If I bleat when I speak it's because I just got fuckin' fleeced.

Alma ain't the only one mourning events in Deadwood, gang. Another good episode last night. But a season finale? A SERIES finale??? Uh uh. No way.

Highlander and I CLEARLY not the only ones disappointed in what was handed to us after the monumental build up to the conclusion of this last season. All over the blogsphere, there's this and this and (heh, even) this.

Copping out, after how wonderfully well-written and rich this journey has been, was an option I never saw coming. I worried that Milch would have to rush through it. With so many threads dangling and so much yet to accomplish, I hoped that it would be a two-hour show last night. Alas, that was yet another dream never to be realized.

So much time and effort wasted on the Langrishe troupe. A storyline that just went nowhere. Kinda like Aunt Lou's son, Odell...and the Earps...and the build up of men (Al's vs. Hearst's) on both sides. Yes. I admit it. I wanted him to tie it up all pretty and put a bow on it. It was the last one, you know. And if he did, well, what would that leave for the movies that are supposed to be coming next year? I don't know. Maybe a "Deadwood: Trixie and Sol Wedding Celebration" or "Deadwood: The Night Hearst Came Back".

There were things that just never sat well with me last night.

Things like why we never saw any preparations for Hearst to be leaving so quickly. Aunt Lou wasn't busy packing his shit, instead she was getting Richardson ready to vote. I could see him wanting to get out of harm's way before the throw down (you know, the throw down that never happened), and the wisdom in keeping that information confidential, but when it happened, it just kind of seemed like Milch looked at his watch and said, "Shit, there's only ten minutes left in the episode, what are we gonna do with Hearst?" And I felt very cheated.

In the Character's Stepping Out of Their Norm category, it seems strange to me that Bullock didn't have any more problem with Al (or anybody else) killing Jen? Bullock. Overlooking a murder. Okay, he's Sol's friend and Sol wouldn't have liked it either, but it would have been more preferable to him than Trixie getting her throat cut. Things like that just don't sit quite so easily with Seth, though. At least not usually.

I was glad to see Wu in the last episode. Even if it was ever so brief. But no Doc? Not even a little bit? C'Mon??? And, is it me or has his "cough" been getting better? Does he live? Does he die? Maybe that's "Deadwood: A New Doc in Town."

Anyway, I'm a little let down today. Sad that my favorite show is done. Glad, though, that I've got all the episodes to watch again sometime. Mad that Milch cheated me (and the rest of you cocksuckers) out of what was rightfully ours. A series finale that was equal to the quality of the rest of the series.

Now we wait and see if we get a movie. That is what we're doing now, right? Augh, talk about aggravating!