Doh! Cross-posted with Raiff up there…

"Attic" foreshadowing
I'm wondering if there are more "Restless" type clues in Echo's "Attic" trip. I'll have to rewatch that episode but the Black Lodge-esque Boyd, Claire, dead-eyed Ballard (now blind to the bond with Echo?) & damaged but still working Topher appearances = heavy foreshadowing, no? In retrospect,…

"wedding" flash
I've only been watching half-assedly so I may be completely off here but anyone else think that Gabrielle Union assumed it was a wedding but was actually a funeral? Isn't white usually the color of mourning in Asian cultures? I think this theory came from being reminded of the last thing I saw Gina…

Thanks all, for your responses! My experience with the series has been immeasurably enriched by this board throughout this re-watch.

Before I clicked on your link, I thought you meant that the actor was Soapy Smith, cast by Milch as a great inside joke. Yeah, I'm a dummy, but for a minute it made me wonder about the tit-licker's resume.

Lord there goes Johnny Appleseed
Fuck me, that's why he looked so familiar!

Mama's got you little Al!
Can anyone explain that Gustave/Al thing? While amusingly quirky, it always felt oddly out of place to me, along with the raining of the swatches down to Doc later on (though it does make me laugh when Dan, seemingly ignoring Al's rant, only looks up curiously when one falls over him.) The…

To MMCTTPBTO: Veta Louise kindly provided a summary of the DVD feature outlining Milch's plans had there been a season 4 in the comments a while back. Dunno how to make links, unless just copying & pasting works but it's a ways down on this page:
http://www.avclub.com/artic…

I admit my love for John from Cincinnati with some trepidation, knowing that the general consensus around here & well, just about everywhere, differs rather passionately from my opinion. CatSniffingMania, may I suggest looking through The House Next Door archives if you want detailed & thoughtful JfC episode…

dan/turner fight outcome
I seem to recall an explanation about Hearst wanting to put on a show that best terrorized the campfolk into submission. Turner could've easily killed Dan in the mud puddle (& Al bows his head at that inevitability) but allowed him to escape to serve Hearst's vanity & evil strategy. Ha ha!

Agreed. I like to think that Alma's steps during this inner monologue followed those taken by Brom when she urged him to go for a walk before moving forward with his ill-conceived plan against Al. He fell victim to his choices trying to overcome his state of powerlessness— she's desperately working out another way…

Garrett Dillahunt looks a cunt-hair away from cracking up at that EB moment.

Wolcott taunting Mose
Am I right in thinking that Wolcott was pretty much inviting Mose to kill him? I seem to recall something in one of the commentaries about Wolcott not fighting back against Charlie earlier because he doesn't have the courage to kill himself (yet) but wouldn't mind so much if it were done to him.

phodreaw, you slay me. impressive twisty-turnings of phrasing there.

Poor Johnny! He's the most tender of Al's flock, tearing up at the sight of the cock-eyed Reverend & gods, the shit he goes through in season 3 (SPOILERY) with that whole Jen twist!

Fair point. But I think for some of us, the examination of such minutiae comes not from a place of judgment & excuses for such, but rather a hunger for any new detail, no matter how trivial, that adds to the joy we get from such a rich and rewarding series. Perhaps the abrupt ending contributes to this compulsion. …

Agreed—good one MNIMN. I was struck early on by the relationship between Doc & Al. Doc's the only one during those first few episodes who regularly got away with standing up to him & I think he's also one of the only characters in season 1 who makes Al genuinely laugh (as opposed to putting on a jocular persona when…

There's an odd moment in season 1 that could be interpreted as a secret Merrick liaison if you squint hard enough. I'm hazy on the details but it comes up as Al is looking for him to join them in one of their town meetings. Merrick stammers something about attending to his storage closet when asked where the fuck…

on the Mississip???
Hey smart people, what does Miss Isringhausen mean by this? Is it a reference to some famous incident that I missed in history class? Something to do with the Pinkerton's reputation as strike-busters or…?

Yeah, we went over this in an earlier discussion…Milch describes Wolcott as a victim of sexual abuse on the commentary track & why this draws him to Joanie & vice versa. Once you know that you can suss out the hints but it's not clearly spelled out on the show. And yes, icky.