Tasty Treats
I think the end of Dennis and Mac's subplot was actually very relevant to their earlier discussion about implication of the open sea threat of rape. The guys got the tables turned on him when they started considering that the "tasty treats" comments being made by the unsavory-looking dock party hosts may…

I thought it was a cow - probably because of the cow crossing sign they pass by a few seconds before the incident.

I think Cy's "conversion" was scheme to play on Joanie's sympathies and the sympathies of any who would seek to take advantage of him in his weakened physical state. It was never meant in earnest - as evidenced by the scene where he asks Joanie for his "good book", located and held tenderly to his breast, yet tossed…

BTW, that kid who named the trout "jumbo" - that scene was simply thrown in there because the kid had a terminal illness and Milch wanted to do something nice for him. The acting is horrible because the kid's not an actor. He was the son of a friend of Milch's. I agree it's a really horrible scene - both the way…

One more thing - Hearst and Jarry have been in cohoots far before Jarry's arrival in Deadwood. Wolcott doesn't react to capitalize on Jarry's misleading news - rather, Jarry presents the news to Wolcott for Wolcott's approval and Cy and Wolcott's advice on how to best disseminate the nonsensical statement - which…

Coo
I have a few disagreements with your outline of the plot.