"A Constant Throb" -- it's the title of an episode from Deadwood's third and final season, but it's also a fairly apt description of the show itself. Tension pulses beneath the surface of each season, nearly every scene and every exchange and certainly many of the characters populating creator David Milch's thrilling evocation of the rough-and-tumble South Dakotan frontier. The third season ratcheted up the suspense, raising the stakes for many of the principal players and revealing the inescapable brutality that touches everyone.

Ace DVD Talk scribe das Monkey has done a superb job of setting up the world and characters of Deadwood in his reviews of the show's first and second season sets; I won't dive deeply into the overall minutiae relating to the show -- instead, I'll focus primarily on the narrative arcs that comprise the flawless third season.

The ruthless businessman and prospector George Hearst (a brilliant Gerald McRaney) continues to attempt bending the town of Deadwood to his will; as the third season progresses, he becomes ever more reckless, attempting to position the townspeople like so many chess pieces, moving them about towards bloody inevitability. Fighting like hell against the near-tyrannical impulses of Hearst are a pair of increasingly rattled allies -- town sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and poetically profane saloonkeeper Al Swearengen (a note-perfect Ian McShane). Both men have an interest in seeing the town survive its tentative early years, establish a legitimate democracy and sustain itself beyond the current gold rush. While the men fight against the power of a bitter millionaire, life does go on, as Deadwood prepares to elect its first slate of public officials, a bank is opened and culture - in the form of a traveling theater troupe - arrives in town. There are more developments, of course, but those are further explored a little later in this review.That the writers and directors can keep these myriad threads sustained without slighting any of them is a testament to their focus, as well as their inimitable skill.

What's perhaps most impressive about Deadwood is the effortless way in which Milch and his writers draw parallels with modern-day life; it's all too easy to read political subtexts into the characterization of Hearst and his bloodless sneer, just as it's simple to see a straight line connecting the idea of governments hanging by a thread attempting to get their footing and possibly being undermined by insidious outside interests (as it is in Deadwood, so it might be in Iraq, for instance). All of these deft narrative touches wouldn't carry nearly the weight they do were it not for the majestic, ornate language that's become a trademark of Milch's show. Rarely does blistering profanity sound as lyrical as it does on Deadwood; volumes have been written about the flowery, filthy speech, but it truly does capture your attention in a way few episodic dramas can.

Tragically, in May 2006, HBO forewent renewing actors' contracts, rendering a fourth season of Deadwood impossible with the existing cast; in June 2006, Milch and HBO announced that two two-hour telefilms would wrap up the world of Deadwood, in lieu of a shortened, six-episode fourth season. Milch had moved on not long after that announcement, with the revelation that modern-day surfing drama John From Cincinnati would be his next project, also to air on HBO. According to a Jan. 13, 2007 interview with Zap2it.com, Milch stated that the films would see the light of day after John From Cincinnati's first season wrapped. "We have every intention of going forward," Milch said. Until his richly drawn characters have a chance to achieve some kind of dramatic conclusion, viewers are left with these 36 magnificent glimpses at a barbarous, grueling way of life that often deeply resonates with our modern existence.

The third season of Deadwood is packaged just as the previous two seasons were: 12 episodes spread across five discs, with the sixth disc housing the special features, all secured in a six-panel foldout that fits snugly inside a hinged case that looks similar to a thick novel. As is customary with HBO TV DVD releases, it's aesthetically pleasing and perfectly complements the tone and feel of the show. Below, I'll provide brief synopses of season three's 12 episodes; for those who haven't yet viewed any of these episodes, be aware mild spoilers may follow.

The Video:

Presented as originally broadcast on HBO in high-def, Deadwood's third season arrives on DVD looking impeccable; vivid, crisp and near-flawless in its 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, every speck of dirt, drop of blood and mote of dust is rendered with a clarity up to the standards of HBO's previous DVD season sets. No complaints here.

As with the visuals, the aural component of this season set is more than acceptable; my only quibble with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track is that during some of the quieter scenes, I had to crank the volume a bit to clearly make out the dialogue. Otherwise, it's a solid sonic representation that packs plenty of punch during the few action sequences. Optional French and Spanish Dolby 2.0 tracks are included, as are optional English, French and Spanish subtitles (available only on the episodes themselves).

HBO doesn't typically go overboard with its supplements, preferring to let quality trump quantity. As such, this third season includes only four commentaries (as noted above on the episode synopses), a pair of featurettes -- the 20 minute, 20 second "Deadwood Matures" and the 20 minute, 20 second "The Education of Swearengen and Bullock" -- and "Deadwood Daguerrotypes," a photo gallery of historic images.

Until the richly drawn characters of David Milch's peerless Deadwood have a chance to achieve some kind of dramatic conclusion, viewers are left with these 36 magnificent glimpses at a barbarous, grueling way of life that often deeply resonates with our modern existence. Despite a thin selection of bonus materials, the third season of Deadwood boasts sterling picture and sound, as well as 12 searing hours of television. A somewhat graceful climax to a masterful series and a set worthy of the DVD Talk Collectors Series honor.