I'm watching the DVDs of DEADWOOD third season and it seems that somewhere near the middle or the end of season two, Milch's writing became infected with writing disease. You can usually sleep this off, but perhaps the production schedule prohibited that. <br /><br />Many people in entertainment forums marvel at Milch's writing, but it's a question of balance. Forgive the cliché, but sometimes "less is more". The Shakespeare bug bit Dave, apparently, and, no, it's not that he's trying to write like Shakespeare wrote, but he's trying, way too hard, to write GREAT--and he can't. Here and there he can, yes, but not for every character in every other line. A little greatness goes a long way. <br /><br />Something gotta give when almost everyone is speaking in their very own stilted "high-style". The scenes bog down. The flow of the story falters, and even stops. Make way for The Writing! The story even becomes predictable, because every scene is merely a vehicle for Milch-speech. You're walking along, trying to groove with the story, and you step in a sticky puddle of piddle. <br /><br />This is not how people apprehend a story, through the preciously special use of "language". People apprehend a story by identifying with its characters, perhaps in spite of the writing, and Milch's writing--like Mamet's, by the way--too often shackles the actors, and literally tries to steal the scene from them, always for the worst. The "writing", having a life of its own, eclipses the characters, that the actors have busted their guts over to bring to life. There ends up being just one character: Milch.<br /><br />Having said that, I notice the stories flow better when people other than Milch write. Plot comes first, it seems, when others write. As it should. Minus the goofy "comic relief" half-scenes, the stories are compelling, and I'm sorta sorry there won't be another season--even if I believe Deadwood is pretty much tapped out.