said, "Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance!" HBO's Rome (too short-lived and masterminded by Michael Apted) clouded my ability to watch the play well, since it tells the same story as Julius Caesar without the abstract staging, techno music, and setting.

Speaking of HBO, David Milch, creator and writer of such television glories as NYPD Blue, Deadwood, and (our new favorite) John from Cincinnati admits he doesn't know what John is all about. This doesn't bother me, because he manages to tell everyone's story eventually.

My feeling about Deadwood is that it was a complete story. The characters and their connections revealed themselves slowly, so anyone looking for immediate clarity won't be satisfied - you have to watch every show to understand what's going on. The thing about Deadwood was that there wasn't an extravagant mystery tying things together - it's just good storytelling in the hands of especially capable actors (Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, Molly Parker, Paula Malcolmson, Dayton Callie, Jim Beaver, Gerald McRainey (as the most evil television villain EVER), and Garrett Dillahunt, among others). Although it's not a Milch idea, The Wire has the same kind of completeness.

I will go out on a limb here and say that The Wire and Deadwood are better shows that Lost (blasphemy, I know) and even John from Cincinnati. I'm not sure that 's much of a claim, since it's so general, but it's something.