Characters / Deadwood Hearst Company

The Hearst Company

Leadership

Hearst

George Hearst

"This place displeases me. I’m taking measures to bring it down."

Portrayed By: Gerald McRaney

"Gold confers power. Power comes to any man who has the color."

Born to neither power nor money, mining magnate George Hearst sends his agent, Francis Wolcott, ahead of him to Deadwood to secure a set of claims. When Hearst finally arrives by coach, Wolcott has managed to consolidate all of the major claims for his employer - save one, Alma Garrett Ellsworth's. She refuses to sell. But Hearst is not a man accustomed to being denied. He keeps his hands clean, but is quick to bloody others (including his second, Turner), in his quest to control all the gold in Deadwood.

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• An Offer You Can't Refuse: If he wants to buy your business, HE WILL.
• Arch-Enemy: Hearst is essentially the greatest enemy Deadwood itself has, representing a ruthless future arriving to pillage the camp. He also manages to become a hated enemy on a personal level to several characters:
  • Alma, who he views as his main competition. Unaware of his true nature, she tries to engage in civil business dealings with him, only for Hearst to take offense at her offer, threaten to rape her, and subsequently wage war against her. He has her shot at, ultimately having her husband murdered to force her to sell. Needless to say, she hates him.
  • Bullock, who hates Hearst for what he's doing to the town, to Alma, and because Hearst himself is a bully who feels he's above the law. Hearst grows to hate Bullock for a specific incident in which Bullock publicly humiliates him, dragging him to a cell by the ear.
  • Al, who knows exactly who and what Hearst is and understands what an existential threat he represents. Hearst earns his personal hatred by lopping off a finger.
  • Ellsworth, who holds him responsible for a past incident in which many men were killed digging Hearst's mine. When they meet, Ellsworth isn't shy about letting him see how deep his rage runs.
• Bad Boss: When his miners try to form a union, he has several of them killed.
• Beard of Evil: He has a beard, and he's extremely evil.
• Better with Non-Human Company: A very dark version of this trope; Hearst has nothing but disdain for his fellow man, and as such prefers the company of dogs (as well as like-minded people) due to their supplication.
  "My proper traffic is with the earth. In my dealings with... people, I ought solely to have to do with n*ggers. And whites who obey me like dogs."

• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Alma discovers this first-hand. She unwisely dismisses Ellsworth's seemingly unreasonable hatred of him, and tries to deal with him alone... and he shows his true colors.
• The Bully: He takes a twisted pleasure in bending others to his will and humiliating them in the process.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You: The only reason he doesn't outright murder Alma is that he needs her to sell her claim to him.
• Card-Carrying Villain: In The Movie, he wears a red suit and smokes a cigar with a smug smile like he's the devil himself, practically relishing his own evil and feeding off the hatred of the town.
• Characterization Marches On: When Hearst is introduced in the Season 2 finale, he is outraged by Wolcott's behavior and fires him for it, implying that there are certain lines he isn't willing to cross. Come Season 3, however, any such principles are absent from Hearst, who is portrayed as a deranged sociopath willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals. That said, he notes early and often that the camp is wearing on his nerves, so it's unclear to what extent this is a rewrite and to what extent an early attempt at PR before sliding off the kid gloves - there's also the fact that Wolcott was stupid enough to do this while officially representing Hearst's interests, which earns his employer a blackmail attempt mere hours after the firing.
• *Crack!* "Oh, My Back!": Hearst has recurring back problems, which Jack Langrishe takes advantage of to cause him some pain under the guise of helping.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Hearst became rich, and remains rich, through brutality and criminal acts.
• Corrupt Politician: True to history, he's become a Senator from California in the 10-year Time Skip between the end of the series and The Movie.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Hearst tends to over-react and take every insult to heart.
  "...for your effrontery at our meal a moment ago, I’d have seen you shot or hanged without second thought. The value I gave the gold restrained me, you see?"
• The Dreaded: Very much so. Hearst's name alone is enough to inspire fear in even the most hardened of cutthroats. When Hearst's agent, Wolcott, first arrives in the camp, the resident Smug Snakes E.B. Farnum and Cy Toliver are quick to treat him as an easy mark. Yet they practically shit themselves upon discovering who Wolcott's employer is.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Seems genuinely distraught when Captain Turner is killed, although he may have simply taken it as a grievous insult.
• Evil Old Folks: Hearst is feeling the effects of old age (most notably back problems) but it hasn't impeded his ability to be an evil bastard.
• Faux Affably Evil: Hearst might be a misanthrope, but he admits that things go smoother when he wears a smile. The second things start to go a little wrong, however, Hearst shows himself for what he is. There are times when he capably feigns charm and on occasion, he acts close to a human being in his treatment of Aunt Lou, his very human homesickness and moments of introspection... but there's always something darker just beneath the surface. It's as if he recognizes what it is to be a human being, but finds it impossible to do so.
• For the Evulz: Sometimes it isn't just for the money; it's for his own sadistic power trip.
• Fiction 500: Reality 5, in fact.
• Greater-Scope Villain: In Season 2. He's not seen until the finale, but he's Wolcott's employer and the mere whisper of his name inspires fear in the characters.
• Greed:
  • An odd subversion. Hearst has a strange fetish for gold that borders on some kind of crazed fever, but isn't overly bothered with his own material wealth. It's a tool to get more gold, so that he can use that gold to get more gold.
  • It's somewhat explained during his talk with Odell; Hearst (not inaccurately) sees gold as an object which confers power to its owner, due to its universally agreed upon value, and as such seeks to accumulate gold to accumulate more power.
• Hate Sink: He's by far the most contemptible individual in the series, which, considering some of his competition, says quite a bit about the bastard.
• Hero Killer: He's responsible for the deaths of both Ellsworth and Charlie, two of the most genuinely decent people in Deadwood.
• Historical Domain Character: Hearst is, of course, a real historical figure perhaps best known for being the father of the (in)famous William Randolph Hearst. It should come as some relief that he was not the ruthless monster he is in the show.
• Humiliation Conga: The film is effectively one disaster after the next for him. His arrogance and pride allow Bullock to expose and sabotage his operations, all of his murders are exposed to the town, a humiliating photo of him being arrested is taken by a mocking photographer and finally an enraged crowd gathers and gives him an incredibly brutal beatdown that he just barely escapes from. To make matters even worse, the man who saves him from the mob is none other than Bullock, his sworn enemy. To put the cherry on top, he is then tossed into jail by the ear, just like many years ago. At the end he languishes in his cell an utterly broken man, enraged and humbled. To make it all the more bitter for him, the person who tips Bullock off to his crimes is Farnum.
• It's All About Me: George Hearst cares entirely about George Hearst.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: At the end of the third season, Hearst gets everything he wants despite all the evil things he's done, and smugly leaves town to go on and live a successful life. However, karma catches up with him in the movie, where his evil deeds are exposed, he is completely humiliated in front of the town and just before being thrown in jail he is the victim of a vicous beatdown by enraged townsfolk.
• Kick the Dog: Constantly. Killing his own miners, having Al's finger cut off, threatening to rape Alma and having Ellsworth and later Charlie killed.
• Living Legend: Everybody knows who Hearst is, and even in reality he's a well-known figure.
• The Man Behind the Man: To Wolcott and Mr Lee. Hearst is an ominous presence all through the second season but doesn't appear until right near the end.
• Morality Pet: Subverted. He seems to treat Aunt Lou kindly, but the reality is that he has no deeper concern for her feelings and his behavior toward her is often condescending. Aunt Lou puts on the 'mammy' act to placate him but secretly she hates him as much as anyone, perhaps even more.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Courtesy of an angry mob. He only barely escapes with his life.
• Oh, Crap!: When he realises that the angry citizens of Deadwood intend to dish out some rough justice for his misdeeds.
• Red Baron: When he was a young boy in Missouri the Native Americans called him the "Boy the Earth Talks To." It refers to his near-supernatural ability to ferret out gold.
• Self-Made Man: Founder of the Hearst dynasty.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Hearst is extremely rich and doesn't believe he has to abide by the same rules as everyone else. The sad thing is, he's proven right.
  "Elections cannot inconvenience me. They ratify my will or I neuter them."''
• Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Hearst finally decides to leave the camp after being shot by Trixie. He manages to take Alma's claim, thus achieving his objective, and he hated staying in Deadwood anyway. The gunshot seemed to convince him that, as invincible as he seems, he's still mortal. All it would take is someone with nothing to lose to kill him.
• Uncertain Doom:It's left up in the air whether or not Hearst will be hung for his crimes. Either way his future looks bleak. The real Hearst died of a heart attack just a year after the events of the film.
• The Unfettered: Hearst balks at nothing in his pursuit of gold. Even his own wealth is an afterthought in comparison with "the color."
  • It is probable that this is the deciding factor in his conflict with the camp. By the climax of the third season, both he and Al have recruited quite a few hired guns. It might have been possible for the heroes to fight it out, but such a battle would almost certainly have resulted in the town's destruction. They, The Fettered, could not stomach this, while Hearst could.
• You Have Failed Me: He has no qualms about killing his own employees.

Employees

Wolcott

Francis Wolcott

"I am a sinner who does not expect forgiveness. But I am not a government official."

Portrayed By: Garret Dillahunt

"Past hope. Past kindness or consideration. Past justice. Past satisfaction. Past warmth or cold or comfort. Past love. But past surprise? What an endlessly unfolding tedium life would then become. No, Doris we must not let you be past surprise."

Francis Wolcott, agent for the mining magnate George Hearst, arrives in Deadwood and is immediately fawned over by Farnum, who sees in Wolcott's fancy leather bags and his stated intention to "locate and secure an assortment of claims" an easy mark.

But Wolcott is far from a rube, as a succession of Deadwood's denizens learn. Indeed, this conniving figure—who can't even stand to be touched—may prove to be the most ruthless and depraved man in town, no easy feat, even for a man willing to ship whores across the country to support his sadistic pleasures.

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• Abusive Parents: It's heavily implied, and confirmed by Word of God, that Wolcott was sexually abused by a relative. Likely a parent, judging by his comment to Joanie about fathers.
• Affably Evil: His self-deprecating humour, polite manner and general apologetic attitude is remarkably disarming.
• Alas, Poor Villain: Wolcott's death is sudden, abrupt and stems from the fact that he does not fit in with humanity at all. It's hard not to feel sorry for the self-loathing deviant, especially as nobody mourns his passing.
• Beard of Evil: He's evil and has a beard, partly to distinguish him from Garrett Dillahunt's previous character.
• Berserk Button: When Tolliver attempts to blackmail him, Wolcott is outraged and can barely contain himself. It sets him off on a killing spree.
• Big Bad: Of Season 2, although Hearst is the Greater-Scope Villain who instructs him. Wolcott drives much of Season 2's conflict, sending the camp into chaos through his manipulations.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: Wolcott operates on a different level to everyone else. Even Hearst is unnerved by his bizarre belief that the Earth itself whispers to him that 'sin' does not exist.
• The Chessmaster: Wolcott orchestrates many of the events in Season 2 in preparation for the arrival of Hearst; he uses Tolliver and Farnum to spread rumors of people losing their claim and throws the camp into chaos. Tolliver, Farnum, Jarry and Mose are all pawns of Wolcott's, and Wolcott himself is an agent of Hearst. It's unclear, however, to what extent his manipulations are of his own design or direct instruction from Hearst.
• Deadpan Snarker: He has a surprising (and dark) wit for such an emotionally detached psychopath:
  Maddie: What did you do, Mr. W?
  Wolcott: (having just killed a prostitute) Something very... expensive.
• Despair Event Horizon: After George Hearst fires him, Wolcott is briefly seen trying and failing to enjoy the jubilant atmosphere of Alma's wedding to Ellsworth. This really seems to hammer home Wolcott's total alienation from the rest of mankind, and the next time we see him he has committed suicide.
• Driven to Suicide: After being fired by Hearst.
• Hates Being Touched: Due to the sexual abuse he suffered as a child.
• Hidden Depths: Wolcott is everything he appears to be, but he has a tragic past and a severely fractured psyche.
• Mouth of Sauron: For Hearst during Season 2, wherein he represents his employer's interests in the camp.
• Non-Action Big Bad: Aside from killing Maddie when she has him at gunpoint, Wolcott only directly deals out violence to completely defenseless prostitutes. When Charlie Utter directly attacks him, Wolcott doesn't get so much as a punch in before receiving a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.
• Pet the Dog: He briefly shows concern for the health of William Bullock, though Tolliver is quick to cut this moment short.
• Psycho for Hire: Averted, actually. He's a true psychopath, but he was hired for his competence and geological expertise.
• Pyrrhic Victory: He succeeds in getting everyone in the camp except Alma to sell their claims, but in the process is exposed as a murderer and fired by Hearst, very quickly causing him to commit suicide.
• Rape as Backstory: Confirmed by Word of God, but only alluded to strongly in his conversations with Joanie.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He gives an eloquently vicious one to Cy Tolliver.
  "Believing yourself past surprise does not commend you to me as a friend. A man inadequately sophisticated or merely ignorant, or simply stupid, may believe himself past surprise, then be surprised to discover, for example, that Mr. Hearst already knows of my inclinations and finds them immaterial. Suggesting as a corollary that your skills for blackmail and manipulation no longer are assets to you, and for your fatuous belief in their efficacy, in fact have become liabilities. In short, you've overplayed your hand. Now I should think, in consequence, now recognizing yourself as a man past his time, that during this last transitional period you would devote yourself with grateful and quiet diligence to such uses as others may still find you suitable."
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: As Hearst's agent in camp, he wields tremendous power and is more-or-less untouchable.
• Serial Killer: He's killed several prostitutes in Mexico, and later starts up again in Deadwood.
• Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny: Wolcott has major issues with sex and women, what with him being a Serial Killer who is ashamed of his own sexuality.
• Sissy Villain: An effete urbanite who (generally) leaves the throat slitting to his subordinates, Wolcott is physically unintimidating and performs very poorly the one time he gets into a real fight.
• Slashed Throat: Performs it three times in "Something Very Expensive".
• The Sociopath: As noted above, he's a complete psychopath.
• Softspoken Sadist: Wolcott has a very gentle, unassuming voice despite being a killer of women.
• The Unsmile: He frequently attempts to smile when he is in a situation that calls for it, but he's just not a happy guy.
• Wicked Cultured: Wolcott is refined and well-educated, lecturing a brothel on prostitutes throughout history.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Sure, he's a brutal killer, but there's a great deal of conflict and tragedy in Wolcott's character.

Aunt Lou

"Aunt" Lou Marchbanks

Portrayed By: Cleo King

A former slave, currently serving as Hearst's cook. She takes over the Grand Hotel kitchen after Hearst buys the building and makes friendship with Richardson.

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• Apron Matron: Her role in the Hearst household.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: After surviving Hearst's employ (a feat few enough can boast), she is seen in the movie to now be a full-time resident of Deadwood, respected by the town and presumably happy.
• Hidden Depths: Her "happy mammy" act is entirely for the benefit of Hearst; in reality, she's a highly intelligent and savvy survivor.
• Morality Pet: Initially she seems to be one for George Hearst, but it's quickly subverted. Hearst likes her in the way he would like a dog, and for her part Aunt Lou despises him. She's likely spent her entire life witnessing his brutality and being forced to listen to his self-obsessed monologues.
• Non-Indicative Name: Lampshaded when Alma wrongly assumes that she is Hearst's real aunt.
• Obfuscating Mammy: She acts very much like a Mammy, 'happy slave' or Magical Negro for Hearst. In reality, she's very perceptive and hates Hearst just as much as anyone else.
• Odd Friendship: She quickly enters into a genuine and heart-warming friendship with Richardson, Farnum's idiotic Butt-Monkey. The intelligent Aunt Lou could probably do better when it comes to friends, but Aunt Lou seems to appreciate having someone she can be herself in front of, and Richardson is starved for kindness. By the end of her first day in the town he's more devoted to her than he is to anyone else.
• Sassy Black Woman: She certainly is when, say, playing games with the local Chinese. With Hearst, of course, it becomes more complicated. She plays the part to him (Hearst approvingly describes her as a "tyrant"), but at the same time she is fully aware of how ruthless he is and understands the tightrope she must walk, acting "sassy" while never truly opposing or angering him.
• Supreme Chef: Her cooking is good enough to endear her to Hearst.

Captain Turner

Captain Joe Turner

Portrayed By: Alan Graf

George Hearst's large and imposing right hand man.

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• Arch-Enemy: Dan can't really fight Hearst, but Turner is a physical threat whom he can focus his frustration on, and Turner is only too happy to meet whatever challenge Dan throws his way. It culminates in a hand-to-hand fight to the death in the thoroughfare.
• Badass Boast: Turner doesn't speak much, but he does throw out a notable threat in Dan's direction that highlights how formidable and malicious he is.
  "Not only will I change your mind, I'll rip your whole fucking head off."
• The Dragon: To George Hearst; Turner is his long-time right-hand man and carries out Hearst's orders without question.
• Duel to the Death: He ends up fighting to the death with Dan Dority in a match set up between Al and Hearst, a fight which he ultimately loses.
• Establishing Character Moment: Turner is introduced with Wolcott's voiceover letter to Hearst, praising Turner's usefulness...as we see him mercilessly shoot a Cornish worker in the back.
• Eye Scream: Dan turns the tables in his fight with Turner by ripping the man's eye out.
• Fat Bastard: He's physically imposing due to his enormous frame, which lends to his immense strength.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: His vicious fight with Dan consists of exchanging savage blows without much in the way of technique; just two very strong men who want to kill each other and don't care how they achieve it.
• Psycho for Hire: He's a remorseless psychopath who kills without hesitation or even much thought.
• The Quiet One: Turner doesn't speak unless spoken to.
• Stout Strength: He's a frighteningly strong man, even if the muscle isn't exactly visible.

Smith

James Smith

Portrayed By: Tony Curran

One of two hired gunmen brought in by Hearst.

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• Evil Redhead: He's a red-haired killer.
• He Knows Too Much: One of Hearst's henchmen kills him before he can name Hearst as his employer.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: He's virulently racist in addition to being a murderous animal.
• Psycho for Hire: Smith is a hired killer who's downright gleeful about murdering innocent people.

Seacrest

Dennis Seacrest

Portrayed By: Don Swayze

One of two hired gunmen brought in by Hearst.

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• Beard of Evil: A neat beard to highlight his evil.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Seacrest might be ruthless and remorseless, but he doesn't seem to take nearly as much joy in blood-letting as his partner Smith.
• Psycho for Hire: Like Smith, he's hired by Hearst for any murders he might need committed.
• Would Hurt a Child: He takes Young Wu hostage to escape with his life; unfortunately for him, Bullock is a good enough shot to kill him without harming Young Wu.

Allies

Jarry

Hugo Jarry

"Self-interest is immutable, but it's dictates vary daily."

Portrayed By: Stephen Tobolowsky

"Had you vision as well as sight, you would recognize within me not only a man, but an institution and the future as well."

A bottomlessly corrupt high commissioner whose two goals are to ensure that Deadwood is annexed to the territory of Dakota and that Hearst's agenda is fulfilled, in no particular order.

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• Badass Boast: A villainous example. Say what you want about Jarry, but it takes guts to calmly rebuke an angry mob. Of course, this is somewhat mitigated in that he says it while standing within the safety of a cage.
  Steve the Drunk: Fuck you, fuck the institution, AND FUCK THE FUTURE!
  Jarry: You cannot fuck the future, sir. The future fucks you.
• City Mouse: Jarry is from the big city, and is acquainted with ruthlessness but not the raw aggression of Deadwood.
• Dirty Coward: He cowers in a cage when confronted by Steve and an angry mob.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Whenever he's in the Gem or the Bella Union, any passing prostitute is liable to distract him from the business at hand.
• Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He wears spectacles and is deeply corrupt.
• Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: He's a smug, condescending jackass, but for a moment it looks like he might have a bonding moment with Merrick. Jarry happily geeks out over Merrick's printing press, recalling his journalist father, but then he starts ordering Merrick around with the same condescending attitude with which he regards everyone else.
• Karma Houdini: Jarry seems to be heading the same way as Hearst, escaping Deadwood unscathed. A subversion is implied when he alludes to being in some trouble with the law for defrauding the county.
• Professional Butt-Kisser: To the point where Hearst is prompted to ask him, 'Do you want to fuck me?'. Of course, it was due to a metaphorical mix-up involving Socrates, but then Jarry launches into a little monologue about how if he were courting Hearst, he'd be great at it.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat: Oh, massively. Rather than his obstructiveness being a side effect of his job, it's his genuine intent to be obstructive to serve Hearst's purpose.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Unlike Merrick, he uses this as a weapon in his written documents to fool others.
• Sleazy Politician: Totally corrupt, and very eager to take advantage of the "hospitality" of the Bella Union.
• Slimeball: Even Cy is disgusted by this charmless fool.
• Smug Snake: Jarry has a hugely inflated opinion of himself for someone who's little more than a toady. When he first arrives in camp, Jarry proceeds to act like he's untouchable but ends up the target of an angry mob.

Mr. Lee

Mr. Lee

"I am a civilized person."

Portrayed By: Philip Moon

The leader of a San Francisco tong allied to the Hearst organization, which he provides with Chinese labourers and cheap prostitutes. His attempt to take over Deadwood's Asian community in the second season puts him in conflict with Mr Wu.

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• Arch-Enemy: To Mr Wu; they immediately take a powerful dislike to one another, although it's more pronounced on Wu's part.
• Badass Longcoat: His default outfit.
• Bad Boss: Lee treats his employees like tools, subjecting them to casual cruelty and otherwise neglecting their needs.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: For him, it's cheaper to bring new prostitutes than to give medical treatment or even food to the ones he already has.
• Evil Counterpart: To Mr Wu; both are ruthless Chinese gangsters who work for powerful figures in the camp, but while Wu takes care of his own Lee is perfectly happy to manipulate, abuse and murder his underlings. Lee also speaks English, unlike Wu.
• Inscrutable Oriental: Next to nothing is known about him aside from that he's from San Francisco and is allied with Hearst. Lee is cold and closed-off on any other matters.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Lee's evil comes from his ruthlessly practical mindset. He'll allow his employees to die if it's cost-effective.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: He rarely speaks with white characters, leading them to assume that he speaks little to no English. He is actually completely fluent in it.
• The Quiet One: Lee does not speak unless it's absolutely necessary.
• The Rival: To Mr Wu.
• Ruthless Foreign Gangsters: A psychopathic Chinese gangster who works as proxy of a brutal MegaCorp.
• The Stoner: Wu kills him while he's out of his head on opium.
• Undignified Death: Wu cuts his throat without a fight while nods off on opium and has completely passionless sex with a prostitute.

Tolliver

See The Bella Union

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