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chaniDeadwood is still rather fresh on my mind, so here we go.
The most heroic death
The way he died wasn't very heroic, but he was the last hero of the Old West so I'd say Wild Bill Hickock's death in season 1, because you know "Here Was The Man".
I could have picked Will Bill's death for most iconic too but...
The most iconic death
Reverend Smith's in season 1. Unforgettable moment, with Cochrane praying God to end the reverend's agony, and the merciful Al answering his prayers, using his lethal skills. Iconic because of Al Swearengen in god mode of course.
The most poetic death
This one is easy. The old actor, Chesterton, who died at Chez Ami, on stage, in season 3. The scene was simply beautiful, with Jack describing what will be, inviting the imagination to play and then reciting lines from King Lear, before giving the old trooper stage direction for one last time. Eventually the rest of the troupe finally emerging from the shadows where they have been watching this final act, after the old actor has passed away. It was quite wonderful.
The most tragic death
I'm torn between William's death in season 2 and the whore who died in stead of Trixie at the end of season 3.
Of course a child's death is always tragic, and the way William died was pure tragedy. That stallion was more than a horse, it was the forces of Fate at work; fate embodied in that frantic stallion.
But the whore's death is also so tragic since she was killed because she kinda looked like Trixie, because was a whore (so basically nothing, even though Johnny would mourn her), and because Al chose to spare the one he actually cared about. She was just a pawn in the game, she was sacrified for the sake of the community (since Hearst left without destroying Deadwood)and for the sake of Trixie whom th god-like figure of the camp didn't want to see killed.
The most saddest death
I couldn't think of a cliched death or tearjerking death so I turned the category into saddest death. I'll go with Mr Ellsworth. It was truly heartbreaking.
The death the audience didn't really care about
Perhaps Aunt Lou's son, Odell. That storyline just didn't work. But Richardson made us care for Aunt Lou's grief.
Or the siblings from season 1? the boy and the girl, can't remember their names. But their storyline was brief, they tried to con Cy, and they ended being food for mr Wu's pigs.
The death that looks so real it makes you think of death in RL
There are two big death scenes in Deadwood: the final and painful moments of Reverend Smith, and William being watched by his parents after Doc said that Cochranesque line fo his: "The hoof hits just one inch to the right, boy's pain is gone, don't have to watch him suffer. I doubt He's omniscient. I know He's myopic.”
They both looked real in a different way. The first scene didn't convey a realistic vibe, rather a metaphoric one, but I tend to think that death is usually painful and not at all like it is described on sceen, so Reverend Smith's end of life looked very realistic. ETA: As a viewer I thought that the reverend's death was painful, and endless so I was relieved when Al put him (and us!) out of his misery.
But the Bullocks scene had a realistic feel, because of Martha and Seth.
The most expected death
Alma's first husband. He had "soon to be dead" tattoed on his forehead!
Also the three whores at Chez Ami, especially Carrie, killed by Wolcott. As Chekhov could have said, you don't introduce a Wolcott in the first act without having him kill whores in the third act.
The death that wasn't that much of a surprise but that turned out to happen quickly and in a "clean way":
Mr Ellsworth's. *sniff* I'd been bracing myself for a while for that one, and when it happened it was quick but so sad. And Sophia touching Bullock's moustache afterwards, such a bittersweet moment.
The least expected death
Hostetler's suicide. Didn't see that one coming!
The most shocking death
Maybe the Indian chief whom Bullock killed. The figth was raw and the way Bullock killed him was quite shocking.But that was a useful death that provided a "refreshing" prop: the chief's head Al talked to.
Or Captain Turner's death at hands of Dan in season 3.
And there's Wolcott who had suicidal tendencies but seeing his suddenly body drop from the window where he hung himself was a bit of a shock.
The death that never happened
I added this category because I was thinking of Joanie who was so suicidal, but her death never happened and she might even have a happy ending.
But that would work for Doc Cochrane not dying from lungs issue or Harry Manning not dying from the unauthorized cinnamon!
The most heroic death
The way he died wasn't very heroic, but he was the last hero of the Old West so I'd say Wild Bill Hickock's death in season 1, because you know "Here Was The Man".
I could have picked Will Bill's death for most iconic too but...
The most iconic death
Reverend Smith's in season 1. Unforgettable moment, with Cochrane praying God to end the reverend's agony, and the merciful Al answering his prayers, using his lethal skills. Iconic because of Al Swearengen in god mode of course.
The most poetic death
This one is easy. The old actor, Chesterton, who died at Chez Ami, on stage, in season 3. The scene was simply beautiful, with Jack describing what will be, inviting the imagination to play and then reciting lines from King Lear, before giving the old trooper stage direction for one last time. Eventually the rest of the troupe finally emerging from the shadows where they have been watching this final act, after the old actor has passed away. It was quite wonderful.
The most tragic death
I'm torn between William's death in season 2 and the whore who died in stead of Trixie at the end of season 3.
Of course a child's death is always tragic, and the way William died was pure tragedy. That stallion was more than a horse, it was the forces of Fate at work; fate embodied in that frantic stallion.
But the whore's death is also so tragic since she was killed because she kinda looked like Trixie, because was a whore (so basically nothing, even though Johnny would mourn her), and because Al chose to spare the one he actually cared about. She was just a pawn in the game, she was sacrified for the sake of the community (since Hearst left without destroying Deadwood)and for the sake of Trixie whom th god-like figure of the camp didn't want to see killed.
The most saddest death
I couldn't think of a cliched death or tearjerking death so I turned the category into saddest death. I'll go with Mr Ellsworth. It was truly heartbreaking.
The death the audience didn't really care about
Perhaps Aunt Lou's son, Odell. That storyline just didn't work. But Richardson made us care for Aunt Lou's grief.
Or the siblings from season 1? the boy and the girl, can't remember their names. But their storyline was brief, they tried to con Cy, and they ended being food for mr Wu's pigs.
The death that looks so real it makes you think of death in RL
There are two big death scenes in Deadwood: the final and painful moments of Reverend Smith, and William being watched by his parents after Doc said that Cochranesque line fo his: "The hoof hits just one inch to the right, boy's pain is gone, don't have to watch him suffer. I doubt He's omniscient. I know He's myopic.”
They both looked real in a different way. The first scene didn't convey a realistic vibe, rather a metaphoric one, but I tend to think that death is usually painful and not at all like it is described on sceen, so Reverend Smith's end of life looked very realistic. ETA: As a viewer I thought that the reverend's death was painful, and endless so I was relieved when Al put him (and us!) out of his misery.
But the Bullocks scene had a realistic feel, because of Martha and Seth.
The most expected death
Alma's first husband. He had "soon to be dead" tattoed on his forehead!
Also the three whores at Chez Ami, especially Carrie, killed by Wolcott. As Chekhov could have said, you don't introduce a Wolcott in the first act without having him kill whores in the third act.
The death that wasn't that much of a surprise but that turned out to happen quickly and in a "clean way":
Mr Ellsworth's. *sniff* I'd been bracing myself for a while for that one, and when it happened it was quick but so sad. And Sophia touching Bullock's moustache afterwards, such a bittersweet moment.
The least expected death
Hostetler's suicide. Didn't see that one coming!
The most shocking death
Maybe the Indian chief whom Bullock killed. The figth was raw and the way Bullock killed him was quite shocking.But that was a useful death that provided a "refreshing" prop: the chief's head Al talked to.
Or Captain Turner's death at hands of Dan in season 3.
And there's Wolcott who had suicidal tendencies but seeing his suddenly body drop from the window where he hung himself was a bit of a shock.
The death that never happened
I added this category because I was thinking of Joanie who was so suicidal, but her death never happened and she might even have a happy ending.
But that would work for Doc Cochrane not dying from lungs issue or Harry Manning not dying from the unauthorized cinnamon!